This Is Why I Quit Krav Maga And You Should Too
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 มี.ค. 2021
- Jeff Phillips used to be a Krav Maga Senior instructor, yet years ago he made the decision to quit it. In this video he explains why and how Krav Maga fails as a self defense practice.
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Welcome to the Martial Arts Journey TH-cam channel!
My name is Rokas. I'm a Lithuanian guy who trained Aikido for 14 years, 7 of them running a professional Aikido Dojo until eventually I realized that Aikido does not live up to what it promises.
Lead by this realization I decided to make a daring step to close my Aikido Dojo and move to Portland, Oregon for six months to start training MMA at the famous Straight Blast Gym Headquarters under head coach Matt Thornton.
After six months intensive training I had my first amateur MMA fight after which I moved back to Lithuania. During all of this time I am documenting my experience through my TH-cam channel called "Martial Arts Journey".
Now I am slowly setting up plans to continue training MMA under quality guidance and getting ready for my next MMA fight as I further document and share my journey and discoveries.
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#KravMaga #SelfDefense #MartialArts - กีฬา
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Thanks for the chat!
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actually jon jones used the 360 block/punch move to tko ryoto machida, so krav maga has been used in mma in the highest level.
@@postmodernism06 pretty sure he choked him out with a guillotine
What self defence martial art would you suggest for real world situations like a random street fight? Thank-you.
Fist rule: If questioning the art and methods causes your instructor to shut you down, it's time to walk out and never come back.
👊
Sampo Kemppainen ▪ Good advice ❗👍
It is Ok to question something respectfully, if they cannot handle that then they are hiding something, so leave.
@@johnboyjordan1915 It's not the army so I can question what I'm not paying for respectfully.
i couldn't agree more
I did a year at a “Krav Maga Worldwide” gym in Phoenix before I joined the Army, and they had some good training (much better than Army Combatives), but when I met an Israeli soldier during some medical cross training, he explained that Krav Maga isn’t a style, it’s a mindset to condition their soldiers to become violent and recondition their stress reactions
Krav Maga is hands down the most deadly system meant to be taught to 18yr old Tel Aviv beach girls in a single 45 min. session.
this observation is gold
what on earth...that sounds so messed up...
That's how they solve issue to Palestinians children.
@@idontcare9885 Most of those children are in their mid 20s early 30s with beards and AK47s. Of course they are someone's children.
A few good apples in a barrel of bad ones is a very apt analogy. I have met and trained with many Krav Maga instructors. Only two of them were any good, and even then I’d describe those two as athletic, aggressive white belts.
Obviously you're leaving out Captain Krav Maga.
I agree with this in the context of many traditional arts... but if you find one of those good apples, you really had better watch out! One of the problems, many traditional arts in the west, taught by practitioners that possibly came back from a tour somewhere, and had only a very weak understanding of the art. Passed on weak variant of art without details. You see this time and again in the ".... destroys master of XYZ..." and you think "that's not something I recognise as XYZ". A benefit of MMA, is it certainly gives people an eagerness to actually strike... Something that's lacking in many traditional schools. I have no doubt many people have effective martial arts, but there's a mental block to using them before it's too late. Of course, this is a huge weakness, highlights that need for "pressure testing" as part of the training regime.
Thanks mate!
@@hedleyparis397 What you just said about those magical Asians in Asia with their secret sauces, is completely horse 💩. You think Asian martial artists in Asia don't compete nor want all of that fame, glory and $$$$ afforded by The UFC, K-1, etc. but instead, they'd rather work at an Apple factory making iPhones for $2/hour & thinking about suicide every day? There are plenty of Asians in Asia training hard, but they don't go looking for some magical, Kung-Fu master oldfart in some mystical mountain like in the movies. No, there's no secret to punching someone in the face; you just get good at it by keep punching people in the face.
@@SandaBoxing I guess you’ve also *been punched* in the face a lot. Who said anything about “magical Asians” and “secret sauces”. If you’re in the West and you learn BJJ from someone good, you’ll do better than learning from someone that’s trained less than two years. The closest I’ve ever come to “secret sauce” was sparring with an MMA guy that claimed I was using “some crazy voodoo stuff” because his brain couldn’t comprehend the science and mechanics of body structure. And who’s committing suicide en masse making iPhones? The Foxconn incidents were blown out of all proportion. Their suicide rates per 100k were less than average suicide rates per 100k in USA... even if the number was significant purely because of the sheer scale of Foxconn. Though I wouldn’t expect someone like you to actually consider the evidence.
As a Krav instructor, I agree with a lot of this. One of the things that I have benefitted from is that our school is mostly BJJ and MMA guys. Some really good strikers and grapplers. This means that we have the opportunity to test some of our moves under stress and get the input of some folks who are actively competing in combat sports. I look at my Krav classes this way, I am never going to make my students competitive with the guys who train Muay Thai and BJJ a lot, but Krav can give them a lot for the folks who train once or twice a week. Give them the best techniques that you can for self-defense in the limited time that they have and push them to try these techniques under pressure. I constantly tell my students that if they want to get better they should be cross-training in BJJ and Muay Thai
What country do u teach? Muay thai and bjj are most popular but sanda sanshou and wresting are very underated . There are other good arts besides mt n bjj
Great words!
Two years to become a krav instructor?
*Mcdojo intensifies*
not only the little time is a red flag, but also they teach stuff they have no experience with. 99% KM instructors have no experience in fighting and much less in dealing with armed attackers, so how are they qualified to teach that stuff?
@@Liquidcadmus I guess I got lucky and found a badass experienced teacher. We would spar all the time with and without weapons. Havent trained anywhere that does the same since then.
That's a ridiculously short amount of time.
@@Liquidcadmus So you’re saying that every martial art institution’s instructors should have experience dealing with REAL danger? So every boxing instructor should’ve been in a dozen real fights? Sparring is the closest you can get to real fighting in Krav Maga. Which again is a mixture of good techniques taken from other martial arts.
@@alphamango2816 yes and in fact every boxing instructor has first hand experience with what he teaches. He has received and deliveres hundreds of punches so he knows they work. Same with any martial arts teacher, thats why they do sparring. Anyone teaching weapon disarming on the other hand is clueless unless its a navy seal. Km is useless. It tries to copy stuff from real martial arts and soes it poorly. Just go for the real martial art from where the techniques were copied.
I studied Krav for 10 years after doing MMA. I achieved a 1st dan black belt. I had to fight full-contact for my rank, and it was intense and injuries would occur. That was with wearing full protective gear. It was like MMA training, but we did knife, gun, and multiple attackers. Most Krav schools now however are a joke. $ eventually ruins all martial arts.
Same here went to one Krav Maga school but was never allowed to go higher in grades found out that it was all about money. The more classes and private lessons you did you advanced so stopped going.
Didn't people get shot if you were using real loaded guns for sparring? Just asking.....
Money ruins martial arts because now it's all about business than sharing knowledge. Martial arts is knowledge and it shouldn't be about money.
What school did you go to?
@@rujotheone not sure of the name of the school as I just stopped going.
Krav Maga, like most arts, have been co-opted by the “black belt store” business model.
When I started Krav Maga 20 years ago, it was more about the mindset and keeping technique simple and effective - weeding out the bullshit from the “arts”. It was a ‘what ever works/no rules’ mentality. Calling it an art was a misnomer.
That is more or less how I was trained 40 some years ago in self defense and to stand off against an aggressor. . Back then there was usually boxing or kung fu or some other traditional martial art that is useless. The program I attended was much like Krav Maga but simpler and with fewer moves. There were no belts as well.
It has served me well'
((( later Correction to above .. I should of said that all you had back when I was a kid was a sport like boxing or some useless thing like kung fu. ))
Well Krav Maga isn't art, it's a self defence moves, we invented Krav Maga... you just changed it and think what you do is good.
@@lironcohen2938 You are probably right. KM teaches you boxing as a foundation, It actually teaches you how to put your weight and move your hips into a punch very well. The stance (position of legs and feet) is not what I like. But it is ok for most people just starting in self -defense. But this could of just been the way the trainer I visited was personally teaching and not the system itself. I don't know.
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KM is practical and for the most part simple to learn and use as it should be for self defense.
I have no experience with the original version of KM therefore I have no idea how it was changed to become more useful to civilians. There are many rumors about how it was/is taught in Israel but I have no first hand knowledge. The stories are conflicting.
As for as others changing KM I am not sure that is fully correct. Actually the founders of KM also made moves to commercialize it. It is set up to where you must travel to Israel before you can get a black belt. This shows they are fulling involved in the process of changing KM to meet demand . I don't blame them but they can't also claim everyone else is changing it.
Yeah there are some schools not associated with the original KM and teaching b/s.
How I have looked at some of the things required for a black belt in KM and they seem silly for civilians to take as they are outside self - defense. I have no reason to learn how to provide security for others like a body guard. But as you say it is your system so you can require what you wish for a black belt.
Today things have changed in the filed of Military Combatives. . Today I think KM is not much better than learning U.S. Marine Corps Martial Arts (MCMAP) or Army Combatives for self defense. The military versions of each needs to be modified in order for Civilian to use them for self defense.
