I think i have been somewhat foolish in looking at krav maga like i expext them to be champions, I am used to working with champions.
I should remember its aim is to defend yourself, if krav maGa achieves this it is a great success.
every art has something to offer in that respect.
Having trained one year in self-defence Krav Maga, with previous experience in Judo and a bit of boxing, before I've switched to BJJ i'd like to sum things up and try to explain what is and isn't KM.
1) Is Krav Maga a the base a military hand-to-hand combat method, designed to injure and kill, "and do it ASAP"? Yes it is. Civilian Self-Defense KM isn't it the same thing? NO IT ISN'T. Show me the jerk of a city maire which wants his tax payers to become a street killing mashines? Even within military version of Krav Maga, KM for special forces is not the same, as KM for a conscript or civilian.
2) Can SD Krav Maga outmatch some highly technical striking arts as MT or Boxing, or outgrapple BJJ, the answer is no, and it's not its purpose, which doesn't make it useless piece of crap, in my opinion. Experienced KM practitioner has quite the same chances of winning the street fight against experienced MTyer, as a local cop in a suit against pro-lawyer. Only maybe if it actually went to the ground and KMer managed to inflict some savage suffering to MTyer, like gouge his eyes and strike him in the throat (and you will learn how to do this, and many other nasty things from many different positions).
BUT!
If for example, my brother in law, who is a honest worker, works as electronic engineer, did his military service, has a good family, very nice kid but has absolutely no interest in martial arts (like maybe 70-80% of Western World male population) asks me for advise "if i want to learn how to successfully defend myself and my family in hostile street situation what MA should i do?" Knowing, that in my country even simply having a gun with you in a street will put you in jail for like few years, I think I would advise him to take a year or year and a half in Krav Maga for a couple of reasons:
Unless you are an antisocial, lonely pathetic freak no-family, no kids to feed, to whom assaulting people in the street is a usual week-end delight, who has a pack of criminal charges and who, basically doesn't give a f about the consequences, self-defense actualy HAS rules and it calls the LAW. Knowing what you can, and what you cannot do is a first and essential component of any decent self-defense system. If the guy insulted and slapped you in the face, beating the living crap out of him, or go to the ground and destroy his arm with a good old americana will cost you a helluva a lot of money, sometimes your job with all pain in the ass, which will follow, especially if you are a father, the only and unique source of revenus for your wife and kids.
Technically, in KM you will learn basic striking, basic low kicks, first. By training them every day they