Customer Rating: 
Summary: A core addition to personal and professional marital arts reference collections
Comment: 'Krav maga' is a martial arts fighting style developed for the Israeli armed forces and is respected for its simplicity, speed, and efficiency. With "The Essential Krav Maga", Christopher Philippe presents the first and very strongly recommended instruction manual that includes self-defense strategies against empty-handed opponents; assailants armed with sticks, knives, handguns, and long guns; how to protect a companion; as well as krav maga strategies against multiple foes. Profusely illustrated throughout, "The Essential Krav Maga" is a core addition to personal and professional marital arts reference collections and supplemental study lists.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Way too basic-essentially unhelpful
Comment: I read this book cover to cover in about 20 minutes. It's full of relatively clear pictures taking up most of the book, but not much is offered in the way of explanations and narratives. Additionally, the amount of content that the pictures do provide fall woefully short of all the moves available in the Krav System, and some of the moves demonstrated I don't feel are street practical (which is what Krav Maga is all about). Having taken Krav lessons for a year and a half, I was hoping I could learn something to supplement my class teachings thus rounding out my knowledge and skills. It turns out that the techniques I learned in class are better and I feel will be more effective in real life street fighting than what most of the book offers. I am not a long time dedicated martial artist, howeverr I reliably go the 3 times per week that class is held and I feel I could have put out a more informative book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A disappointing and potentially dangerous book you should avoid
Comment: Techniques without a strategic context have very little chance of success on the street. While the applications described herein are well illustrated in a step-by-step layout, they are not sufficiently explained for non-experts to utilize them effectively. I imagine that Krav Maga practitioners could use this book as a pictorial reference for techniques that they already know, but without the larger system/context it is darn near useless. Many applications, particularly those which defend against knives and guns, are unnecessarily complicated and extraordinarily dangerous to pull off in an adrenalized state. Consequently I doubt they would work.
Other techniques are simply wrong. For example, figure 6 on page 7 shows a wristlock takedown. There is so much space between the combatants that were this application performed in this manner on the street it would be ineffective and easily countered. Having spent hours upon hours photographing martial arts books myself I certainly understand that not every picture will turn out exactly right every time. Since there is no explanatory text in this book, however, readers must rely on precise photos to know what to do. Consequently there is no excuse for getting things wrong.
Contents include self-defense against unarmed techniques (e.g., punches, kicks, chokes), knifes, guns, sticks, and multiple assailants. The photos are generally very good yet the lack of associated text leaves much to be desired, particularly when trying to convey concepts that can mean life or death in a real-life violent encounter... Further, there is no discussion of awareness, avoidance, de-escalation or other life-saving principles that can keep you from getting into a violent confrontation in the fist place. There is also no information about the legal ramifications of successfully utilizing these techniques on the street. It is important to know not only "what" but also "when" and "how" when talking about self-defense. This 110-page book covers a few techniques but falls short in these other essential areas.
A very disappointing and potentially dangerous book, I suggest you look elsewhere for your self-defense needs. If you want to stick with Krav Maga materials, try "Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault" by Imi Sde-Or. It's a vastly superior book.
Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction
Customer Rating:
Summary: Essential Krav Maga
Comment: I was extremely disappointed with my purchase. Putting aside the fact that I was taught better techniques in control tactics with my job... this book is poorly designed. The moves aren't explained or described well enough for someone with no self defense experience to benefit from them. I don't recommend this book for anyone.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and Powerful !
Comment: It is brillant! the author christophe Philippe makes you feel like joining the club to start practising krav maga. The photos and text really capture the essence of this martial art through the feeling of effectiveness and purity that transpires throughout the book.
Powerful, Clear and Convincing ! Bravo.
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