Scientific studies on Krav Maga: state of the art

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze and synthesize the main concepts about Krav Maga in the last four decades. This is a review of the academic literature with a qualitative approach and a narrative nature. The searched databases are PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, Index Medicus, Capes Platform, ProQuest Digital Dissertations, Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) and Google Scholar, between the years 1982 and 2022. Empirical studies with cross-sectional, longitudinal, case, control and randomized design were included, and books and private websites were excluded. The textual corpus was processed by the IRaMuTeQ software. Forty-four studies met the eligibility criteria, of which eighteen conceptualized Krav Maga as “self-defense”, twelve as “fighting”, seven as “hand-to-hand combat”, four as “self-defense art”, three as “cultural heritage” and immaterial” and another as a “hybrid system”. The main aspects evoked and addressed in the research were: Operational and Military, Historical, Pedagogical, Psychosocial and Physiological. Most studies had low to moderate methodological quality, indicating the need for greater control of biases in future research. In addition, it was evidenced that Krav Maga is a system, or method developed for self-defense, however, it is a polysemic term, and cannot be understood in a uniform and linear way.