Is Krav Maga The Deadliest Martial Art? Is it effective?


Martial art

In the 20 months Krav Maga course I’ve been through in the military, I’ve learned plenty about martial arts and their effects. Although I was sure I knew everything there was to know about it, I was not even close. Because of that, I invested plenty of my time in learning about the different fighting styles and their benefits. 

After learning all about Krav Maga, I can say that it’s the deadliest, most practical martial art one can train. When training with educated instructors, you’ll understand how effective and dangerous it can be. For instance, with Krav Maga, you can disable an attacker in less than 2 seconds.

In addition to my Krav Maga history, I’ve also gone through various other martial arts training, such as Boxing. Because of that, there isn’t a single part of my body that’ll tell you that Krav Maga isn’t the most practical and effective fighting style one can go through. 

Well, I’m being that confident because I’ve got the numbers. I know what it takes for a martial art to be practical and dangerous. In this article, we’ll go over all the evidence I gathered in the past period to prove to you that Krav Maga is indeed deadly. 

If you want to learn about how Krav Maga performs versus various other martial arts, I wrote a post about it, and I highly encourage you to check it out. 

Why is Krav Maga the deadliest martial art?

Throughout the last couple of years, people started to realize the importance of training in martial arts. That said, various of them aren’t as valuable as others. Consequently, learning a fighting style that provides higher value than the others is wiser.

Because Krav Maga’s training is countering extreme situations, such as a sudden knife attack, when it happens, one who does Krav Maga will be capable of solving it. For instance, police officers who know Krav Maga perform better under stress. Thus it’s highly effective and prevalent. 

Officers with additional experience in Krav Maga (Training once a week) and officers with no training performed several arrest and self-defense skills under low and high anxiety. 

Results showed that ones with experience performed better under said circumstances than officers with no martial arts background. (Renden PG, Landman A, Savelsbergh GJ, Oudejans RR. Police arrest and self-defense skills)

What does the training teach us, the trainees? In short, it trains our muscles to work to solve dangerous situations automatically, so when we encounter them, we immediately react. 

Now, do you see how it correlates with the study I cited? Because these officers had previous experience with Krav Maga, they reacted to said scenarios more naturally. As a result, they performed better under stress in dangerous circumstances. 

That’s the main reason for its incredible deadliness. You see, once you cover every possible situation that you may need to use self-defense for, such as a street fight, you’ll become highly influential in solving said situations. 

If you’re still hesitant, I wrote an article explaining the distinct pros and cons of Krav Maga, and I highly encourage you to read it to understand more. 

Which martial arts can beat Krav Maga?

Today, people have different opinions when it comes to this question. Because of that, understanding that there’s no single answer is crucial. Yet, I’ll explain why various fighting styles are better than Krav Maga for a particular purpose. 

Although Krav Maga is the best martial art for many purposes, such as self-defense, various martial arts, such as Kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu, and Boxing, are better for distinct pursuits. Boxing, for instance, is simple and less dynamic than Krav Maga. As a result, it’s easier to learn. 

Because Boxing is simple, many people will find it suitable. As a result, if they were to learn it rather than Krav Maga, they would stick with it for a prolonged period. Eventually, they would notice better results and benefits naturally flowing their way. 

Furthermore, the list goes on. Every martial art has its pros. Some of them will be better than Krav Maga in that specific aspect. Let’s go over another instance where that’s the case. 

I wrote an article on the nine martial arts you should learn and their pros and cons. Follow the link to learn more. 

Because MMA combines techniques from many martial arts, you may find it easier to use to disable an attacker. Let me explain. 

Although Krav Maga teaches you how to overcome a hostile quickly, in MMA, you can use whichever technique is most suitable for the situations you encounter. As a result, it’s with less effort than you can overcome various dangerous scenarios. 

Lastly, other martial arts will be better than Krav Maga in distinct pursuits. However, I still believe that it’s the deadliest fighting style one can learn. You’ll learn many moves and techniques that’ll drastically reduce the time you need to overcome a dangerous self-defense scenario. As a result, it’s highly effective and worth your time. 

Is Krav Maga effective for every purpose?

While Krav Maga is suitable for most people, you may find it easier to learn a distinct fighting style. Because of that, wondering whether Krav Maga is effective for every objective; is a fair question. 

As a whole, Krav Maga is highly effective for everyone and every purpose. Because of its dynamic nature, most people will find it suitable. For instance, it’s a form of self-development, it’s fantastic for self-defense, and it’s a great workout. For your perspective, you burn 616 calories in a session. 

The most prominent aspect of doing Krav Maga; is the effect on your mental health. While training in it, you’ll find that many benefits start to flow in your life. 

For instance, increased self-confidence and self-esteem are the most desirable feats one can achieve in today’s world. While every activity you participate in is addicting and lets you down, there’s one that gets you back up.

A study conducted in 2019 showed that MMA impacted the mental health of young males. These individuals lacked role models, social support, and gender norms as specific challenges. 

Because they participated in an activity that built them up from the ground, they overcame various obstacles in their training. Because of that, they built a more powerful character for themselves while increasing their self-confidence. (Exploring the Effectiveness of an Integrated Mixed Martial Arts and Psychotherapy Intervention for Young Men Mental Health)

Additionally, it’s highly effective for self-defense. Consequently, people who want to learn how to defend themselves in dangerous situations, such as a street fight, will find Krav Maga suitable for their purpose. 