KM is good but I do think there could be a better option developed for civilian use.
@@Cuffsmaster You are 100% right, I was just talking about the fact that Krav Maga here is more for woman who encounter any threat or for soldiers, we as soldiers learn how to defend ourselves using our body only when we are attacked (usually by a human with a knife/hatchet) so we won't damage the terrorist/citizen too much, we need to have great reflexes which is offered by our training in Krav Maga, this is why I think Krav Maga work for us, but it my not work on the avarage person who doesn't have any kind of armor.
@@Cuffsmaster boxing is useless?
Being an avid self-defense enthusiast, my rule of thumb is that I would look at every fighting style, take at least one good thing that stands out and incorporate it into my arsenal.
Amen. Just another tool for the tool box
Boxing and other full contact sports is always a good start.
Good idea. This is what Krav Maga does.
Isn’t that literally what krav maga is?
Definitely. Have a good toolbox, but also work heavily on instinctive reactions, fitness, power, balance. More experience. To be honest, getting into lots of street fights would also help, but it's not.that ethical and could end badly. On weird thing I've noticed, people street fight differently in different countries, which makes me wonder whether some of the more bizzare techniques are actually useful to get people off guard.
I got my P3 in KMG and honestly I got very tired and disillusioned with it. I thought I wanted to join a Martial Arts club for the fitness which tbf Krav Maga is very very good at. But when you are the only 19 year old in room full of guys in their 30's/40's there comes a point you want to hang out with kids your own age; and being a broke 19 yo already paying £30 a week for one lesson that I often couldn't get to because of work commitments and seeing a classroom of guys pay extra money for more classes from the same dude in different towns it got kinda exhausting tbh.
I think though the main thing that made me quit was that no-one really got to know each other, so here I am now 10-ish years on in a TKD school with a lot of people who are honestly very supportive and all get along, I don't care that TKD is a "less effective" Martial Art because I'm honestly enjoying it a whole lot more.
Interesting. I experienced the same thing. The Krav Maga experience was very different from other martial arts that I had trained with.
I came here to poo poo the video based on the title, but what the guy says is totally on point.
Right on Shane 👊🙏
"poo poo"
I am nothing if not a polite youtube comments troll
@@ShaneGoodson haha 😂 good on ya 👏🏻
@@MartialArtsJourney I have seen plenty of people that were bad ass at krav maga even a woman instructor I would put up against most men but she has been doing krav most of her life.People that say this art or that art is bs have never even faught a person good at that style in there life.
Live, unscripted drills and sparrring are always the focus in effective martial arts schools. Scripted, pre-rehersed drills have their place to refine techniques but if they're the core of training they almost always reinforce bad habits and fail to give people any confidence in their ability to actually fight (you know, the entire point of studying a "martial" art).
Agree 100% quality control is important. Biggest problem for commercial schools is that they gotta pay the rent and put food on the table and if you train people to fight to a level that would equip them to do it for real as Krav Maga schools claim they do then you will only get small numbers which means you won't make rent or put food on the table. But I don't think instructors who can deliver the real deal need to change their name just let the right people know what they are all about and simply don't sell out for $$$$$$. And one last thing it's really only a small percentage of society that can really make the system work in real time the rest are just for paying someones rent and putting food on the table.
You have to remember: most people who do Krav have never done any combat training at all, they don't want to compete or be some ninja, they just want some basic tools they can use if they get into a dangerous situation. For them, anything is better than nothing.
Sometimes anything *can* be worse than nothing, because it can make a person gain a false sense of confidence and put them in an overall worse situation than what they began with.
Agree with @tsk028.
If you are teaching people,who have never been in combat sports, techniques that have no real chance in working in a real physical altercation you are essentially setting them to get their ass kicked or worse.
Sometimes your natural instincts are better than years worth of garbage martial arts training.
@@sparkofcuriousity a good fighter should never overestimate its abilities and knowledge. I personally think that Krav Maga does give some basic tools which can work under some circumstances.
@@sparkofcuriousity Never had any krav maga instructor teaching false sense of confidence, on the contrary, they always placed great emphasis on saying it's better to run and we will get cut or stabbed when going against a knife etc, fighting was last resort and that's why it should be aggressive and quick, no prolonged fights etc.
there's no shortcut to fighting, there's no technique or basic tools to fight people. if you're not training to fight, you can't fight and that's it. you can still get many valuable things without sparring, but none of them are related to fighting.
you can learn about situational awareness, drill your decision making... the thing closest to fighting you can learn, without putting on the gloves, is disengage and run away case by case. and even then, a few months spent learning any grappling style will make you much better at it than decades of drilling specific escape techniques.
This channel keeps getting better and better... good (and specially honest) job man
Thanks! Glad to hear it. More content like this is on the way!
@@MartialArtsJourney this *really* is a great channel. You're doing some good work man.
And, personally, i appreciate your journey.
This is why I love BJJ - walk in the door, your shit works, or you are owned so badly. Talk or think about it all you want, but if it didn't work, it didn't effing work.
A question for Mr. Jeff Phillips: How long did you train to be a krav maga instructor? Regular weekly training or through seminars? What degree did you reach and with what association / federation?
I train in Krav Maga, I'm hardly an expert, but in general, I feel like I'm training in a decent place-- I've watched a few videos like this, and in the cases where someone points out some version of "if you're doing A, B, and C, in your training 'good'. If you are doing X, Y, and Z, then 'bad'" I can honestly say the place I train at has at least ~70/80% of the stuff on the 'good' list, and in the case of the 'bad' I haven't come across anything yet. In any case, my mindset is that 1) it's a convenient place to train because it's close by, 2) it's a good workout, and 3) I am not 'married' to either Krav Maga, or the place I train-- they work for me, for now, and I can reassess as needed.
Don't bother with these stupid and unintelligent people that don't have the capacity to see what is good and what is not...they rather prefer to follow the mma propaganda...just because it's becoming extremely famous and popular (like celebrities). Yes, most people only follow what is popular and famous, that's why the world is in shitty situation, most people don't think...they're followers, like sheep.
Don't listen to Sergio. If you wanna learn how to defend yourself you need to learn bjj and muay thai. Those are the apex self defense arts.
It can work just make sure your pressure testing and up against live resistance and drilling as well if done right though it can be very effective
If your that defensive there is a problem! Krav is bull shit learn a real art
@@mattvanderschyff4632 bjj is the worst self defence art lol
I think krav maga is pretty effective, if you are a soldier, I mean if you also have the strenght, stamina and other complementary combative training krav maga technique can be very beneficial, but for us civilians just casually drilling some exótic technique, wont do much to teach you fighting
So if you were to step up to a fully krav maga qualified teacher you'd win a fight right ?
@@Fortniteclipz2014 Chances are the guy with krav would win hands down if they know any more about fighting than a noob.
point is, taking krav classes alone isn’t beneficial if you’re not being indoctrinated into the military where you are going to have strength, stamina, and other techniques/equipment availible to you to utilize in your practice.
If you have ever seen real Israeli krav maga in Israel, those classes have drills where someone attacks you while you have your weapon holstered and need to fight him off, draw and shoot the guy. Or as a soldier, someone attacks you with a knife and you have to fight to create distance so you can bring your rifle to shoot him. Or if you are attacked when your weapon is jammed. You have to fight him off while clearing the jam and the shoot him.
Bottom line, if you are just some dude in a fight without a gun, krav maga isn't any good for you.
I tried to get my buddy to come learn Muay Thai and BJJ and he joined a Krav school.🙄
You mean ex-buddy? 😉
@@alexthecarpenter9895 exactly
Let him train for a while and then have a friendly light sparring match, if he's not dumb he should immediately see the difference in skill level, or just grapple and submit him without throwing a single punch, people fucking hate that, its an absolute ego destroyer to get thrown around by a BJJ guy to someone who doesn't know anything about grappling
@@lucian5389 - He would probably just take the Aikido out and say that he couldn't do any of his moves because they were too deadly. :)~
@@lucian5389 Well you know crap about Krav Maga because it is a complete martial art and one of the best but what do expect BJJ people and Gracie's spend most of there time on ground moves unlike most other arts.
So, I've been training in Krav Maga for many years now and here are my comments: Some reviews on Krav Maga are legit, some not. Lack of sparring is in many Krav Maga schools is a legit point. Having good fighting skills is essential to win a street fight! However, when a boxer says: "I've had a sparring match with a Krav Maga guy and I destroyed him" I'm like: Dude, what did you expect?! A Krav Maga practitioner is never as good in boxing than a boxer, same goes for wrestling and BJJ. Fighters from combat sports can only focus on improving their fighting skills. Obviously, they are better at it than Krav Maga students, who have to study everything, from striking, to defense against typical attacks, to weapon defenses, fighting multiple attackers. Even though Krav Maga is my N°1, I'm still open minded and therefore I'm also training in Muay Thai to sharpen my fighting skills. I also trained in BJJ for one year.
but it seems like krav maga would, at least theoretically, have an edge in an MMA-style sparring match against any one style, and yet that doesn't usually seem to be the case
This is absolutely right. It’s also the case that the sparring usually occurs in a sport context. I.e. the first thing that’s said “let’s put some gloves on.” You only have to look at the divergent evolution of modern boxing to realise the effect gloves have. I.e. how sport context and fight context are very different.
