Useless Krav Maga
By Moshe Katz
CEO
Israeli Krav International

July 3, 2019, Israel

What does Krav Maga mean? The truth is it does not mean very much. The truth is that nearly any sort of fighting or self defense system can be legally called Krav Maga and the "founder" will not be in any sort of trouble. That is why I am careful to refer that what we do as IKI Krav Maga.

The truth is that I consider most Krav Maga useless at best, counter productive at worst.

When I see videos on line of "Krav Maga" I see little more than "cool" acting. I see techniques that are inappropriate for the petite women performing them, I see speed trying to cover up for fundamental errors in physics. As my dear dad would say, if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull s..t. Now while that is immoral but might work in business, on the street it will fail you. But then it will be too late to ask your instructor for a refund. 

I see "Krav Maga" where little women are "beating the crap" out of larger men by using repeated knee kicks. But the truth is that this is nearly impossible to pull off: this depends on getting the correct leverage, i.e. holding on to the person's neck or shoulder in order to correctly deliver the knee kick with a decent amount of force. If you can't reach the person's neck or shoulder this will never happen. And even if it does there is little chance to get the correct angle to generate the required force.

There are many techniques that might work for some people some of the time, but there is a greater likelihood that for most people they will fail most of the time. But yet it is called "Krav Maga" and it is as useless as the arts that preceded it.

The big selling point of what is known as Krav Maga is the Israeli image, the success in countless wars and the allegedly tough stance on terrorism, yet none of this is reflected in actual Krav Maga. 

Take an attractive female with a long blonde ponytail, put her in a cool uniform, have her do a few knee kicks while her hair swings in the air and you have a Krav Maga that will sell like hotcakes on a cold morning. What you will not have is an effective self defense system. 

Krav Maga has succeeded commercially in the United States, and then in the rest of the world, via clever use in actions films, being on the cover of martial arts magazines and an excellent marketing strategy. But remember not to judge a book by its cover.

I am a Krav Maga instructor but I do not teach what most people think of as Krav Maga. Other than the name we have very little in common with other schools. 

We cut out the flash, the "baffle", we test everything under the worst conditions, with all types of people. Nothing is 100% but we aim to make every technique a "high percentage move". Looking cool does not matter, getting home alive does. 

When I teach a technique and I am ready for the students to try it, I do not say "Do it". I ask, "Does that make sense?"

It must make sense to you, the student, it must be easy for you to learn, it must be easy for you to use when you truly need it. 

That is why I teach Krav Maga. 

IKI Head instructor teaching police in Slovakia, freezing cold weather, all techniques worked for all the officers while in full gear and in very cold outdoor conditions. 

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