“Krav Maga isn't a martial art, it’s a fighting system.” A true statement, and also one we can dig into. The word, “art,” in martial arts is often taken too literally, or too contemporarily. We use the word art to almost always mean a creative or aesthetic skill. Painting, writing, singing, etc. However the Military Arts have been formally studied for thousands of years and referred to as such. Any field of skill and knowledge is an “art,” even if we don’t use the term that way currently. As for “martial,” that refers to war and the military. So the “Martial Arts,” is synonymous with “military skills.” In that vein, Krav Maga could be seen as the most martial art! In that vein, Krav Maga could be seen as the most martial art, because it does come directly from military application. It includes hand-to-hand fighting, defending against weapons, and using weapons. We also work very hard to keep the focus on practical combat applications, not getting sidetracked with new moves or current trends. Language changes, and like the word “literally,” perhaps “Martial Arts,” doesn’t mean what it used to mean. But to say “Krav Maga is not a martial art,” doesn’t give significance to its origins - and continuance - as a collection of military skills.