@@elenchus This is due to the difference in the quantity of training. Most MMA fighters, who take their sport seriously, train almost every day. Most Krav Maga students, however, usually train 2-3 hours per week.
@@anakinPro01 in your experience do you find students that come from sport fighting backgrounds (Muay Thai, boxing , bjj etc) tend to adapt better to the techniques of Krav Maga compared to those students who only ever trained in Krav?
@@mchmer5349 Of course, having already a good background in striking or grappling arts gives you a big advantage over Krav Maga students who had to start from 0. Especially in striking, Krav Maga uses a lot of punches and kicks from Boxing and Muay Thai.
I have to disagree on getting others to quit. Go find yourself a quality instructor and learn for as long as it takes to get it down and spar to put it to the test
And check your fighting skills against thai boxing. After losing this fight in very embarrassing way you will quit 😆
@@snd7622 As someone who has been doing Thai Boxing for multiple years now, this analogy isn't very good. The reason I say this is because Krav Maga and Thai Boxing are different. I mean sure, if you were to pit a Krav guy against a Thai Boxer in a controlled environment, generally the Thai Boxer would win. But this is a controlled environment, with set rules on what you cant and can do. Krav Maga is training you for life and death situations, hence why they teach you to aim for the eyes, groin, etc. Sure, there are a lot of phony Krav Maga places out there, but when taught properly (just like every martial art out there) Krav Maga is incredibly deadly. This is why they teach Krav Maga to the IDF for example. So in short, comparing Krav Maga to Thai Boxing is like comparing apples to oranges; They are two fundamentally different fighting styles.
@@paint_eater5926 In real combat krav maga guy will be totally destroyed in seconds. Show me just ONE video where krav maga practitioners have good level of skills. It's nothing deadly or even dangerous in krav maga. It's useless and Mongolian ballet is more ,,deadly''. A while ago I spend hours watching krav maga videos on yt and they are all rubbish. Even 3rd dan exams are shockingly low level . Dramatically bad technique and in general level of technical skills is very bad. Again show me video with good krav maga fighter. My experience is over 20 years of kyokushinkai karate and 6 years of thai boxing. And those krav maga 2 or 3 dan ,,masters'' will not survive against our 6 kyu boys 😁 They do some fake choreography on yt, some sueless demonstrations and always same excuse : we are too dangerous to fight 😆 All I can see is serious lack of skills and conditioning. And we don't need to train how to stick finger in the eye , smashing the throat with kopkushinkai powerful punches is even more deadly.
Amazing video as always
Thanks Rokas for making these videos. Keep it coming
Krav is just one piece of the infinite puzzle. Most arts have something valuable to learn.
Some more than others. Some may give you a few good years, others may never truly run out on you as long as you live
Including aikido if you use it right.
He explains what happens when you paid to have a belt or diploma (the fast way, 2 years). Instead to training the right years (5-6 years or regular practice), and understand the system to become a legit krav maga instructor. Also, a SENIOR instructor was a person who has achieved a 5th or 6th dan (or upper), and he has +/- 15 years of teaching experience.
Mcdojos and mcfederations exist in KM and in others martial arts or combat sports; it's nothing new.
thank again for sharing your hard work
Good stuff guys.
Thanks.
I have a lot to say about Krav Maga. I think it is great self defense system (if taught correctly) .it is a farely easy to learn at it's basic level, which is good for the common person. However, many schools do not pressure test what they teach. When sparring, it looks a lot like sloppy MMA. I like the way I was taught though. We did random scenarios, or random attacker drills. This gave a sense of realism. Also we did circle or clock drills as well. I will say that as a former corrections officer, there were quite a few times that I had to rely on my training in real life, and I was able to make it home safely. I am a huge fan (and an open minded practitioner) of martial arts, but I can honestly say that Krav Maga is very effective as a self defense system, and it is considered to be one of the most battle tested hand to hand combat systems in the world. However, I wouldn't say that it would necessarily hold up in competition agaisnt a well trained MMA fighter. My over all advise would be to learn MMA, but draw some from some of the combat and tactical aspects from systems like Krav Maga.
As a Krav Maga practitioner for 10 years with Kickboxing & No Gi Jiu-Jitsu background. To be honest i trained under some Krav Maga centers that are so commercialized with a unrealistic approach. I have a training group that focuses on realism we would do scenario based training, sparring/milling, situational awareness. Guys i considered real Krav Maga are Ryan Hoover of FTF and Jeff Phillips of Western Combatives and there more guys like them the list is long. Their ideas improved my Combatives & Self-Defense skills I owe them alot of credit. I mean their content saved my life and also helped avoid possible violent encounters.
Greetings from the PH 🇵🇭
Nice research, it's really educative.
I have been looking for a good martial arts to train pls can you recommend any.
Thanks in anticipation.
Krav Maga isn't the problem it's b.s. instructors who's only concern is money but bjj isn't always the answer
agree
@@JeffPhillipsSelfDefence I think popularity and money is ruining all martial arts
@@darylfields people catering to what makes money rather than truth.
@@JeffPhillipsSelfDefence Yes indeed
I have been training Krav for 6 years now and at my school it is required to do a lot of sparring and fighting and also against multiple attackers. Then we apply the techniques in stressful situations. But there are too many schools and instructors and organisations that do not put the techniques to the test.
You have been wasting your time. Go do BJJ, Krav is for pussies
DO you test it with bare knuckles? How do you practice the strikes to the eyes - throat - groin ect. ?
I am not being critical as I don't believe you have to be 100 % hard core training to be effective. I think you need sparring for boxing or kickboxing to get your timing and distance down. Also grabbling rolling is good but you can't use ground and pound.
I think KM is good or at least most of it but like all martial arts it has some questionable moves and some I'd never use in a fight. The double back kick and the 360 defense seem more harmful to you than the one you are attacking. Also the black belt focuses a lot of being Secret Service Agent type training / personal security for others. That seems useless for most and the time could be better spent on the ground game and boxing
Don't get me wrong I like the basic concepts and my training mirrored much of KM. Including going for the eyes - throat - nuts and grabbing and breaking individual fingers.
@@Cuffsmaster bare knuckles only on pads because there is safety in training of course. We strike to the groin and other parts of the body with full force and MMA gloves. I don't approve of KM schools where you are not allowed to hit because then you don't know what you should be doing in real life. During training we generally have more injuries than schools where they do not do that intense sparring, but our instructors want us to have that mindset where you keep fighting no matter who is your opponent. Especially in a life or death situation.
I train at a KMG school and they are very fair about the system. My instructor always says that it is not fool proof, but it does give you many tools which you can improve by also training other combat sports. While we do spar a lot with full force, I also started training muay thai and kickboxing and I have friends who do BJJ as well as KM and those practitioners are generally at the top of the class because they know what they are doing.
And to be fair, any instructor who claims that what they do is the best thing, is full of bullshit. I agree with you on the last part, but I know that KMG is changing the curriculum to apply more to real life situations and not just the special agent stuff.
@@thesassologist6507 Thank you for taking the time to give a great response. I can't say I disagree with anything you say.
I do believe KM is a great system if you have good instructors. I can also see how those with bjj or judo or catch wrestling would be among the top in class.
Many in classes have never thrown a punch or taken a hit when classes start. At least that it the way it was in my training. You have to use at least some full contact to prepare them for what will happen in a fight.
One of the things about KM or a system like I took is that there are many things to learn including ground fighting - strikes - clinch fighting - and all the other aspect of self defense.
@@Cuffsmaster that is very true. As with any popular system, there will always be people trying to cash in on it and give the entire system a bad name. We just have to hope that those 'bad' instructors move on to the next big thing so that the really good ones can actually teach people proper Krav Maga.
And that is true. You can't get better if you haven't got your ass handed to you at least a couple of times. That makes you learn. Otherwise you just have a false sense of security which is dangerous.
I think it might suffice to check out the instructors credentials first to see if he actually is any good.
Great interview. Thanks Rokas🙏
So true. In every case it comes down to pressure testing. If you don't work against realistic pressures then you will never know if you can actually perform when it matters.
I think so too
@@MartialArtsJourney And I personally think that "pressure testing" is one of the most overrated concepts out there right now. It is the "word of the day" that will soon be rightly forgotten. Quite simply not every martial art can be sufficiently "pressure tested". It works in JJ and BJJ, it works in wrestling, and in boxing. It works only partially in Judo, and it doesn't work at all in martial arts that utilize bare knuckle strikes (or kicks) to vulnerable areas. When I was a child I grew up in a place that was similar to Rokas'. There were fights every day, and soon you knew what worked or did not. That was pressure testing, and most people took up Judo or Ju Jutsu or wrestling because they worked in after school fights. However...virtually no one had to literally "fight for their lives". Same thing right now: BJJ works when pressure tested, but it is still a game. You are not fighting for your life. From my experience the only truly legit martial arts are those that utilize strikes and kicks to vulnerable areas. I have seen them "pressure tested" in life and death situations, and know that they work.