Learn more about whether it’s sound for self-defense; by following the link to an article of mine. 

Is Krav Maga effective in a street fight?

Martial arts
Image by inna mikitas from Pixabay

Learning a martial art to know how to come out on top in a street fight is a practical reason. Yet, knowing which one to train in is valuable information. As a result, before choosing the fighting style you want to learn, ensure you’re familiar with the distinct pros and cons.

Krav Maga is highly effective in street fights because, in training, you’ll learn how to overcome this particular situation quickly. As a result, when it does happen, you’ll react non-hesitantly and disable the attacker in mere seconds. Because of that, it’s suitable for self-defense. 

The main reasons it’s effective for street fights are in the following list. 

  • Increases the level of aggressiveness
  • Its training resembles street fights
  • Improves awareness
  • Increases self-confidence
  • Shortens reaction time

I wrote an article that explains all about this particular topic. If you’re interested in the five reasons; Krav Maga is effective for street fights, follow the link. 

In the pieces of training you’ll go through, you’ll practice responding to a street fight. As a result, once it happens, you’ll react quickly. Because of that, Krav Maga is highly effective in it. You’ll be able to use it for that exact purpose. 

Why you should train in Krav Maga

Overall, training a martial art is highly beneficial. Because of that, knowing which ones are valuable and suitable for your needs is crucial to seeing progress. Now, there are many aspects you should focus on when picking the fighting style you want to train. 

Because Krav Maga is the best in neutralizing dangerous situations, learning it is valuable. Additionally, it’s an intense workout. Meaning you’ll be able to lose weight and gain muscle. Lastly, it betters the trainee’s mental health. Hence it’s a form of self-development.

A study showed that Krav Maga is an intense workout that met the ACSM guidelines for improving cardiorespiratory fitness and managing body weight. (Is Krav Maga an Effective Workout?)

Krav Maga study
The %VO2max during a Krav Maga workout

Additionally, from the graphs in the study, we can understand that it’s an intense workout. Furthermore, people who want to lose weight or improve their physical shape will benefit from Krav Maga. Hence one of the earlier benefits of doing Krav Maga is getting into shape. 

A study conducted in 2020 showed that learning Krav Maga techniques can be taught in a single lesson. Later, they explained that after a few sessions, there was no improvement in the motor skills of the trainees performing these techniques. (The effects of single versus multiple training sessions)

So, what can we learn from that? Well, to be clear, there’s a single aspect I want you to take from this section. Start as soon as possible, and don’t hesitate to learn Krav Maga. 

Because you can learn the techniques in a single lesson, you’ll be better off if you start as soon as possible. That way, you can focus on learning more skills and bettering your self-defense abilities.

Read more about this topic on whether Krav Maga is relevant for today’s world by following the link. 

Is Krav Maga the best martial art?

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Knowing the pros and cons of the different martial arts will assist you in making a wise decision on the one you’ll choose to learn. Yet, there’s one fighting style that I globally recommend to train.

As a general rule, each martial art has its advantages and disadvantages. Consequently, saying that Krav Maga is the best one is impossible. For instance, while Krav Maga is fantastic for self-defense, Boxing is simpler. As a result, learning demands less time.

Again, Krav Maga is a fantastic martial art and a self-defense system. Because of that, there isn’t a single part of my body that’ll tell you not to learn it. Hence if you’re looking for which martial art is the best one, I don’t have the answer for you, and neither does anyone.  

Krav Maga VS Martial arts

Although this section is quite similar to the last one, I need to explain something. From my experience, some martial arts provide more value than others. Because of that, knowing which ones are the best to learn; is valuable information. 

Krav Maga is a martial art that holds the highest value for various purposes, such as overcoming dangerous self-defense situations. Yet, many other fighting styles carry similar values, such as Boxing, Judo, Wrestling, MMA, Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, and Kickboxing.

Now, these are the ones I worked with and learned on my skin. As a result, I know that they work. They’ll provide the benefits you expect from training in martial arts, such as better physical shape and increased self-confidence.

Hence learning one of them is valuable, and you should start immediately. However, before choosing the one, research the different fighting styles to ensure you make the wisest decision possible. 

Yet, because I’ve been through months and months of Krav Maga training, I believe it like nothing else. Consequently, if you ask for my special forces opinion, I can tell you that you should learn Krav Maga starting as soon as possible. 

I wrote an article discussing the differences between Krav Maga and various martial arts. If you’re unsure which one you want to pick, ensure you follow the link and expand your knowledge. 

Conclusion

Overall, Krav Maga is the deadliest martial art one can learn. As a result, if you’re looking to better your self-defense skills, improve your physical shape, and learn how to overcome dangerous situations, such as a knife attack, Krav Maga is for you. 

Additionally, I highly encourage you to visit my website to learn more about the different martial arts and all about Krav Maga. That way, you’ll expand your knowledge of this topic and become familiar with it. 

Eventually, Krav Maga beats most martial arts in the value it brings. Thus it holds higher value when it comes to the training you’ll go through. The truth is, it’s more relevant than any other fighting style that exists today. Hence learning is highly effective for most people. 

Levi

I've served in the military as a special forces operator for 4-years. In that period, I've trained in many martial arts, including karate, MMA, BJJ, boxing, and even Krav Maga. I want to share my passion with you, so here it is!

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