Different people have different objectives behind learning combative martial arts. Some people learn to participate in competitions held at the international level. In contrast, a majority learn to improve their self-defense and confidence in real-life situations. If your prime purpose behind learning one is to strengthen your self-defense, Krav Maga martial arts is all for you. But a question arises in every single person’s mind after hearing about Krav maga: ” IS KRAV MAGA THE DEADLIEST MARTIAL ART?”
If you want the same question answered, we are here to provide you with that. So, just keep reading and get abreast with the details of the most dangerous martial arts.
What is Krav Maga?
With unlimited martial arts practiced presently, Krav Maga is the ideal choice for those who are keener in terms of self-defense.
Introduced by Israeli forces, Krav Maga is a combative martial art that uses various principles and techniques to help you survive in real-life situations.
Like various Japanese and Korean fighting styles and martial arts, Krav maga also demands both your physical and mental energy. That is why people claim a person trained in Krav Maga as a walking weapon.
Origin of Krav Maga
Krav Maga came into existence in the 1930s, when Imi Lichenfield, a known boxer, and wrestler, came across a fight against fascists. There, he practiced a combo of various east west martial arts techniques and later introduced this self-defense martial arts in the Israeli Defense Forces in the 1940s.
Now that you are up with the origin of this forbidden martial arts, let’s find out: is Krav Maga the deadliest martial art or not?
The Mishmash of Techniques in Krav Maga
Krav Maga is a combination of other martial arts secrets in terms of techniques and throws. It is an eclectic system that trains you on how to give effective instinctive responses in stressful situations. Krav Maga focuses on the good of all the martial arts available. The techniques used in Krav Maga include:
- Various strikes adopted from boxing and karate
- Empty-handed weapon defense like in Aikido and Karate
- Ways to escape holds and chokes of the opponent are mastered from martial arts like Judo, wrestling, and aikido
- The strong takedowns and throws of wrestling, and most specifically, aikido
- The groundwork of Judo
A mishmash of all this makes Krav Maga one of the hardest martial arts.
Why is Krav Maga the deadliest martial art? – 6 Powerful Techniques
Enlisted below are some most popular and painful throws of Krav Maga that help in answering your question of “Is Krav Maga the deadliest martial arts”:
Hit the Collar Bone:
The collar bone is the most sensitive area for the attack in the upper body. So, a Krav Maga trainer aims at it by giving a solid kick. As a result, the complete shoulder, including the arm of the opponent, becomes inactivated.
Palm to the Nose:
Although punching the nose is also a very painful throw, in this technique, you strike the opponent’s nose with an open palm. This sends pain signals to the opponent’s brain, making him numb and senseless for a few minutes.
Striking the Heart:
This technique clears out your confusion regarding whether is Krav Maga the deadliest martial arts, as in it, the opponent’s heart is subjected to a strong punch or kick. It can lead to heart-wrenching pain, resulting in loss of consciousness or even death.
Kicking the Groin with Knee:
It is also a powerful and extremely painful technique that numbs the opponent due to pain shock. It is, on one side, extremely helpful in self-defense and, on the other hand, extremely deadly too.
Blow to the Throat:
The throat or the windpipe is located just in front of the neck. In a blow to the throat, you give a hard blow or punch to the opponent’s throat. As a result, he can’t breathe, which can lead to vomiting and spitting of blood too. As a result, the opponent no longer remains in a situation to fight.
Striking the Knee:
Striking the knee is a highly effective and powerful technique as it enables the opponent to even stand properly due to unbearable pain.
After becoming aware of the basic moves of Krav Maga, the question of “Is Krav Maga the deadliest martial art ” no longer needs to be answered.

