Is Krav Maga a martial art?

Language is not just how we describe reality. It is how we organise it. When the language is sloppy, the thinking that follows is sloppy. You cannot have clarity downstream if the foundation is vague or emotionally loaded.

Krav Maga operates in the realm of force, harm, violence, and authority. That is dangerous ground. Mislabeling something here does not just confuse discussion. It confuses outcomes, and in this world outcomes are often life and death.

Most people use words like self-defense, fighting, sport, and martial art interchangeably. They are not the same. In this episode, I unpack why those distinctions matter, where Krav Maga actually sits once the language is taken seriously, and why the line between sport and martial practice is far less clear than people assume.

This isn’t about labels or branding. It’s about clarity, responsibility, and understanding what we are really training for.

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In this episode, I sit down with David Bergman — one of my most senior students, a black belt, coach, and relentless learner. We explore his unconventional path into Krav Maga, how teaching shaped his practice, and why he’s been experimenting with ecological training methods. Together, we unpack the difference between knowledge, skill, and attitude — and what it really takes to build competence on the mat and in life.

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Continuing the discussion from Part 1, Ron Engelman dives deeper into the aftermath of October 7th—balancing duty to his unit with protecting his family, forming a community quick-reaction force, and deploying back to the frontlines. He discusses modern warfare, the moral dilemmas of fighting an enemy that hides among civilians, and the mindset required when the battlefield is just minutes from home. A candid, hard-hitting look at survival, strategy, and the fight ahead.

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In this powerful conversation, recorded as a guest on The American Gunfighter Show, Ron Engelman recounts the events of October 7th from an Israeli perspective—when communities were overrun, bases fell, and the country braced for a multi-front war. Ron shares where he was when the attack began, the three-wave assault that unfolded, and the intelligence failures that made it possible. From battlefield realities to global implications, this is an unfiltered account of Israel’s darkest day.

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Undercover narcotics cop–turned–close-quarters-combat pioneer Craig Douglas pulls back the curtain on fights where guns, knives, and fists share the same breath. Craig and host Ron Engelman unpack the messy middle where deception meets violence: how informal selection puts the right officers undercover, why ambiguity beats choreography, and what an “ugly clinch” at bad-breath distance teaches about survival, de-escalation, and moral clarity. Expect hard-won lessons on pressure testing, decision-making, tactical first aid, and building a training community that thrives on stress. Listen in and rethink what ready really means.

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In this raw and unfiltered episode, two friends and Krav Maga instructors, Ron Engelman and Ron Rotem, sit down—over homemade moonshine and fine bourbon—for a no-holds-barred conversation on tradition, technique, and the deep Israeli roots of Krav Maga. From the battlefield to the training mat, they debate everything from knife defense and lineage to instructor integrity, the culture clash between East and West, and how October 7th reshaped their entire perspective on self-defense. Equal parts laughter, hard truths, and war stories—this is what happens when two veterans talk shop without filters.

Note: Bring a drink. You’re going to want to settle in for this one.

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Sagi Dovev, former head of Krav Maga for Israel’s elite special forces unit Sayeret Matkal, shares his extraordinary journey from shaping warriors to rebuilding them. After October 7th, he began training severely wounded soldiers—many of them amputees—using martial arts as a tool for physical and emotional rehabilitation. In this powerful episode, we explore the warrior mindset, resilience under fire, the power of martial arts in healing, and the profound human stories behind recovery. This is not just about combat—it’s about rebuilding strength, identity, and hope from the ashes.

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Ofer Lidar spent over two decades inside Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, heading its hand-to-hand combat program. In this episode, we talk openly about what real-world violence looks like—and how Krav Maga needs to adapt to meet it. We unpack where traditional training falls short, how to build fighters—not just technicians, and why mindset—not just technique—decides who walks away.

We explore:

• Why Krav Maga became “martial-artsy” and how it’s shifting back to its roots
• The gap between sports and survival
• How modern Krav Maga can (and should) evolve
• Training agents to make split-second decisions under pressure
• Mindset over method: teaching people to think under fire

A raw, honest conversation between two Israelis with combat backgrounds, decades of experience, and a shared commitment to keeping the training real.

www.kravmagaisrael.com