*"A few good apples in a barrel of bad ones...' is a great analogy; I am lucky to have found a good apple at my current KM gym. I definitely think you need a good background in MA (boxing, kickboxing, BJJ, etc.) to really take advantage of the KM techniques.*
Finally a comment that makes sense. 👍 exactly. Furthermore Krav Maga is a combination of all of those and is catered to build memory on instinctive reactions and an aggressive mind set in a self defense situation for short outbursts not for a competitive sport where you can study your opponent before hand and where you have rules of engagement for prolonged period of time.
It is good to have fundamentals in fight science in all major disciplines.
The thing I've always said about KM is that is doesn't make a good first art, but it is great for tying together skills you've gained from other arts with a focus on self-defense. Every good KM practitioner I know has a solid foundation in atleast one other fighting based system. The vast majority of those have cross-trained in multiple disciplines. I have also seen a lot of bullshit is the KM world as well. I laughed in the face of an "instructor" once after watching a bullshit seminar that did nothing but give the participants a false since of security. Who your instructor is plays a huge role in nearly every martial art and KM is no different. Just be aware: good KM instructors are rarely ever KM purists.
I couldn't agree more with this, all the good Krav Maga teachers you come across have a big background in BJJ or something else
That's what Jocko Willink said. He actually thinks Krav Maga is good as an augment but not as a base.
That’s true, the Krav Maga instructors at the place I train have experience in other arts like boxing, Filipino martial arts, jiu jitsu, Kung fu, and hapkido and they highly encourage cross training
@@VelociPurchaser I didn't know Jocko said that. Good to know that I'm not the only one who thinks that way.
Well done. Keep it up
Hi there. Nice channel, and nice Vídeo. I am from Brazil, but I can understand you clearly , your explanation is great. Thanks
Imho the whole idea that civilians who have never had real fight teach other civilians who become instructors themselves and teach others blindly is not working. There is no feedback in the system, can't try anything on a non-compliant partner, no evidence of anything is actually working. Yeah, there was that guy who figured out some techniques 20-30-40 years ago and you have to believe he was right. Anytime I asked my trainer what if the attacker won't do what we are expecting the answer is always 'you have already pucnhed him in the face so he will', but of course it can't be tested. And it applies to any self defense system where they're selling this magic techniques...
I studied Krav Maga for just over 2 years and I was very impressed with it. Our class was mostly ex-soldiers and nightclub bouncers. They were all long term members and I think that speaks volumes.
Ex israeli soldiers?
right. i recently switched also to an online-training. and now, after 2 weeks i already feel very confident. in 6 months i can earn the opaque belt. i am so excited.
I was not a rookie when I tried Krav. From what I saw, Krav was great for self defense against weapons and generally how to learn to defend yourself if you don’t wrestle, don’t do jujitsu, don’t kick, don’t box. Good all around style for the above reasons and if you are not into forms or kata. No you won’t become a master or professional fighter but you can get very good at what you do learn which is Urban warfare or combat, quick and dirty fighting that could save your 🍑. When someone titles a video or commercial with a black and white absolute maxim like, this is bad or this is the best or this never works or something, I automatically don’t trust it. Carry on. Train well whatever your poison is.
Any self defense system or martial art will have holes. BJJ and Wrestling suck on concrete and against strikers etc. Some Krav associations still train hard and instructor training takes years and to be certified, it takes a lot of time, bruises, and swear equity. The problem is that Krav has become a term similar to "karate" or "king fu", which can mean almost anything. Pick the right Krav org, and you will not be disappointed.
I'd argue wrestling is way more effective on concrete, you only have to slam the guy once.
I'd argue wrestling is way more effective on concrete, you only have to slam the guy once.
"BJJ and Wrestling suck on concrete and against strikers"
Jiujitsu is infamously good at defeating strikers, and aside from some mild discomfort, concrete will make them slightly more effective since they're both skilled (albeit wrestling more than jiujitsu) with takedowns, and both would prefer top positions.
@@elenchus
@@elenchus So I have an honest and sincere question for you then? Is there any type of specific Jujitsu that you would recommend? I know that there is things like Goshinjitsu don’t know if I spelled it right that many people say is pretty practical for the street. I’m a lifelong martial artist but even I see the value within certain systems that train to be affective on the streets. And are there any videos of the footage from TH-cam you could provide? I myself am a PFS JKD - Kali/Silat Guy with a blend of other arts taking what works and discarding anything that is useless. I think you for taking the time and reading this and look forward to your reply a salute to you in respect.
I would love to see you review the Fight Quest Episode of krav maga, those were two MMA fighters who traveled the world exploring different martial arts including Krav Maga
th-cam.com/video/KI-qwmqckOE/w-d-xo.html
Krav is real. Lots of schools don't do it justice. Lots of people running their mouths
Thank you for the honesty. Quality control is a challenge in all combat training unfortunately. ATVB
I’m not saying there aren’t Krav instructors that suck or need more training but I trained with Sam Sade and I have zero complaints. He taught me a shit ton and I’ve used it when I had to. Thanks Sam 🙏🏻
Awesome interview!
Thank you for helping make it happen Matt!
@@MartialArtsJourney I do enjoy your podcast and think you. You make good points even if I don't always agree. I don't think you are ever completely wrong even when I disagree
I sont think you found real krav maga. I trained krav maga years ago as my first martial art and we sparred alot even with training knives sticks and guns. You've seemed very biased in your videos I've seen since you've switched to mma.
Could it be that you are biased for Krav Maga?
@@MartialArtsJourney not likely considering ice practiced other martial arts including mma.
I live in New York City. What martial arts schools would prepare you to fend off multiple attackers with weapons. What combination of martial arts training do you suggest would help you survive in a big city like New York City. Thanks in advance for any suggestions that you may provide.
10 years ago I spent a few months learning KravMaga in Stockholm Sweden. It was an excellent experience. Besides self defense techniques, one of the few lessons I still remember were avoid fight, fight if you have to but escape whenever the opportunity arises, use any method to overcome the opponent even as simple as scream right in the ear or bite it off to get out of their hold and run. The most common drill we used to do was palm strikes on the face (punch pad instead of real face :)). My first day I remember one of the instructor was asking every new arrival “why you chose Krav Maga?” my honest response to him was “there is no belt system in KM”.
After moving to US, I’ve been looking for a proper KM gym in DMV region, went to one but that was nothing like what I learned before. The gym I went for trial told me about the belt levels among other things, I developed doubt in their KM authenticity at that moment, unfortunately it turned out to be true after the first class. All the gyms I’ve found online are teaching KM in addition to Japanese or Korean M.Arts so I’m not sure whether they are genuinely teaching KM or just added that to their inventory of services to attract customers. Really looking for a good place, please make recommendations.
I start my krav maga journey tomorrow.. I'm soo excited
@@bigrecordzinc4559 Happy for you. How is it going?
If you're going to do Krav just make sure your instructor is advanced in other martial arts... With evidence.
I think what matters even more is how the classes are run. It wouldn't matter if your instructor is the literal UFC champion if your class consists only of choreographed moves. In many krav gyms they don't allow sparring until P3 or above; IMO I'd try to find one that has sparring classes open to beginners.
@@MaxLohMusic But on the other hand, i doubt a UFC champion would design his classes around choregraphed moves, that's kinda paradox.
@@kaen4299 I think it happens fairly often, maybe not specifically with UFC champions, but many expert martial artists in their style who trained very realistically growing up, crossed trained in combat sports etc. are perfectly happy taking people's money and making them think they know how to fight, instead of teaching them how to fight. And I think there are some gyms which have the name/endorsement of a UFC fighter attached to them, and they don't teach real MMA sparring. Probably if the UFC champion were literally there instructing in person, it would be less likely to happen
@@MaxLohMusic But what would be the benefit of teaching that way if you can teach the real thing? Isn't it rather a disadvante to risk your reputation instead of standing out with good teaching among all those McDojos? With most McDojos it's understandable because their insctructors can't teach the real thing even if they wanted to.
On another note, it's kinda funny to see you that often watching the same videos as me and on Quora too lol.
@@kaen4299 orly? Nice lol. Well the benefit is not enough people call bs on McDojo's so you still get more money from people who can't tell the difference between thinking they know how to fight vs actually learning to fight. Sadly there's a huge market for false confidence and too many people are willing to shell out money for it. I think it also depends on what area/country you're in. In California it's common to either have no-sparring gyms, or even if it's a real gym they separate their actual MMA fighters from everyone else, and hobbyists/enthusiasts who don't want to competitively cage fight will only get no-sparring training
One thing in love about BJJ is that it teaches hyper realistic group attack and weapons based scenarios where spending too much time on the ground or focusing on pulling off an extensive technique can get you killed.
I think you have it backwards?
Thanks for doing more on Krav
👊
Question: Do you think combining Krav Maga Training with Karate 🥋 training would be a beneficial combination?
I'd instead recommend combining Krav Maga with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Boxing/Kickboxing
Yes and No. Krav Maga was initially formulated to get fat out of shape conscripts up to some level of aggression during a short basic training cycle. The instructors teaching it were fit for sure (army PT instructors usually are) but certainly weren't champion fighters - most probably never actually fought hand to hand for real. So the moves are simple and big muscle block based, and the theme is a relentless "hit and move forward - attack don't defend". It works great for that and if you stick with the basic techniques and drill again and again padded up against resisting opponents then you end up with something that would be pretty useful in a street fight (just like Sykes Fairburn British Combatives, Marine Corps Unarmed Combat, etc etc).
