Scientific studies on Krav Maga: state of the art

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