How to Find Martial Arts Training on Chicago’s North Side

Robert Grossman • June 6, 2025

And What to Look for So You Actually Stick With It

Let’s be real for a second.

If you live in Chicago, Evanston, Skokie, or Niles, you’ve probably passed at least five different martial arts gyms without even noticing. Tae Kwon Do, BJJ, Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat… It’s a buffet. The hard part isn’t finding a place to train—it’s figuring out what kind of training will actually fit your life.

I’ve been there. I live by Albany Park, and I’ve tried everything from Hapkido to Aikido. I work a job that doesn’t let me just clock out and forget it all. So when I started training in Filipino Martial Arts—specifically Balintawak Eskrima—it was like something finally clicked. I found a system that kept my body moving, made me feel sharp, and reminded me of why I started in the first place: I wanted to learn something practical.

So here’s what I’ve learned—whether you’re in your 30s figuring out your next step, or in your 50s still curious (and still kicking)—here’s what really matters when choosing where and what to train:

Location, Location, Location

Let’s be honest: the best martial arts school in the world doesn’t matter if you won’t go to it. Consistency beats perfection every time, and a big part of consistency comes down to location. Commuting 15–25 minutes for training is reasonable. Classes that are near you that don’t turn your commute into a chore are a game-changer. Whether you’re looking for self-defense classes in Evanston, Filipino Martial Arts in Skokie, or weapons-based martial arts near Niles, the key is keeping it within reach—mentally and geographically. You’ll make time for something if it’s close enough not to become another stressor.

At Chicago Balintawak, we hold classes inside Northside Boxing and Fitness, right on the edge of Evanston by Skokie. The location is right off public transit and by main roads like McCormick and Dempster. Easy in, easy out.

Style That Matches Your Goals

Are you looking to win medals? Lose weight? Feel safer walking to the train? Build confidence?

Different martial arts do different things. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is great for groundwork and sport. Muay Thai builds insane cardio. Karate offers strong discipline. Balintawak Eskrima? It’s fast, explosive, technical, and designed for real-world scenarios. You learn to move with your body, not against it—even if you’ve got an old knee or a cranky shoulder.

We swing sticks. We learn timing. We learn how to move our feet and protect our heads. It’s fun, intense, and kind of addictive.

The Right Instructor Feels Like a Guide

Your instructor isn’t just teaching you to block or strike—they’re showing you how to problem-solve under pressure.

So ask yourself:

Do I trust this person?
Do they see me?
Are they flexible enough to adapt the lesson to how I learn or move?

At Chicago Balintawak, we work from a progressive curriculum—GM Bobby Taboada’s system—but each class is flexible enough to meet you where you are, whether you're brand new or returning after years away. As someone building this business from the ground up, I want every person in the room to feel like they matter. Because they do.

Community Matters

You’re gonna sweat. You’re gonna make mistakes. And you're going to spend time very close to other humans. So ask yourself:

Do I feel welcome here?
Do people introduce themselves?
Can I relax enough to enjoy myself?

Training should be serious and fun. When classes feel like a game you’re all playing together—with a healthy dose of accountability—you’ll stick around.

At our classes in Evanston, we joke around. We hit stuff. We ask questions. We consider the reasons we do things. It’s not a cult. It’s a crew.

Schedule: Can You Actually Make It Work?

Life is busy. Between work, family, errands, and trying to get some sleep, it’s easy to say, “Maybe next week.”

But if the class times align with your actual schedule—and feel like something to look forward to instead of another obligation—you’re way more likely to follow through.

Currently, Chicago Balintawak offers:

Wednesdays at 7PM
Saturdays at 9AM
at Northside Boxing & Fitness in Evanston.

We’re also looking to open a second location soon—so if you’re in Skokie, Niles, or even Andersonville or Uptown, let us know what works for you.

Want to Try a Class?

We offer beginner-friendly intro packages. Most people who try a class end up sticking around—because they see how much this system has to offer, both mentally and physically.

You’ll get a shirt and training weapon when you start. And a chance to hit something after a long workweek. Win-win.