Where things went wrong was when it started being markets really heavily in the USA - totally unrealistic claims were made and people started pretending that it had belts / levels - you needed to be a "master" or that you could be effective without actually learning how to hit hard. It became like a Tae Bo with a Killer Rep. Nothing wrong with that - just dont expect to learn to fight at all. Not even nearly as well as the guys who stick with the same 10 - 15 basic moves.
Any systems which features "unarmed defense against a hand grenade" - really cant be taken seriously any more.
The Krav Maga classes I took ten years ago originally sublet space from Taekwondo studio after hours. We worked on cardio and staying in the fight. Punching the pad to the point of exhaustion getting up from the ground and when you could run away at the first opportunity. I loved it. We did contact sparring in padding with control, focusing on practicing blocks and countering in short bursts. The school moved into a larger building, and the classes grew in size. Suddenly people that I had trained with for a year or so were taking trainer classes "invitation only" and going off to be ranked or tested at World Wide Krav coming back to teach classes. Wanting to enroll my son in the children's class that was unavailable at the time, I went to (hold your breath) a Gracie BJJ and MMA academy.
After a month of watching adults train and roll while waiting on kids' classes, I knew the techniques and drills I learned as a Green Level Krav Maga student paled compared to the talent in front of me. I resigned from Krav and put on the white belt of BJJ with great humility. My opinion of Krav Maga is it doesn't have enough depth of training to warrant black belt status ( Many of the KM students had a black belt within three years of training where I had advanced to blue belt in BJJ ). I feel Krav Maga is a great two-year program for basic self-defense and getting in shape. My complaint is KM instill a false sense of bravado in the students, especially with women feeling with their deadly IDF Commando fight tactics go toe to toe on the street. I see pictures of the old school on FB, and the classes are composed of chubby women and overweight men in black teeshirts and I think of Cosplayers. No disrespect to people enrolled in KM, and I did benefit in the early years training, but I know after 10 years of BJJ and MMA, with a few tournaments behind me, you may want to explore other schools.
"My complaint is KM instill a false sense of bravado in the students"
That's literally what it was designed to do to the IDF members who were trained in it. The style was specifically designed to draw out aggression and instill overconfidence so they would be less likely to back down in a fight in spite of having minimal training. Good fitness from a very basic military workout regime on top of a simple "martial art" which convinces you that you're unbeatable to make you more aggressive is *EXCELLENT* for rapidly churning out competent soldiers. It's the exact opposite of a good idea for a self defense class where you should be encouraged to avoid fighting where possible.
@@a-blivvy-yus We taught the history of Krav maga and its founder Imi Lichtenfeld,
"The goal in Krav Maga is to keep one safe. In a violent situation; there are no rules. You need to do anything in your power not to get hurt. What does “everything in your power” mean?
Taking preventative measures comes first. Be aware and avoid violence. You can prevent yourself from getting into a danger zone by keeping your eyes and ears open. If you see a problem around you, stay away. If you have no choice then a kick to the groin, spitting, biting, gouging, and hair-pulling are all very legitimate. Never escalate the situation and remember; fighting is the last resort." We taught to defend and exit ASAP even by John Whitman when he taught seminars at the school.
@@99Michael That's not how it was used by most involved in the military side of training it though.
@@a-blivvy-yus The article wasn't about Krav maga training in the military but in academies in the civilian world and my shared experience was with Krav Maga Worldwide.
@@99Michael ...and my comment was specifically related to the aspect you mentioned which relates to the military angle. Which is why I specifically referenced that in my comment.
What marshal arts are good if you want good self defense training?
I do wrestling and BJJ, right now I been doing 2 month in of krav maga. Should I stay or should I go to something else?
I've had several people that have come over from Krav. They couldn't fight very well. But their spirit is always solid.
How you know they can't fight very well? You probably fought with rules in sparring, they didn't learn that, they learned dirty fighting. So please mess in their discipline not in yours.
@@weichmacher3973 where do I begin. Ive been teaching for 14 years. So I def know what it looks like when someone doesn't know how to fight. But first range management was non-existant, responsiveness was jerky and sporadic. Even of they sparred with "no rules " they should still have timing, confidence, gaging, and footwork. We spar with minimal rules like no groin strikes and watch the face. We don't point spar. If some one tells you that what you know is too dangerous to spar with is full of poo. They're hiding the fact they're selling B.S. regaurdless if someone has learned to fight or spar and they don't have the ability to transition between rules and no rules then they haven't been trained well.
Dont study krav maga as the main martial art..study boxing, judo, mma then add krav marga..then it will be super effective
LOL
I really just think if you spar heavily and frequently enough, Krav will mold you into someone who can handle themselves well on the streets. It’s a jack of all trades when it comes to conventional fighting and a master when it comes to things like restraint breaks and bat defenses, which makes it great in my book.
Just avoid the McDojos (of which there are in any art) by doing your research: Call ahead, ask if they spar, and observe some sessions. If the sparring is intense enough, great. Give the place a shot. If not, keep looking. Eventually you’ll find something.
Good video! Before signing up with any instructor, watch a class and ask yourself, is this fluff or will I be learning how to put multiple injuries on the human body that will render the attacker non functional? (Think ruptured knee, ankle, windpipe, eye groin, kidney, liver, etc, etc). Injury is the great equaliser, doesn't matter if you're 250lb of ripped muscle or a 100lb woman.
How about training Krav Maga for about 6 months and than go to MMA? Observing 360`? Perhaps there are more than 1 attacker ? Cooling situation with guard up instead lower arms? Finishing quickly and walking away? Than you can use boxing, MMA .....?
tl;dr: For most people, martial arts as a means of self-defense probably doesn't make a ton of sense. Argument below.
I'll say something really controversial that I've been thinking about for a decade or so: I think many self-defense-related desires are fantasy-based. The vast majority of people practicing martial arts are very unlikely to ever be in a physical confrontation (at least, in the modern first world countries in which martial arts are most likely to be practiced), and you're wildly more likely to be injured practicing any serious martial art for several years than you are if you just didn't do martial arts at all.
From a cost benefit analysis, martial arts rarely make much practical sense from a self-defense perspective. If you want to minimize your risk of harm suffered at the hands of an opponent, just don't do martial arts and you'll actually come out ahead of a jiujitsu black belt or Muay Thai fighter in your overall likelihood of being hurt by someone.
This is especially true because the kinds of self-defense situations you're most worried about probably aren't going to be drunk fist fights after someone mouthed off about your woman; those you would probably escape with some bad bruises. Chances are you're worried about guns and knives, but martial arts are very ineffective versus either of them.
I tend to find that self-defense motivation trends (although not always) along two basic lines: the self-defense "hero" fantasy where the martial artist easily defeats a bad guy, saving himself and an invariably beautiful Japanese girl, thus winning her love, or perhaps the sadder (if because it's more relatable) desire to have control over our own fate and mortality. For the very unlucky, no matter how good at jiujitsu you are, someone's going to pull your card and there's just nothing you can do about it. Martial arts may provide the comforting illusion that in any possible scenario, you can get out alive.
Don't get me wrong; there are specific people that, due to the nature of their life, their job, their residence, or so on actually probably ought to learn martial arts for self-defense (as opposed to carrying, or just engaging in a safer lifestyle). Lawyers, for instance, basically can't carry guns even in the US because they're never allowed in courthouses, meaning most lawyers spend a large part of their day unarmed (including going to and coming from court). Teachers are another good example. People who work in repo are another good example. People that live in genuinely unsafe areas are another good example.
But generic middle class guy in the US, Canada, Germany (etc.) that has a full-time job in a nice suburb and isn't also a drug dealer on the side is unlikely to be a special case, and this, I find, is your average krav maga or wing chun or aikido practitioner.
This isn't to say that anyone should stop doing martial arts; it's merely to calibrate the value of self-defense in martial arts training.
Absolutely agree. Most people should focus on their enjoyment, the athletic pursuit, the camaraderie. Deliberately doing years of martial arts training for self defense is as sensible as Strength training with 2-3X Bodyweight because "it's functional. What if I have to lift.." . If you love lifting- lift! Don't justify it! If you love to box, you don't have to justify it for "da streetz".
@@sardalamit great example
I agree 100%, to which I'll add that "self defense" is NOT fighting and, unless you train for a fight, you will lose in a fight. "Martial arts" and "self defense" are mostly combat sports or fitness systems, which don't prepare one for a real fight in the real world.
Loved it. Been training forever. Multiple injuries, (hitting 60 and now still doing Arnis and wrestling). For self defense: pepper spray, hammer , Glock .
