How can you tell the difference between the legit krav maga places vr the watered down stuff?

If it is for actual use then Krav.

If you just want to get in shape and maybe eventually fight in matches then join an MMA gym and train in kick boxing, muay thai, and jiu jitsu.

Off the top of my head, do a little research and determine what it takes to become certified as an instructor in the different Krav organizations.

My instructor is certified to teach by the Krav Maga Federation. Even though he holds a 3rd degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, he started training as a "no belt" in Krav Maga. Only after advancing through the different levels of training was he accepted into a rigorous instructor program and earned the right to teach under the Krav Maga Federation. He's been certified for a little while now and he's not a black belt yet - again, this is a guy with several European Karate championships under his belt and actually earned a place on a European national team for Shotokan Karate.

Other Krav Maga organizations will let you attend their instructor's course for a few weeks and that, combined with a significant cash payment will allow you to teach. There's a very mainstream "Worldwide" Krav org with a flashy website that falls into this category.

Krav Maga

Jiu-Jitsu

Eskrima

In that order.

I suggest Cheap Trick at Budokan

Thank me later

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Commando Krav Maga got in to some trouble with the Instructors being fakes or something like that. One guy lied about his military record and who trained him




http://www.fakeselfdefenseinstructors.com/2010/02/commando-krav-maga-is-in-trouble-aiziks-fraud-is-being-investigated-and-reported.html

That is the ONE problem with Krav being tought here in the USA. You have to do your due diligence when looking for a Krav Maga instructor because there are alot of phonies out there or instructors that just don't teach it right.  

Not sure how much practical application Krav Magna has, but I'm pretty sure Krav Maga has been well tested...

Commando Krav Maga is an absolute scam.  Moni Aizik, the founder, has been proven to have falsified his martial arts training background and military credentials.  As I understand it, he can't even show his face in the US for fear of being sued for his unethical business practices.

If you're looking for legit Krav Maga instruction, stick with organizations affiliated with Krav Maga Worldwide, Krav Maga Alliance, or International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF).  And stay very far away from anyone affiiliated with Commando Krav Maga AKA CKM.

Great album!

I know people love to pick on TaeKwon-Do here, but I'll have to put my $0.02 worth in here.

I had 27 years into TKD, 23 of them teaching it.  I wasn't too terribly interested in promoting every time I had the chance so I ended up with a Samdan black belt in ITF style.  For those of you who may not know much about TKD other than what you hear / read, ITF is the original style, blending Shotokan karate and TaeKyun.  It has no relationship to the newer WTF (Olympic) style TKD.  Just for reference, my textbook includes Nihanchi Shodan as a legitimate hyung / kata.

After a number of years in TKD I decided I needed to branch out.  Forays into Shorin-Ryu, Ueichi-Ryu and Aikido broadened my horizons.  

One thing I can tell you, to paraphrase the late, great Bruce Lee... "when I first started in martial arts, a punch was just a punch.  After I learned for a while, a punch became something more.  After I had spent a number of years in martial arts I found that a punch was just a punch."  I found that there are only so many ways that the human body can move.  TKD, JKD, Shotokan, Wu-Shu, Muy Thai... they all emphasize particular aspects but in the end they are all the same.  
Now, grappling vs. striking arts are a whole 'nuther story.  Despite what a number of people say, NOT all fights end up on the ground.  BJJ is not the be-all, end-all of martial arts but some grappling skills are essential to a well rounded martial artist as are striking skills.  Just as you don't want to JUST have a gun in your arsenal of skills you do not want to only have grappling / striking skills.

I guess what my long-winded post is saying is to find a good school and study whatever style it is until you are proficient.  THEN branch out.

I've wanted to take Krav Maga for YEARS.



Unfortunately, the nearest place to take it is an hour's drive from me and when you add the high cost of instruction with the cost of gas and time (time is money for me) it is just cost prohibitive.  

Yes, I have an opinion.

That's great, but it takes a lot of time and money to learn three different disciplines. Some folks have jobs and families to spend time with in addition to training.

Muay Thai or Western boxing

Then I'd join a reputable gym that teaches all three (many do) and alternate nights between hands and ground game, mainly focusing on hands. Takedown defense would be high priority too.