Krav Maga vs Jeet Kune Do: Which is Better?

When we talk about really effective martial arts in combat, Krav Maga and Jeet Kune Do would come out on our minds. For someone who is just starting out some martial arts, it seems hard to choose between Jeet Kune Do and Krav Maga. Which is better between the two? Let’s find out.

Krav Maga is better than Jeet Kune Do in the sense that it teaches how to fight in realistic situations. This can include learning to fight multiple opponents at once and learning how to fight in the dark. Jeet Kune Do on the other hand gives you more freedom in learning and will urge you to try finding what works for you.

What exactly are the differences between Krav Maga and Jeet Kune Do? I mean both martial arts are good and a combination of multiple martial arts. That’s why it can be quite hard to find out which is better than the two. Thus, what I can really do is make a comparison and let you decide for yourself. Don’t worry because I’ll make it as easy for you to decide as possible

Is Krav Maga better than Jeet Kune Do?

Krav Maga is better than Jeet Kune Do if we are talking about learning how to deal with multiple opponents. Krav Maga is also more focused on a systematic approach to learning. However, Jeet Kune Do is better than Krav Maga if we are talking about learning about boxing such as feints and drawing opponents.

	Krav Maga	Jeet Kune Do
Focus	Defense against Armed Opponents	Boxing
Ease of Learning	Beginner Friendly	A bit harder for a beginner
Method of Learning	Systemized	Not Systemized
Training	More Realistic	Less Realistic
Fun in Learning	Rule-Based	Generally more fun and free

For me, it is really hard to compare both these martial arts.

Both Krav Maga and Jeet Kundo are good for fighting.

They are both realistic and prefer effectiveness over being flashy.

It will be rare for you to see flashy moves in Jeet Kune Do and Krav Maga.

Flashy moves are the moves you’ll see that look cool in movies but are really not effective in real life. You’ll mostly see a lot of those moves in Karate and Kung Fu.

That’s why you’ll see a lot of Karate and Kung Fu movies. They’re good for showing off.

You will have a hard time finding those moves in both Krav Maga and Jeet Kune Do since both are focused on providing the most energy-efficient moves.

This means that they want to be very effective while also reducing the amount of energy necessary to finish their moves.

That’s why if we are talking about effectiveness in actual fighting or street fighting situations, both are actually very good, and comparing them will be extremely hard.

However, I did found some differences which I will not discuss.

Jeet Kune Do provides freedom while Krav Maga’s approach is more on the systematic side.

This is the first point I would like to give.

If you are someone who wants to experiment. What I mean is experimenting which move is better than the other, then Jeet Kune Do is better for you.

The reason for this is because, unlike other martial arts, there are no governing bodies when it comes to JKD.

Governing bodies are the ones that systematize their rules such as rules when sparring, and giving clear details on belt progression.

Furthermore, they also systematize the learning process. So your lessons will usually be 95% the same no matter what school you decided to enroll.

If you are someone who prefers learning with a solid curriculum, then Krav Maga is your choice.

That is because their lessons and belt progression will usually be the same for all.

However, if you are someone who prefers experimenting and freedom, then Jeet Kune Do is for you.

A lot of people have fun while learning Jeet Kune Do because of this. In JKD, they don’t need to follow a set of lessons to learn. They can experiment on the moves their learning and decide for themselves if it is for them.

So, you can say that Jeet Kune Do is more on the pragmatic approach while Krav Maga is more on the dogmatic approach in learning.

In short, one is focused on providing you freedom in learning while the other will give you no choice but to follow their curriculum.

Thus, choosing here clearly depends on you.

Krav Maga is more realistic than Jeet Kune Do

It pains me to say this since I am a fan of JKD. But I need to be 100% true to what I found out with my research.

Krav Maga is more realistic than Jeet Kune Do.

Let me give you an example.

Krav Maga teaches you to spar with multiple opponents which is common in actual fights. It is quite rare to find a 1 on 1 fight on the street.

Usually, a street fight is a fight within groups.

However, Jeet Kune Do would always let you spar with 1 person. It is rare for Jeet Kune Do to let you spar and train against multiple enemies.

That’s why you’ll get extremely good at 1 on 1 with Jeet Kune Do but will have no idea how to deal with multiple enemies at once.

Furthermore, Krav Maga teaches you to fight in more realistic scenarios such as when they try to teach you how to fight at night.

That is especially true because sometimes, they shut off the lights in order to simulate fighting at night time.

This is especially helpful in self-defense since you will not be always fighting in the daytime.

Jeet Kune Do is better at teaching boxing

If you are a fan of boxing, then I suggest you go for Jeet Kune Do.

When it comes to learning boxing, Jeet Kune Do will surely win over Krav Maga.

Jeet Kune Do teaches how to draw your opponents and using feints.

These are skills that professional boxers use and it is effective.

That’s why some say that Jeet Kune Do is also a mind game.

Krav Maga offers more exercises than Jeet Kune Do

Due to learning being more systematized in Krav Maga, you’ll find out that they have a lot of exercises sessions to strengthen your body.

In Krav Maga, you’ll see more strengthening exercises given to you since it is in their curriculum.

In Jeet Kune Do, since it is in a more freedom type of approach, only some schools will offer you a lot of exercises.

Thus, generally speaking, if you want to strengthen and condition your muscles while practicing martial arts, then Krav Maga will be better.

Conclusion

This article has been really hard because both martial arts are really good.

Choosing which one is better will solely be based on your preferences as a user.

For example, if you want to have more freedom, then go with Jeet Kune Do. If you want to have good body conditioning and physique, then maybe Krav Maga will be better.

In the end, this depends on your preferences and this post should only serve as your guide.