@@OldBadger1 wow way to go for sticking with it throughout your 50s
I don't care who you are when it comes to real self defense. To survive is to realize the LESS you do is better. Stay away from fine motor tactics on the street. Stick to gross motor tactics. Keep your feet balanced and on the ground. Limit all that bouncing and spinning and kicking. Stick to low and mid level kicks. Expect a fight to turn from punches to bats or knives or guns. Most real altercations only last a few minutes. So finish as fast as you can and get the heck out of the area. The successful fighter is the one who practice situational awareness and avoid altercations in the first place. A true martial art skill. If you cant avoid or deescalate the encounter then NEVER use your fancy chops and spinning back kicks when there is a brick or pipe nearby. Skip all the chokes and triangles. While you are snaked up like that your attacker is pulling out his knife and trying to saw off your leg. Or his gun and emptying the clip in your crotch. Its life or death. The survivor will emerge in a couple minutes. That's how long these altercations take. And never forget your endurance. You get exhausted and weak real quick. Then you are really in trouble. Avoidance and situational awareness are your go to tools. Learn basics and fundamentals of krav or bjj or muy thai. Learn survival on the street. A quick example from my past ( i am 71 now). A guy was hassling me in a supermarket. Wherever i would go he would come behind me running off at the mouth. So i rolled my cart down the hardware aisle. I was looking for drain cleaner or wasp spray. I grabbed the wasp spray. Allowed the guy to walk up on me. I took the wasp spray and lathered his face. Then calmly walked out the store and drove home. Fight over.
I think the best way is to learn jiujitsu and Muay Thai.
Yes.. But how many people in your class would u trust with your life.. Not attacking u.. Most gyms do not teach both.. U cant make money from self defence, thats why sport is more attractive.. Most people will find self defence boring as they want to get in shape. Perhaps in the future mma self defence will be the future.. I do both, but most people find self defence embarassing as it involves roleplay..
@@boshirahmed perhaps I should clarify. Your enemy is not the person attacking you. Your enemy is SHOCK. Most people don't die from their wound. They die from shock. The two greatest assets in a martial artist arsenal is FLOW and WARRIOR MIND. There is no textbook that will teach you how to get up after you have been stabbed or shot several times. Except the warrior mind. No textbook will teach you how to take a bullet and keep moving forward in order to disarm. Many not all schools teach knife by having two guys face each other. That's fantasy. You will usually get stabbed from the side or from the rear. Which means you have already been wounded several times before you realize you have been attacked. So what do you do then? How do you survive that situation? You have to first defeat yourself ( your mind telling you that you are dying) which is shock. The warrior mind says: as long as I am still breathing I am not dead. Guess what? Instead of the body FLIGHT response the warrior mind will activate your FIGHT response. If you are going to learn martial art of any kind-- find the teacher who emphasizes the warrior mind. And the RIGHT techniques will follow. Now FLOW is necessary to PROPERLY apply the technuques you learn. Flow is that state of mind where you zone out. You become the bo staff. The gun. The knife. You don't have the mindset that you are holding a weapon. You ARE the weapon and one move flawlessly flows into another. Be like water. A fight is like a dance. And the thought of losing or dying will never enter your mind-- that paralyzing fear. Seek those schools that emphasize your warrior mind. Then supplement with technique. Avoid the mcdojo and the spectacular spins and flips. Develop warrior mind and flow and you won't need all that spectacle. Because you with situational awareness will avoid or deescalate rather than thinking your tomo nage is so special. Rather than a spiritual respect for all life. And death.
The editing was quite interesting
How does one start with the premise that the fundamental principles of a system are bad -and then conclude quality control a.k.a good teachers can make it useful somehow?
Perhaps there is a third explanation.
You.
Trained Krav Maga for 5 years, luckily with a good instructor, sparring included. Most good instructors left the organization when it became a fast black belt business rather than real self-defense. I left it too. But what I can say is that it really depends on the org and instructor, because I have seen KM defeating boxers.
Krav has turned into karate !!! You don’t see any karate schools because it don’t work and watered down
"because I have seen KM defeating boxers" , what was the rule set? cuz i find hard to believe that a pure krav maga student can defeat in sparring a real boxer. I have practised krav maga 8 years and boxing for 5 years.
@@ThomasKranias Boxing rules and Kms breaking them haha. But that would happen in real life too, you do what you practice.
@@Zelielz1 km with no boxing backround dont understand the distance. they will be floored before even attemtp a dirty technique, on a boxer . Trust me i have sparred with many kms in krav maga rules ( no rules) . All i am saying is to beat a trained fighter u need more than krav maga. U need to be a trained fighter too using krav maga.
@@ThomasKranias Clearly boxing plus km puts you on another level. But let me give you two examples, two friends experienced the same thing with boxers, they kicked them in the nuts before getting approached, one passed out, the other had to stop the fight. I'm not saying you don't need distance and striking abilities, but a good instructor and let's say 5 years of experience will give you the chance to get out of a fight alive, it doesn't mean winning, just, surviving.
Good to see Krav Maga being called out for how it commercialises quick training to become an instructor.
I also never trusted the block and strike simultaneously that Krav Maga teaches. You can't put full power into your strike if your focus is on blocking a full intent strike.
Yeah that simultaneous block and strike thing is a waste of training in my opinion.
@@madmoonrabbit All my self defense training was geared around boxing as a foundation. However that was many years ago. I am sure most would consider my training obsolete now and they may be right.
The big weakness was that I didn't get enough boxing training. In addition "back in the day" there was little ground training.
Simultaneous block and strike actions are not just useful, but important. That said, they're far from "build your entire fighting style around it" important. There are scenarios where it's a valuable tool, but there are many more situations where you specifically want to not be doing that. I learned a number of simultaneous block and strike actions while I studied karate, but they were all - as all such moves will be - *very situational* tools.
@@a-blivvy-yus One of my biggest hang-ups about the simultaneous block and strike is that I felt self-defence was hitting hard and causing injury to quickly finish the fight. Not a trading blows like in sports combat.
Also, I feel this type of thing is reliant on co-operation or knowing what exact strike and where they are throwing it.
I can agree to deflect a strike early on can let you land a strike of your own. Not a full powered one but still one worthwhile. But, ultimately I don't feel confident with that type of thing being prominent in a self-defence curriculum.
A traditional martial art I wouldn't complain about. And, chances are it would be practised and improved on in a longer time period.
@@madmoonrabbit I think you're talking about a pretty different approach. The Krav Maga simultaneous block and strike is when you enter in with an arm raised up blocking out their strike and your striking with your other hand.
Plus chances are their strike isn't a simple jab led alone a lazy or boring jab. It's a full-powered punch, usually a hook (as I've seen).
What do you think about Nick Drossos? he has a self defence channel. I think he is good. Would love your opinion on it.
Thankyou
I have been doing MA for most of my life.And i have been in a lot of street altercations.I can tell you from experience Nick Drossos is one of the best to learn from.The problem is finding a partner to train with while going over his content.
If you are looking for a krav maga studio, what questions can you ask to sift the wheat from the chaff?
Good question. I think you could start with the question of - do you do sparring? If not - it's a bad sign. Then a trick question too - do you teach knife defense and how effective it is? If someone says their knife defense is 100% effective - they are full of s***. Any good self defense instructor will let you know that knife defense is a really tough thing and there's no guaranteed technique. Last of all you could ask if they do knife defense pressure testing. If they don't - probably not a great place.
Turned closed captions on - but still almost impossible to figure out what guest is saying.
Maybe you need an hearing aid!
I got into Krav around 2006-7 and boy things have gone down hill since then. Way too many Krav organizations, no sparring, less focus on combatives and more on self-defense like taking guns from people etc (When I started most schools didn't teach it until later grades). Krav is mostly aggression training and most schools now don't teach it the way it's supposed to be trained. The only way to get any krav maga that's any good (that focuses on combatives and aggression) is to go to Israel and get trained directly by the government and IDF at the WIngate Institute.
@@Digitalcataloghub i started krav while going to a mma school that had bjj, judo and kickboxing - i would definitely recommend the route you’re taking. I think krav should mostly be a part-time martial art for stress and aggression training. Also, when choosing a krav school - make sure your instructor has a base in something else. Instructors who purely trained in Krav Maga tend to live in a fantasy world.
I was lucky that both my Krav instructors were competitive muay thai fighters before starting Krav Maga - so received great combatives training and sparring.
@@Digitalcataloghub I wouldn't worry too much about the disarms. I've known people who have used them in real life, but any good Krav instructor will tell you that they're your last ditch effort and it will most likely not work. But, you will have a greater chance of survival than someone with no knife training.
Aggression and stress training are the best aspects of Krav Maga. You should watch this video that breaks down what's wrong with civilian Krav. It's a conversation between a former IDF special operator and a former Krav Maga Instructor. It's similar to this video but a lot longer and more in-depth on the subject.
th-cam.com/video/8-X0mmdxWiA/w-d-xo.html
Bull 💩 , there are plenty of videos of Krav Maga in Israel and they suck just the same as the one in the US.
@@SandaBoxing Krav Maga is just the boxing of muay thai, the basic throws of judo, the basics of BJJ and most of it's self defense techniques are from Judo self-defense (old Kanno Judo) and a little of Japanese JuJutsu - with some techniques being 100% Krav origin. If Krav doesn't work, then the other arts don't work.
