Krav Maga utility

[Undercore]

Hello everyone,

I'm very interested in learning Krav Maga.
I've seen videos and read a lot about the training and utility of the art.

I have some simple doubts and I'd appreciate you guys help.

Everyone here knows that Krav Maga is for self-defense only, and for accidental (or maybe not :ultracool) street fights against anyone.
Now, here's the questions.

Do you guys think that an expert or a 3-year to 4-year Krav Maga student is capable of fighting who?

In a street fight of course, does Krav Maga has advantage against BJJ, wrestlers, etc?

The thing is, I hate those guys that adore those BJJ fighters or the technique itself. Look, I'm Brazilian, so I do know a bit about this art. And I think it's highly overrated. It's useful, OK, I agree and I have to say that if a expert BJJ catches someone unexperienced or unprepared, he might be dead. But even so, I think it's too much hype for nothing, I don't think it's THAT useful when truly matters, which is, outside the ring and free of any rules.

Do you think height influences a fight? Can a 5'7 Krav Maga fighter beat up a 6'4 average man in a street clash?

Give us your thoughts and I appreciate all answers.

Thank you.

Can't wait to start my KM training.

 

[DarkShadowfax]

Hey there,,
Although I'm no expert in Krav Maga, I'll do my best to answer your questions based on the
1,5yrs of training I've had.

Do you guys think that an expert or a 3-year to 4-year Krav Maga student is capable of fighting who?
My instructor always told us that Krav Maga is for stupid people.
(No offense. I didn't say it.)
He is right though, because it was designed so that nearly everyone should be able to use it against his/her attackers. It was also supposed to be easy to learn - a lot of the techniques for the higher rank belts rely on the basic principles you learn as a white belt. So yes. If you train regularly you should be able to survive a fight.

In a street fight of course, does Krav Maga has advantage against BJJ, wrestlers, etc?
In Krav Maga we generally don't like to end up on the ground, so the first thing we do is to try and get back up again, using dirty tricks if necessary. If you do end up in whatever lock though, Krav Maga teaches you to use dirty tricks to get out of it.
Ground techniques and joint locks/chokes are a part of the curriculum, but if you were to fight someone who's good at BJJ and you wouldn't use the dirty tricks, you'd probably lose.

Do you think height influences a fight? Can a 5'7 Krav Maga fighter beat up a 6'4 average man in a street clash?
I'm a 5'0-5'1 female, and during sparring, I am able to force my opponent to the ground at times. Sometimes, it is difficult for me to execute whatever technique against a much larger opponent, but there are also times I feel like my height is an advantage.
Although larger opponents generally strike harder (Pure physics, baby), smaller opponents are a lot faster, but even then, you might have to rely on some dirty tricks to get out of a fight.

Staying away from fights is the best thing you can do, as they often involve more than one opponent and weapons of all kinds.


Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Skilled grapplers laugh at dirty tricks. You know the counter or you don't.
Sean

 

[girlbug2]

What's the counter to an eye gouge?

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

If you get the finger's in and really have the
opportunity to wiggle them and do massive
damage then not really much!

However a skilled grappler that has been trained
against eye gouges works pretty hard not to have
their head in an easy position to be gouged! If it
is starting to happen close your eyes and look away!
Then there is always the off chance that the gouge
is minor and you just really pissed the person on
top of you off and some people's pain threshold is
incredibly high. I have met a few and am one of those
people that pain just does not seem to bother much.
The last time I broke a finger I just popped it back
into the socket and kept training. A student of mine
a while back broke one of his toes out at a decidedly
wicked angle. He just popped it back in and continued
with class. In the early eighties I was thumbed in the
eye during a competitive sparring match. My eyes
watered up but I continued on and just kept sparring.
(won that match too) Later about eight hours later
I had to go to the emergency room and yes my cornia
was scratched. Still it did not affect me at the moment.
I remember watching a student last year get nailed full on
in the the groin during a full contact sparring session it
looked like it hurt alot but he just kept going. When kickboxing
I had broken ribs early on in a match. Guess what I did
not even know they were broken until hours later! Now, I have
also watched a UFC fight a couple of years ago where a
guy had a finger go into his eye and the match was
immediately stopped and he would not have been able to
continue. So there are no absolutes! Finger gouges,
groin shots, etc. can stop violent encounters! Still relying on these
eye gouges, groin shots etc. is risky. Instead what you
want to have is better tactical position whether you are
grappling or standing up! Utilize them in self defense but
don't count on them! Instead have many levels to your
approach to protect yourself and your loved ones!

 

[Undercore]

Yeah. I understand guys.

I really want to train Krav.
I've seen much of the training, strikes and everything.

I want to be a complete fighter and the question is..does Krav Maga prepares me to fight anyone? In a street level? Of course any professional fighter but someone not so savvy into any fight or a just a guy who thinks he can beat up anyone.


I don't want to create any combats. I just want to be a complete fighter and be prepared for whoever attacks. Be it a BJJ fighter or a karate or a huge guy who doesn't practice any art.

Thoughts?

 

[jks9199]

Yeah. I understand guys.

I really want to train Krav.
I've seen much of the training, strikes and everything.

I want to be a complete fighter and the question is..does Krav Maga prepares me to fight anyone? In a street level? Of course any professional fighter but someone not so savvy into any fight or a just a guy who thinks he can beat up anyone.


I don't want to create any combats. I just want to be a complete fighter and be prepared for whoever attacks. Be it a BJJ fighter or a karate or a huge guy who doesn't practice any art.

Thoughts?

Taught properly, with a focus on actual self defense --krav maga is an excellent system that will prepare you to defend yourself. Self defense is NOT the same martial arts, or even fighting.

 

[Touch Of Death]

What's the counter to an eye gouge?

Slap their hand away, crush their skull into the pavement. I can go on.
Sean

 

[Spork3245]

Skilled grapplers laugh at dirty tricks. You know the counter or you don't.
Sean

This is why the IKMA teaches ground fighting for the street, we incorporate our "dirty tricks" into the actual counters. As far as I know, we are the only organization that even has a ground curriculum.
Kasa katame? Arm bar? Twister? Leg lock? Baby pressure hold? We'll counter it, but most likely in a way that'll get us disqualified in any type of "match".

Slap their hand away, crush their skull into the pavement. I can go on.
Sean

Good. While you dedicate both of your hands to doing that, I'll take my free one to pound your groin to make you lean forward, then use that change in balance to roll you over and slip into your guard, where I'll continue pounding your groin before dropping back into a leg lock or taking a full mount.

 

[girlbug2]

I can't believe I thanked you Spork, but you did say it better than I did.

So to the OP, Krav is a great general purpose system of self defense. Trying to compare it to another style of martial art is difficult, particularly if that martial art is popularly taught as a sport. But of course any martial art will work for fighting--it's not the style you practice, it's you that will make a difference: your awareness, your quick reaction, your ability to recognize the opportunity your attacker presents to you for various strikes, and your willingness to do whatever it takes to defend yourself, even if it's a "dirty" trick. That, I think, is Krav Maga's advantage over other MAs in a street defense situation.