Is learning Krav Maga worth it? Backed by a study


martial arts

Krav Maga is the best martial art one can learn in today’s world. It’s deadly, effective, and, most importantly, relevant. As a result, its popularity is constantly increasing. Yet, does the hype match the results?

Learning Krav Maga is worth it because it grants the trainee valuable benefits, such as increased self-confidence and performance under stress. As a result, the training’s worth is higher than the average martial art’s. For instance, officers with a Krav Maga background perform better under stress.

From a study conducted in March 2015, police officers with a martial arts background, including Krav Maga, performed better in high or low anxiety environments, such as arrests and self-defense situations. (PubMed)

From personal experience, Krav Maga changed my life for the better. It has taught me plenty about myself and to constantly trust myself. In addition, to always be confident and full of self-respect. 

The following list is the valuable benefits one can expect to experience from Krav Maga training. 

  • Better physical shape
  • Better performance under stress
  • Improved mental health
  • Better awareness
  • Improved aggressiveness
  • Better reaction time
  • increased self-confidence
  • Higher pain tolerance
  • Being independent
  • Knowing self-defense

If you’re interested in reading a more in-depth article about the benefits, I wrote an article on that. I highly encourage you to read it.  

Is Krav Maga effective?

Learning martial art provides many benefits, including better awareness and higher pain tolerance. As a result, training in one is valuable, and its benefits are highly desirable in today’s world. Yet, some aren’t as effective as others. Because of that, knowing which one to learn; is crucial to seeing progress.

Krav Maga is effective because its training highly resembles relevant, dangerous situations. Thus when you face them, you’ll react smoothly and quickly. For instance, you’ll learn how to counter a sudden knife attack. When facing one, you’ll know what to do to overcome it. So, you’ll react fast.

I wrote an article diving in-depth on whether Krav Maga is effective. If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, I highly encourage you to follow the link to read more. 

For self-defense, Krav Maga is the best martial art one can learn. It’s more relevant and more dynamic. Thus you’ll be able to adapt to any given situation without any problems. That’ll increase your chances of overcoming the dangerous scenario. 

For example, when facing a street fight, you want to disable the attacker quickly. However, you don’t want to be scared of getting hit. Because of that, you must adapt to this specific street fight. If you don’t, you’ll end up injured. Because of that, you must put yourself at risk. Only that way will you be able to disable the attacker quickly. 

Is learning Krav Maga hard?

Overall, Krav Maga’s training is intense. According to this study, you burn 616 calories per hour. (ACE) In comparison, if you run for an hour straight, you burn around 600 calories. From that, we understand that this training is challenging. It pushes your boundaries and constantly betters your physical condition. 

As a whole, Krav Maga training is challenging because it’s highly intensive and meets the ACSM guidelines for a workout that manages body weight. As a result, constantly doing it will push your boundaries and better your physical condition from the first session. 

When talking about the techniques, they’re not as demanding to master. However, the beauty in Krav Maga is its dynamic nature of it. You’ll find that you’re capable of adapting to every dangerous situation I list once you are decent. Therefore, there aren’t as many techniques as other martial arts, such as Karate or boxing. 

Furthermore, once you begin noticing the benefits, you’ll continue training without issues. The most challenging part is the beginning. I call it the ghost town phase. You’re investing all that effort and time in training.; but you don’t notice any results.

Now, once you finish this phase, you’ll notice it’s much easier to continue working as hard as you are. As a result, if you can invest this time and effort and not spot any benefits in the first few sessions, you’ll be solid for the rest of the journey. 

Is Krav Maga suitable for beginners?

Many people are hesitant about starting their martial arts journey because they’re unsure whether it’s for them. Yet, how will you find out if you never even tried? While that cliche is true, here are some valid reasons why Krav Maga is suitable for beginners

Krav Maga is solid for beginners because the techniques aren’t as complicated as other martial arts. As a result, one can improve himself quickly by consistently training. For instance, a recent study showed that a single Krav Maga lesson has the same effect as a few lessons. 

Let me explain. A recent study conducted in February 2020 had tremendous results that are highly beneficial to know. (NCBI)

“The findings from this study suggest that a single training session may be sufficient to learn and retain KM strike techniques relatively permanently.”

Source

Because of that, we interpret that most techniques you learn in Krav Maga classes can be learned and retained in a single class. As a result, one can show up to a single lesson and master a technique. In the study’s case, it was striking. 

Yet, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be consistent and not work hard. Krav Maga has many benefits you’ll notice after you’ve been consistently showing up to training, such as increased self-confidence. As a result, if you want to benefit from it, constantly showing up is a must. 

Finally, the study proved that Krav Maga is suitable for beginners. You can learn and master a technique in a single class. As a result, if you’re hesitant about starting your journey, don’t be. 

Why Krav Maga is the best martial art

Overall, many martial arts provide similar values and benefits. Yet, there’s one that became popular in the last couple of years, and that’s Krav Maga. It has continuously dominated the fighting styles realm and will continue to do so. 

The following list is why Krav Maga is the best martial art one can learn.

  • Suitable for anyone
  • Fantastic for self-defense
  • Deadly
  • Dynamic
  • Builds mental health in the form of self-development
  • Prepares you for extreme self-defense situations
  • First constructed for soldiers

I wrote an article diving deeper into why KM is the best martial art. I highly encourage you to check it out to broaden your knowledge of this topic. 

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

From personal experience, Krav Maga completely changed my life. It has given me the confidence I’m writing this article with today. Additionally, I know it works. Accordingly, I’m most likely sounding like I’m bragging, but I really am not. All I’m doing is sharing my knowledge in that particular topic, which I’m confident in doing. 

Furthermore, becoming decent in Krav Maga to the point where you can defend yourself isn’t as challenging as you may think. As a result, going through the ghost town phase won’t take too long. I highly encourage you to begin training in it to see for yourself. It has changed my life, and I’m sure it’ll change yours. 

Conclusion

Learning Krav Maga is worth the effort and time you’ll be putting into training. It has completely changed the way I perceive myself and my self-defense abilities. I’m confident and trust myself in defending myself and others from hostiles. 

Overall, if you haven’t started to train in Krav Maga, you know what your next move is. Yet, at times, starting at home may be cheaper and more suitable for the amount of money you’re willing to invest. I wrote an article on the five ways you can train Krav Maga from your home

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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