It is a mass marketed self defense concept that borrows techniques from real martial arts. It is not unique as there are many other systems out there that do the same thing. It has become one of the largest so called systems being marketed by mcdojos worldwide. Krav Maga is a beginner exercise class at best. I know more about Krav than most of it’s students.
It’s all marketing. If you google self-defense now it will Krav Maga will be every where. With the speed that information travels and the amount of suckers out there Krav’s techniques will continue to get better. Right now there is a lot of very watered down information being taught by guys who have no live training experience.
They are doing an amazing job marketing this fighting system. People love to pretend fight with no rules. Instructors make sure to make people feel as “badass” without giving them any real skills. Those of us that have been in martial arts long enough have seen this happen many times in the past. Most these guys are fakes being taught by fakes. The tough instructors already had existing skill sets.
Instructors who didn’t have existing skill sets are no different than all those old traditional martial arts instructors that we laugh at on youtube. Many times they are ex-military who use their military credentials to market their skills even though if it has nothing to do with teaching effective martial arts. Most of the highest ranked instructors just have a bunch of simple self-defense techniques memorized. Now Krav Maga Associations (pyramid schemes) are getting very organized with video curriculums and making it very easy for krav mcdojos to open up on every corner. Many instructors are on power trips and like to play drill sergeant and bark orders and to feel tough. In Israel everyone has to go in the military so ever Krav guru you meet is going to talk about their military experience. So many of these guys are starting their own affiliations and bring their friends from Israel to teach seminars, certifications and work shops. There is a big marketing push to market to executives for personal protection, workout place self-defense, corporate security, etc, etc.
Associations “certify” Krav instructors that just have a little experience in another martial art at a heavy price and them charge them a high monthly fee that includes the curriculum and marketing help. Monthly fees are usually $500+ a month and the certification will be over $1k. You get a cut if you send more instructors to get certified.
Some instructors of course already had real fighting backgrounds but find it is much easier to keep students by giving the false confidence and by them never really getting their ass kicked. If they never lose they always win. They won’t quit something they are good at! Even these legit instructors & gym owners are getting certified in Krav Maga just to market to that self-defense niche. Most blue belts, decent high school wrestlers, or someone with one year real boxing experience would easily beat the vast majority of Krav Maga instructors who usually have very little live training experience.
It is amazing to me that in this day and age with youtube and the ability to see real street fights and MMA, BJJ, Judo, Wrestling, Boxing, Kickboxing, etc etc competitions that people will still fall for this. The problem if they have never trained they don’t know how to really develop skills.
In Israel Krav Maga is still not taken seriously by most. If you know some well you will get the truth but for many Israelis with too much national pride though would be difficult for most to speak out against it and many are trying their best to support it.
Great marketing to people that do not know what real fighting looks like.