You’ve heard of both Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but what’s the difference between these two? Which one is better for self-defense? Both are great martial arts, and the answer to this question really depends on what you’re looking for.

We’ll look at these two from all perspectives and give you a clear idea of which one is better for you.

The main thing that you need to know about Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that they are completely different martial arts. They have different goals, different techniques, and different philosophies.

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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu vs Krav Maga

What is Krav Maga?

Krav Maga is a self-defense combat system that was created by Imi Lichtenfeld, a Jewish immigrant who lived in pre-war Europe. He developed a set of techniques that were specifically designed to be fast, efficient, and effective for self-defense.

The end result was a unique style of fighting that the Israeli military adopted as their primary form of hand-to-hand combat. Krav Maga nowadays has millions of practitioners around the world and continues to grow.

What is BJJ?

Unquestionably, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most popular martial art in the world, created by the Gracie brothers, Helio and Carlos in the 1920s.

BJJ, for short, is a grappling-based martial art that focuses on the ground game. Chokes, locks, and takedowns all have a role to play in BJJ, which focuses on controlling and submitting an opponent on the ground.

BJJ’s philosophy is that a smaller and weaker person can defeat the stronger one by using specific techniques. In brief, BJJ is a great martial art for anyone who wants to learn how to control their opponents on the ground and improve their self-defense.

Differences Between Krav Maga and BJJ

There are many differences between Krav Maga and BJJ, but the most important one is that Krav Maga is a self-defense system while BJJ is a grappling-based martial art. That means that BJJ doesn’t involve punches, kicks, or clinches, while Krav Maga incorporates that into its system.

In BJJ you deal with one opponent, while Krav Maga, on the other hand, has practice scenarios with multiple attackers. And those practice scenarios are what make Krav Maga the best martial art for self-defense.

In Krav Maga, you will use striking, kicks, ground game, and practice to defend yourself against some weapons.

Now, another big difference between the two is the sparring. In almost any BJJ school that you go to, you will spar regularly, while Krav Maga has occasional sparring sessions.

All of this information may make you think that BJJ is not effective as a self-defense martial art, but that is not the case. When you are up against someone who doesn’t know what to do if a fight goes to the ground, if you know Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you will have an enormous advantage.

Which One Is Better For Self-Defense?

It really depends on what you want out of your martial art. If you are looking for a system that involves kicking and punching, then Krav Maga is the best option for you.

If you want a martial art that focuses on the ground game, then BJJ is the best option for you.

The bottom line is that Krav Maga and BJJ are both great martial arts, and both are effective for self-defense. The only difference is that Krav Maga is more focused on hand-to-hand combat, while BJJ is more focused on ground-based combat.

It is very important to understand that the best option is to always run away or deescalate a potential fight, because in a street fight there are no rules. But, if that is not the possibility, knowing Krav Maga or BJJ will be helpful.