Good martial arts places in Chicago?

Here is the answer I've been giving for years, and remember that martial training will give you more tools in the toolbox.

Let's say for the sake of argument that I could beat you every day of the week.
One day I break into your house and threaten your wife and child.

All of a sudden I have a very different Vinny to fight.

Yes. Train hard and test yourself through good sparring of that's your thing and remember that although you have been on the wrong end of a nasty encounter you can't live your life looking over your shoulder.

Check out Cooper's colour coding.

On a very basic level white is switched off.

I liken it to two people in a supermarket aisle chatting away with no idea they are in everyone's way.

Yellow is aware. I liken that to crossing the road. You are not worried, but aware. You recognise the speed of the traffic, the signals, other pedestrians and so on. You should look to remain in yellow.

Orange is switched on and ready to take action. Orange recognised there is a car approaching a little fast and you may have to run across the road.
Something isn't right and you've noticed it.

Red is fight. It's on and the car is about to hit you. You put into action the plan you implemented while in orange. You run across the road.

This is an extremely simplified version, but to summarise.

White. Unprepared and will suffer if attacked.
Yellow. Aware and you realise you may have to at some stage take some action.
Orange. Ready to take action, but not in fight mode.
Red. It's on and you will definitely hurt someone should it be needed.

Do some research, as it's an interesting subject. Keep yourself in yellow.

When my kids were small and we were on family days out it would often be in crowded amusement arcades or the like.
I'd take a mental photo of where my wife and kids were and do that every few seconds. I'd compare that picture with the previous and was always aware of any changes.

Simple habits.