Krav Maga was invented to take untrained civilians and teach them the basics of fighting and make them extremely aggressive in stressful and dangerous situations (or avoid danger in the first place) and make them soldiers. US Army combatives and Marine Corp MCMAP operate off the same principles and would probably perform at the same level of a Krav Practitioner. No one should go into Krav thinking they're a UFC fighter, because they're not and it wasn't invented for that. It's made for street fighting and street fighter requires a lot LESS skill than ring fighting.
Finally, I've trained in Muay Thai, BJJ and Judo. I've seen many practitioner of those arts crap all over Chinese martial arts. They watched a few videos or demos and completely close their minds to it while ignoring shuai jiao, sanda or the practical applications of Kung Fu. That mentality is counter to the MMA mindset - any martial art (excluding chi martial arts) have something valuable in them and can improve your base fighting system.
Instead of watching a few videos online and immediately attacking. Find a legit Krav Maga school and try it. Keeping an open mind and trying new stuff is the true MMA philosophy and attacking something without proper research, experience or tribalism is just a rebranding of the closed mindedness seen in traditional martial arts practices.
@@TheCCBoi Calm down. I trained Krav Maga for fun already for quite a while and it was from one of the good gyms with real MT & BJJ. But most of the real fighters didn't bother with KM b/c it's for the weaker people, especially women and old people. The videos online proves this.
Does Karate work? Planning on enrolling at a Shotokan dojo
Thats very Nice. But what can we do instead?
Like all styles there are good and bad schools. I studied Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu back in the eighties when they were serious about what you were taught and the goal was to be street effective. I truly cherished my black belt and felt I’d earned it.
As a police officer, I only used my ninjutsu techniques, much to the disapproval of my superiors, as police approved techniques were often ineffective against those with knives, glass bottles or who were high on meth.
I now see the Togakure Ryu dojo’s don’t exist anymore and one dojo who having trained with Masaaki Hatsumi offer a one year black belt course, which to me is not possible. No wonder ninjutsu is now considered a joke martial art.
Rokas, I have a serious question: Do you think it is enough to judge krav in this case by Videos and an Interview with someone who left the style? It is like asking an ex-girlfriend 😄
You did years of Training in aikido and intense MMA... so what about a Training time at the best krav maga Institution after the lockdown? I challenge you 😉
Most people that say this art or that art is bs have never faught a person good at that art in there life they have no idea what there even talking about.I have seen plenty of people bad ass at krav maga even at least one woman.
@@shawnsmith2610 I can understand the mindset of the people. If they do not spar (like us) and no one uses it in the UFC, than it is bs. Furthermore is a really big disadvantage that everyone can say it is krav maga what he does because it is not a "trademark". More over sports are made for that rulesets and for sparring.
As I heard krav in the US as it is practised is offen all about Fitness. I do not think that there are many schools in Europe/ Germany where is no sparring applyed BUT it is offen a szenario Training and not open sparring like in sports.
The fact that most practitioners are amateurs with around 3 or 4 hours a WEEK and not per day comes on top. Many issues what people do not get through there sports vision.
Yes it is enough. Because his experience is the same exact experience as the majority of people. I mean if people who actually want to be skilled fighters, or fight ready in a real world situation.
@@AlphaToOmegaXG
So the answer to the martial arts problems is that everybody should train MMA in a good gym. Because traditional stuff do not work and self defence systems do not work.
Excellent!
This is a good point. One of the problems I have with much of the critical looks at KM is they are comparing it to MMA or BJJ. These are competitive sports. Both or great but not really self defense even if they claim they are. I do not want to be on my back while fighting on the street or in a bar. If I am on my back then I want off it as quick as possible.
You can't practice bare knuckle boxing very often. You have to be damn careful and can't go full speed, unless in a real fight Ask my poor hands as I have broke bones in both hands over the years. Plus sprung joints and both hands at different times. Even if you win you may get some damage to your hands or worse.
You can't ever in training go full contact attacking some one in the throat - eyes - nuts. You must have protective gear on which in and of itself changes the game.
Now no matter what they clam here you can't go 100 percent kickboxing or boxing all the time. It is not safe for your little brain to do so.
You don't fight at 100 % all the time in a boxing match (some experience there) or in MMA or BJJ or Judo. You do however in a street fight go 100 % all the time or until you clearly have the upper hand.
Street fights are much shorter than a 3 to 5 round MMA fight. I want something that gives me basic boxing - kicking - clenching - throwing - shooting - grabbling. The basics will allow you to win almost all fights. Fighting is about attitude as much as anything else.
If you want to see an application for the 360 defence, here is an option:
th-cam.com/video/3ecifxZ03ds/w-d-xo.html
You see why it is for self defence AND why it will not work properly against technical boxers.
Good to hear an Aussie instructor :-)
If krav was so ineffective why do armies use it? especially the Israeli forces?
@@NetAndyCz True, however Krav as a self defence is legit as it’s used in real life conflicts amongst armed forces
@@nathanbarnes932 Damn, TH-cam censoring me for no reason again.
Nah, I agree, Krav Maga at its core is legit. It is basically MMA without rules, stuff that worked in martial arts adapted to practical self-defence that is focused on techniques that are easy to teach and work in most scenarios. It is focused heavily on asymmetric combat, usually at a disadvantage, so it is hard to have real Krav Maga tournament. And some techniques cannot be easily used in scored match, because you cannot poke peoples eyes otherwise most fighters would be blind really fast. However Krav Maga is mainly a system of techniques that might help you out of difficult situation, it is mostly up to the users if they can and want to train their bodies to be effective against more potential attackers.
I've been practicing combat sports for years, and I never, ever, ever confuse it with ''self-defense''. In fact, in my opinion real ''self-defense'' doesn't exist beyond COMPLY and do what the bad guy says. Give the bad guy what he wants so he doesn't try to kill you. I think it's because I grew up in a country where no amount of kungfu or karate could help you from the bad guys who were routinely shooting people, cutting people's heads off, or hanging people off bridges. Heck, every now and then they would throw grenades into police stations, or drive by with machine guns and shoot hundreds of rounds into them. In Mexico you let the military handle the bad guys with armored vehicles, helicopters and BIG machine guns. There was once a Krav Maga-like instructor who famously started teaching self-defenses courses to prevent getting kidnapped, and partially as a joke the Cartels proceeded to immediately kidnap him. When I was kidnapped in 2011, I defended myself by doing exactly what the kidnappers told me because they were four guys, I was one, they had guns I didn't. They were literally like 5'5 130 lbs each, I was painfully aware I could destroy them in a fight; but if I had tried that I'd probably be dead right now. On a different occasion when I got pointed at with an AK47 because I watching a few guys doing something illegal I stared at my feet until they went away because otherwise they would have shot me from 40 feet away. Krav Maga, Aikido, MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai, etc isn't going to do SHIT against real bad guys with real weapons. Combat Sports are for sports, street fights are for hobos, bar fights are for rowdy drunks, but nothing is for real bad guys with real weapons; and the fact that Krav Maga pretends to prepare you to superhero your way out of that shit is ridiculous. I think most people who want to learn ''self defense'' are retroactively trying to prepare themselves for beatings that bullies gave them in high school. No one on the sidewalk is waiting to fight you one-on-one with his bare fists, my guy. Do Muay Thai because it's cool, do MMA to do amateur competitions, do Aikido because you like the robe and Japanese culture, but don't fool yourself into role-playing scenarios where you kill three terrorists and save the day.
I gave this a negative after reading the first two sentences (because they are patently wrong) but switched to a thumbs up after reading the entire comment as it makes a great deal of sense - except the first two sentences. Of course, when faced with four machine gun wielding guys you either comply or try to act knowing that you will get killed (sometimes it is better to get killed than to comply as there are fates worse then death). However, knowledge of martial arts CAN save someone's life - and it has, probably millions of times. I personally am aware of about a dozen of such instances. To me, that is the essence of self defense, not trying to be an action hero.
@@thomaskwiatkowskiesq.328 I dunno man, I think a large handful of your ''dozen of such instances'' are likely suffering from a case of confirmation bias. Did it ''help'' in a confrontation that turned hostile? Yeah, I'm sure the confidence, assertiveness and even forceful application of will happens On Da Streetz from time to time. But I highly doubt you know twelve people who ''saved their lives'' by punching and kicking someone who was genuinely attempting to kill them on the spot.
@@sensam6155 Think what you want, it is your right.
You know, the funny thing about the internet is that we don't really know who other people really are, what they experienced, how long they lived and what they've done. I don't like to volunteer that information either, but I do know what I know, and that is from experience and not from watching martial arts movies...
@@thomaskwiatkowskiesq.328 What you say is true. But one must also maintain their critical thinking. Occam's razor would have believe it's less likely that you know more than twelve people who survived attempted murders using techniques they learned in a martial arts club than you having heard a few embellished stories of people's encounters on da streetz that would likely have been solved without their death even if they'd never taken a single martial arts class.
Hi, I like your journey, but I'm lost. I don't know where to start, I want to practice something that really helps in real world. What do you recommend for a beginner?
Hi Victor, I'd say start with either Muay Thai, Boxing or BJJ (whichever you like most) it will help you learn to fight and then read Meditations on Violence to learn the theoretical side. A combo of this will make you much safer
in my opinion, which is largely in agreement with Rokas, you should start out with BJJ. Get a year of solid training in there, then pick up a good striking school (you still have to be cautious with boxing and kickboxing gyms; boxercising and cardio kickboxing won't necessarily help you much in fighting).
