The Best Books to learn Krav Maga

Krav Maga is a self-defense martial art that was developed by the Israeli military. Here, the aim is to defend and counter any attacker by using a combination of fighting techniques. These include strikes, chokes, and weapons training. With this said, Krav Maga can be considered a highly diversified fighting system, that is able to be used by anyone willing to put the work in.

Because of its effectiveness, a number of books and literature have been released on the art. From weapons experts to strikes, and other scenarios – these have all been covered here. These books don’t mess around, mostly showing trusted techniques that have been used by generations. Many of the chosen books below, also feature images too which also help massively when learning, due to offering visual demonstrations.

What should also be noted is that ideally, you’d want to learn Krav Maga in person. This is because nothing beats physical training which is good for muscle memory. However, books are great to supplement your training with. Furthermore, if you’re incapable of training Krav Maga in person, then books are probably your next best bet.

Complete Krav Maga by Darren Levine and John Whitman

This is a self-described ‘Ultimate guide’, and with over 250 techniques, it’s hard to disagree. This has an array of moves, from punches to weapon defense, to ground fighting. This book is a bestseller and is so for a reason. Each technique has a few images that also accompany the writing so you can physically see what is being taught. The idea of this book is purely informal, so if you’re looking to learn by yourself, then arguably this is the place to start.

A good part of this book is that it also has fundamental moves that are aimed at beginners, all the way through to advanced practitioners. There’s no nonsense involved, just effective moves for combat scenarios and self-defense.

Krav Maga for Beginners by Darren Levine and Ryan Hoover

Krav Maga expert Darren Levine returns, with a book aimed at newcomers – hence the title. In short, this is a step-by-step guide that aims to teach newbies to learn the basics of Krav Maga. It’s also suitable for readers who learn more from visual learning; as it has over 360 pictures included that show each move and breakdown how they work.

Some of the main principles of Krav Maga are featured here. This means it shows how to escape danger, counter-attacks, and defeat your attackers. It is also a proclaimed fitness program too. Often, people focus on the fighting elements of Krav Maga, but if you’ve ever tried it then you’ll agree that it can also improve your cardio too. With this said, it should also get you in shape if you follow it seriously.

Krav Maga Advanced Techniques Volume 2 by Segio Nisenbaum

This book is the second installment by Nisenbaum whose previous list is also listed below. Here, he expands on his previous book and once again follows the previous principles that uses a variety of illustrations and simplistic explanations to show and teach. The point of this book isn’t to show flashy moves that are fancy but unrealistic, instead it focuses on the basics and fundamentals of Krav Maga.

At over 230 pages in length, it complements the previous volume perfectly whilst also looking at new scenarios and forms of practical self-defense.

Black Belt Krav Maga by John Whitman

This book is designed for advanced practitioners of Krav Maga. In other words, if you’re new to Krav Maga then this book probably isn’t for you. Here, author John Whitman shows what it means to be a high-level trainer of Krav Maga, and some of the mental aspects that it takes as well. As it happens, Whitman is a sixth degree Krav Maga black belt and is a member of the Federation of Israeli Martial Arts.

With this in mind, it’s safe to say that Whitman knows his stuff. This book is 226 pages long, so there’s plenty of good stuff in there and it goes a bit beyond the typical set of moves that are taught in the beginner books.

Krav Maga for Women by Darren Levine and Ryan Hoover

Let’s face it, Krav Maga is great but there are also certain moves that are better suited for women. For example, a woman may be able to physically pull off an armbar or eye gouge compared to blocking punches or putting an arm behind an attacker’s back. This is where Krav Maga for Women comes into its own and provides some great techniques for women.

Unlike many other martial arts, Krav Maga statistically has a large number of female practitioners. With this in mind, this book is ideal for women looking to optimize their training and ignore moves that are unrealistic and low percentage. Again, this is written by Darren Levine who really knows his stuff when writing Krav Maga material.

Krav Maga for Law Enforcement by Mark Slane

This book is aimed at law enforcement officers who are also looking to sharpen their combative skills. Sadly, a lot of law officers lack basic training when it comes to combat, which is where this book comes in. At the same time, this book is very realistic. It isn’t going to teach policemen eye gouging techniques or fatal blows. Instead, it teaches a variety of legal pins, reversals, and controlling techniques.

With this in mind, a large chunk of this book is devoted to grappling rather than striking. It is also co-authored by SGT Brannon Hicks, who is a literal sergeant. As a result, you don’t have to worry about the quality of teaching in this book, nor the real-life application that it teaches.

Krav Maga Extreme Survival by Gershon Ben Keren

Simply put, Gershon Ben Keren is the real deal and has his own Krav Maga school in the US. This book is designed for certain, specific, real-life situations. It features scenarios such as attacks at work, carjackings, home invasions, and more. It even goes into details on how to defend against cars ramming you. Perhaps the main strength of this book is that it also looks beyond the conventional moves that are often taught.

For example, it shows how to defend against everyday weapons, such as fire extinguishers. For those wondering, it also shows self-defense skills against multiple attackers. Often in the Krav Maga community, this is a hot topic and it is taught in great detail here. Ben Keren also took an analytical approach when making this book, and put a lot of research and number crunching into topics such as firearm defense.

Advanced Krav Maga by David Kahn

Advanced by name, advanced by nature. This book is for those with a few years of training under their belt and is not really suited for beginners as a result. Of course, you can always buy the book and read it out of interest. However, it is primarily aimed at veteran practitioners.

Unlike other advanced books, this has quite a unique take on Krav Maga. On the one hand, it certainly teaches a solid amount of techniques. On the other, it is also highly focused on the fitness aspect of training too. With this said, it is the ideal book for those who want to learn practical self-defense skills, alongside getting fit and in shape.

Footwork Wins Fights by David Christian

This book isn’t technically based on Krav Maga. However, it does teach a very important aspect of Krav Maga, which is footwork. Whether you’re trying to dodge a knife, duck a punch or create or close distance; this book specializes in footwork. This is something that all of the greatest fighter in history share. From boxing to MMA, it’s undeniable that good footwork works as the foundation for your attacks, stability, and defense.

Not only this, but good footwork is also essential for self-defense. Here, if someone lunges at you, you need to learn how to pivot and escape or counter quickly. At 249 pages in length, it is probably the most comprehensive book out there which is solely based on footwork.

Krav Maga: 100 attack and defense movements by Sergio Nisenbaum

This book is ideal for newcomers and advanced Krav Maga practitioners. Putting himself in the shoes of the student, Nisenbaum breaks down 100 moves for both attack and defense. As the picture on the front shows, it also nicely breaks down moves with a visual aid, which is sometimes missing in other books.

According to Nisenbaum, the book is mostly divided into three sections: physical, technical, and psychological. Arguably, these are the most important principles of any combat situation. You need physical skills like strength, athleticism, and cardio to help; you need technical skills to apply your knowledge; and you need the correct fight or flight mentality to kick in. Nisenbaum has you covered and does this in great detail.

Krav Maga – Best Techniques by Greg Dziewonski

At 419 pages, this book is one of the longest on the list, and goes into great detail on how to fight correctly. Having said this, it isn’t too overwhelming either. Throughout, Dziewonski makes sure the terminology and techniques aren’t too much either, and it can easily read by complete beginners too.

You could consider this book as something of an encyclopedia when it comes to Krav Maga. With a depth of knowledge, Dziewonski shows various techniques; from standing to ground fighting, submission holds to strikes and weapons, this book literally has it all and is appropriate for all levels.