The VITAL Tour -- Krav Maga /
F.I.G.H.T.
Now here’s a system that
repeatedly assures us that learning it will help save you
from violence. It emphatically tells us that this system is
effective on the “streets”. It has become extremely popular
around the world, and especially so in the USA. People view
Krav Maga as combat-proven against attackers, and that is
how it is sold to us as well. Could this be the ultimate
violence protection system for the average Joe / Jane?
There are many people who would argue that very point.
Look, we at VITAL Self-Defense really don’t have anything
personally against the good people out there that teach
Krav Maga. They are trying their best to give people tools
to deal with violence, and that intent is really great.
However, if you are going to educate people on how NOT to
become a victim, then you had better get it right the first
time. That’s people’s lives on the line, and if you get it
wrong, your student’s get it dead wrong!
Despite what the Krav Maga people tell you, Krav Maga is in
essence a martial arts style with a little boost in the
physical fighting practicality department. Even though they
don’t wear karate belts, they still have a belt colored
system just like martial arts. So no big deal with the
belts, but we wish that was were the similarity to other
martial arts styles ended, but it doesn’t. In almost
everyway, Krav Maga has all the shortcomings of any other
martial arts style when it comes to actually dealing with
violence in one’s life.
We will give Krav Maga this. It’s beginner physical
combative techniques are simplified enough to be more
effective than most traditional martial arts moves. Also,
the focus on the combative aspects and practical fighting
do give Krav Maga a slight increase in actual applicability
and effectiveness in the physical combative mode of
violence intervention. However, that’s pretty much it. Krav
Maga produces slightly better physical fighters over a
shorter training time.
What about all the other aspects to dealing with violence
other than being good at a bar fight or schoolyard brawl?
They are not covered in Krav Maga. In fact, the more you
move up in the Krav Maga style, the more complex and
skill-based the techniques become. Pretty much to a point
where the moves are just as complicated and choreographed
as any fancy martial arts style.
The bottom line: The main focus is placed on becoming a
more skillful fighter, and that’s the wrong paradigm
(underlying concept) altogether. Krav Maga may have good
intentions about being more practical in real situations,
but they try and solve the problem with the same old
martial-arts-like approach. Although the spin they put on
it produces slightly better fighters, Krav Maga still
misses most of the holistic violence picture, and thus is
only slightly better than traditional martial arts.
SIDE NOTE: All of the 10 flaws with martial arts used for
self-defense purposes also apply to Krav Maga:
#1. Narrow vision of violence with limited response options
#2. A foundation built on fighting with techniques
#3. Lack of psychological and physiological considerations
#4. Omission of preventative and pre-contact
counter-measures
#5. Exclusion of medical, legal, and emotional aftermath
issues
#6. Male-centric with size, speed, strength, and macho
aggression prevalent
#7. Ideal training / fighting conditions make a convincing
illusion
#8. Ineffective and antithetical educational methodology
#9. Techniques are overly fancy / complex and rarely
effective (in advanced levels only)
#10. Absence of criminological and violence mindset
information