Core Principles of Krav Maga
There are no rules to follow in Krav Maga, as the ultimate goal is to defend yourself in extremely violent situations. But here are a few principles that Krav Maga trainers are told to focus on:
- Aim at the opponent’s weak points and soft muscles because no one is immune to attack at these areas
- A quick and powerful response to the opponent with explosive power in just a split of a second
- Speed and Technique are most important as compared to strength. So, it focuses on enriching the practitioner’s toolbox of attack with more and more techniques.
- Adjust the techniques and fighting style according to your ability and expertise area
- Practice again and again so that you can be effective enough in real-life situations
- Managing the stress level and keeping emotions in control. Never let the mental game get out of control.
Why is Krav Maga the deadliest martial arts?- Martial Arts with no Rules
Another fact that makes it a crazy and forbidden martial arts is that there are simply zero to no rules to follow.
Yes, in Krav Maga, there are no specific rules that you are supposed to follow. It is a combative martial art in which you are just supposed to protect and defend yourself in violent situations by using any means. You are open to attacking the sensitive and vulnerable parts of the opponent too. It is more about leveraging short throws and whatever works in accordance with the situation.
Is Krav Maga effective in Self defense?
Although there are unlimited martial arts that offer techniques based on self-defense, Krav Maga is the only form of martial art whose entire concept and existence is based on self-defense. It provides a complete approach to self-defense in all aspects- how to defend, how to adapt to the techniques, and how to respond quickly. It is solely based on the philosophy of ending the fight with powerful strokes and saving your neck.
Krav Maga Vs Muay Thai – The Better One for Self-defense
Although we have bent the answer of “Is Krav Maga the deadliest martial art” in favor of yes, it is essential to know if it outcasts Muay Thai in self-defense or not.
So, when it comes to comparison, Krav Maga is much better than Muay Thai for real-life situations in terms of self-defense as:
- You can use the entire body and all types of throws in Krav Maga, but in Muay Thai, you can use only the specified eight body parts for attacking purposes.
- Muay Thai is more based on grappling, while Krav Maga is a well-rounded martial art.
Is Krav Maga effective in street fights?
In Krav Maga, the practitioners are taught to fight non-favorable situations in which survival chances are very low. So, when it comes to street fighting, a Krav Maga, as mentioned earlier, is a walking weapon himself. He knows when and where to attack to make you numb for minutes and turn the odds in his favor.
Therefore, among all the available martial arts, it is the IDEAL one to learn and use in street fighting.
Are there competitions in Krav Maga?
No! Where most combat sports have competitions and tournaments, there are no such competitions in Krav Maga. The reason is that you need to have some sort of rules to follow for competitions and contests.
In contrast to that, Krav Maga focuses only on fighting and defense, no matter what it takes. You are open to attacking the soft muscles, heart, and other vulnerable organs, which can be deadly, but in competitions, no such attack or throw is allowed.
Is Krav Maga the deadliest martial art, difficult to learn?
No, it isn’t too challenging to learn Krav Maga. In fact, some short videos available on YouTube and other websites are more than enough to teach you the basic techniques of Krav Maga. However, you need to get proper training under a coach to get deep hands on all the strokes of this crazy martial arts.
Pros of Krav Maga:
- Training to fight and survive in real-life situations
- Usage of various weapons
- Includes the best techniques from all types of martial arts
- Allows the use of any kind of throw and attacking style
Cons of Krav Maga:
- No competitions and tournaments
- All pre-arranged techniques
- It can be deadly and hazardous
Conclusion – The Final Verdict!
In the end, saying a big yes to ” Is Krav Maga the deadliest martial arts ” won’t be wrong at all. Its fatal strokes, its philosophy, objectives- each and everything make it a dangerous martial art. Yet, it is the most effective one in terms of self-defense. No matter if it’s a boy or a girl, they should get Krav Maga training for their defense.
So, what are you writing for? Look for the nearest center that trains for Krav Maga, and make your self defense skills the best.
Chris Bent
Chris Bent is a professional MMA Trainer who has expertise in both Martial Arts and Karate and he loves to teach Men, Women and Kids.