Final Thoughts

It’s never too late to start. Whether you’re a 33-year-old tired of sitting behind a desk, or a 63-year-old engineer who still moves like he’s 40, the right martial arts class won’t just teach you how to fight. It’ll help you reconnect—with your body, your goals, and yourself.

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Students enjoying practicing drills in Balintawak martial arts class

6 Ways Filipino Martial Arts Helps You De-Stress and Refocus

By Robert Grossman • May 16, 2025

Let’s be honest: work stress doesn’t stay neatly behind at 5:00 PM on Friday. It rides home with you, creeps into your weekend, and hijacks your headspace. Whether you’re grinding at a desk in downtown Chicago, troubleshooting systems in Skokie, or simply trying to be present with your family and your own goals — the pressure adds up. And most people don’t have a healthy way to hit the reset button. So here’s a wild but solid solution: Hit something with a stick. I’m talking about Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) — specifically Balintawak Eskrima, a stick-based system that helps you shake off the mental cobwebs, get grounded in your body, and reset your nervous system after a long, overstimulating week. You don’t have to be a fighter. You just have to be ready to swing, sweat, and show up. Let me break down how it works.

How Filipino Martial Arts Makes You a Better Problem Solver

By Robert Grossman • April 23, 2025

I’ve spent years behind desks, in front of screens, solving problems that lived in spreadsheets, security protocols, or messy data sets. And while my degrees in design methods and imaging taught me how to think critically, nothing rewired the way I actually respond to challenges quite like Filipino Martial Arts — specifically, Balintawak Eskrima. It’s more than learning to defend yourself. It’s training your body and mind to process chaos, spot patterns, and make better decisions — fast.

Why Desk Jobs Don’t Mean You Can’t Be a Warrior

By Robert Grossman • March 17, 2025

It's Not About Your Job Title, It's About How You Live Your Life So many of you Chicago area have desk jobs. Analysts, designers, marketers, engineers, and more. That doesn’t mean you aren’t warriors in your own way. Being a warrior isn’t just for people who carry a firearm for a living. Being a warrior is how you live your life. What it means to be a warrior That means taking care of yourself and your loved ones. Taking care of your community. Digging in and standing tall when you are scared. It’s doing the hard thing sometimes. It’s speaking the truth rather than holding back. It’s going hard. It’s in your attitude of getting back in the game when you make a mistake. It doesn’t mean your superior. It’s coming at whatever it is with your full self. It means making time for regular training. Making Time to Train A warrior trains. Even training 15 minutes a day adds up. The more times you practice the better you get. Physical movement and sweating gets the blood flowing so you can let go of stress, especially if you’ve been sitting all day. Training helps your physical fitness and improves mental focus. A good martial arts practice translates beautifully to office life. It transforms your attitude. Have you ever noticed that you’re able to work through things on the mat that have been in your way at work? I remember practicing one day years ago and my instructor told me I was sticking my butt out and all I could think was “Man! I’ve been doing that all week at work, too!” People Skills Nowadays a warrior has to know how to work with people. In martial arts training that gets practiced by building trust and respect with your training partners. I’ll tell you a secret - finding ways to make them shine will make you shine. Interpersonal skills come from communicating and learning from the encounters. Being able to communicate so you don’t hurt each other help you build more intensity with your movements. Nowadays being a warrior is also leadership. That doesn’t mean being the one in charge but leading by example. That is part of why we have you lead the 12 Basics in class. Remember, being a warrior is an attitude. It’s how you live your life. It’s not that you have to even consider yourself one. It’s how you approach your day and and deal with what you are faced with. It’s how you are in the world. It’s something that is cultivated and practiced. It can be done from anywhere. Whether from in the dojo, the garden, or at your desk, you are a warrior when you need to be.

The back of a hand holding a pen as a weapon, against a blue background.

5 Self-Defense Moves Everyone Should Know

By Robert Grossman • February 7, 2025

You work at night a lot. You know someone who has been assaulted. You took some self defense classes as a teenager but its been years so now you are finding ways to start practicing again. Here are the top five self-defense moves you should consider mixing into your routine. These come from my 30+ years training martial arts, my own experiences and having spoken to numerous women on the subject and taken into account what their experience has been like.