Do what these guys above me said but if you can find a good MMA school that would be the best of all worlds, sadly those are harder to find though.
@hap py the only big issue with kickboxing is that so many kickboxing schools do boxercise/cardio kickboxing stuff and never spar. You have to be choosy.
I started out 3 years ago at 54 with the same question. Went to a Generic Self Defense classes near home to learn basic self defense and stay in shape. Problem is that there is too much discussion about the belt colors and fancy techniques and too little on sparring. It is hard to fight against a 120 kg opponent and my instructors won't let me fight the beginners. So I am seriously thinking of training Krav Maga to taste what it is to have to fight closer to what I can find in the streets, bars or in my office. If yu want to compete then there is all those great sports and rules that you can find everywhere.
Which martial art should one take then? Which martial art is the most perfect one?
It again depends with what’s your purpose behind it? If it’s just fitness, anything will do, if it’s self defence you’re seeking than the approach would be different. However, please understand that every art is in itself is limited by its techniques.
My suggestion would be to start with any striking art to develop your techniques, know your limits and from there you will be able to make an informed decision. I would start with boxing, kickboxing or Muay Thai if would have been in your place.
Hope this helps.
@@manishjha3990 Thanks for replying.👍
the most default answer is jiujitsu + Muay Thai. You can do very well with wrestling, boxing, and kickboxing too.
Shooting
Bjj and shooting a gun. That is all you need
I am a krav maga instructor but i was a competitive martial artist for a long time i am 100 agree with him on the quality control point and yes krav maga is not a martial art its just a way to condition your mind to react under stress and not panicking . Quality is the ultimate key and yes its just a cherry on top if you are well trained in martial arts and ppl who think they can train for a month or two and become untouchable are just naive . you have to spend years and years of training as a martial artist and then you can incorporate krav maga .
Good video! I had good fortune of training with an Israeli army veteran during my JKD training in yesteryears. That guy was literally hardcore. He mentioned that apart from army wherever he went to so called Krav Maga institutes, he was hugely disappointed. He made a logical argument that krav maga techniques are mostly aggressive and taken from other martial arts to apply in a life threatening situation. This is the main reason why it is chosen for mostly defense forces along with few other like kali, silat. When it comes to civilian training, this very basic essence is missing. it is like any other martial arts. People need to understand it is not a martial arts, it is a defense system. But anyways, all in all I like this system a lot along with Systema (Russian). Just wished there would be more authentic training facilities.
You and your friend are clueless. Just search "Israeli army Krav Maga sparring"; they suck.
@@SandaBoxing So you have based your opinion upon YT videos, if I am not wrong? We believe what we see mate, so all good. I take your word for it...🤘🏻
@@manishjha3990 I've trained Krav Maga, girl. Not only that, but sparred a bunch of them and whooped 90% of them pretty easily.
@@SandaBoxing sure you had mate..
@@guangarmy9246 hey thanks, VC.
I did Krav on and off for over 10 years, went to 4 or 5 different schools, but reached a similar conclusion. I started training Urban Combatives, which seems to me much more functional. I saw people in krav classes that had been for years, but felt they would have no hope if attacked in the street. I got my striking skills from Muy Thai training and was doing BJJ and wrestling before covid days. Need to get back into it.. just hitting the punch bag atm.
you should take a look at some UC videos and offer an opinion. :)
Got tired of beating up on Aikido? How many more arts are you going to go after before you start looking in the right direction?
I bet he never trained in any of them? He needs to search videos and other people's opinions in order to make assumptions and conclusions...wich means that he (like most people) don't have enough intelligence to see at first sight what is good and what isn't.
@@sergiobatista2272, I have recommended to Rokas that he simply test himself against some competent Krav instructors, ie, instructors that heavily spar and are certified by an institution like Krav Maga Global.
Until he does that, he really won’t know if Krav can be of any value.
As someone who trained a few years in krav maga - I don’t understand the problem with it. It’s useful against knives, baseball bats, guns, in do or die situations. Which could arise in our “wonderful” world.
I would say my problem is that it hasn't been shown to be very useful in those situations.
That is good, but if that is all you do, you would be out of shape, you need mma, sparring plus good cardio.. I did combatives for three months, knife stuff, then asked a thai boxing to attack me whilst holding a weapon, he punched me in the head, basically i got so addicted with knife training, i put on three stone and was out of shape.. Problem is krav is good but it attracts people who dont want train hard to get in shape.. Its a shame, because some mma guys would be clueless in a real life situation, as weapons and multiple attackers.. Its expensive to do both as most people do not teach both.. Thank u..
@@boshirahmed everyone would be clueless against multiple attackers with or without weapons. What MMA can do is help you beat at least one other unarmed person consistently. I'm not sure krav maga would allow a normal person to consistently beat another person of similar size/weight.
@@elenchus My point is that you need both, but its too unusual for people to learn that now. Both would be excellent, I do both, but its hard to find a place that does both. In the future like the UFC it might change things, when guys realise its a different skill set and makes one on one fighting obselete. When something becomes a sport and entertaining then it becomes mainstream. EG bareknuckle is popular now, however its too graphic to become more popular.
Hi.
Great stuff. I think you should do more videos on interviewing people that have “defected” from their brain washed beliefs... this could be from corrupt governments, religions, companies ... might be fun.
ALL governments are corrupt and always have been, by definition.
Bjj is a brainwashed belief... just saying
I dod a few crav lessons .
The 360 defence is not ment to block empty hand strikes but to block from sharp and hard objects the oponent can swing like a rock in his hand or a knive or piece of glass .
Its no ment to block punches or kicks that way dough you can at times use it to do so if you want to
Maybe I missed it but I feel like you talked about all these arts aren’t “good enough” but didn’t say what was?
It really is a shame about Krav Maga. I did it for about 3 years and I had a brilliant instructor, but he had a strong background in both BJJ and Muay Thai which made his lessons very well rounded.
I've mostly done American Kenpo and from what I've understood there's a lot of overlap with Krav Maga, both in the intended applications and philosophy.
Arguably the biggest issue in Kenpo was that we'd spend 90% of the time training things that would work, or indeed be relevant, 1% of the time or less. The yellow belt self-defense techniques were the most applicable, simply because they were the simplest. Whenever there's a Count Dante style sequence of moves that look all flashy and devastating, one must remember that the odds of every single strike landing the intended way and having the intended outcome is increasingly unlikely for each strike you add to the sequence. But the difficulty of mastering the technique increases exponentially. So the whole thing just gets harder AND less useful, and this is a pattern that repeats for each new belt (because each new belt came with 10+ new techniques one needed to master in order to level up).
I actually became much better at applying what I'd learned in Kenpo after taking up Thai Boxing, including - and no disrespect to Mr. Phillips - blocking and striking at the same time. But that's not how it's supposed to work, is it? And it's definitely not what they advertise in those styles. Never do you see a disclaimer that says "warning, this style only applies in the specific circumstances you train in our dojo - you'll get your ass handed to you in a boxing ring".
I think that fundamentally, self-defense styles like Kenpo or Krav Maga or Jeet Kune Do need to do two things to "fix" their curriculum:
1.) Build your striking fundamentals on the moves you can do at full power on focus mitts. Heavy Thai mitts, ideally. Practice them a lot.
AND
2.) Build your striking funtamentals on what you can do in sparring with boxing gloves, headgear and leg protection on. Yes, it'll ultimately become a lot like kickboxing. But whatever the merit there may be to eye pokes, open-hand strikes, groin kicks and all the other specialized moves your style brings to the table, they are all dependent on, and will benefit from, the timing, range and so on that you learn from simply doing kickboxing.
And then flip the time-spent-ratio around. Do those two things - focus mitts and sparring - 90% of the time, and spend 10% on whatever esoteric techniques you want, and you'll produce much better fighters. And much better self-defense practitioners too.
I really want to improve myself in real live self defense but i dont know much about martial arts, what do you all think?
th-cam.com/video/6uP0q7uEU6w/w-d-xo.html
Thx
Lots of misconceptions with arts that has no tournaments or competition. But since you were once an aikido practitioner, the video iaido tsume by Philip greenwood is an excellent reference on how one should think about fighting.
Awesome video. Seen these videos too but after seeing Matt's video with the created environment with a knife trying to escape or disarm its scary to see how many times he got stabbed. I like watching most martial arts for my own journey to see what works. Really wanted to practice karate coz first art I did years ago and wanted to make it work and so confused which other arts to train but my mind is clear now for blocks and kicks I like Muay Thai and MMA as main and other arts more as fun but pressure testing definitely important
EVERYONE who takes it to that level will get cut a lot, EVERYONE!
Back in the 90’s I attended a Krav Maga class. I had been training in martial arts for 3 years. But I Always respected the Israelis military and Kray Maga was theirs. By the end of the class, I was really Disappointed, walked out, never to return.
What did you join next ??
I think that depends also with whom you learn krav maga and where... That's my humble opinion
He is right when he says is it good or bad just like schools good ones and bad ones.