Something to keep in mind is that the individual instructor matters more than the specific style. I've seen some very good Krav Maga instructors while others are teaching something more akin to Tae Bo than anything resembling an effective self-defense method. In terms of BJJ, the majority of schools actually focus on sport-oriented methods whether they say so, or even if they even know they do. There's a huge difference despite what you might hear some say. This is true with pretty much any style. There are some very good Combatives courses and some that are absolutely terrible. Same with various "reality-based" programs, Jeet Kune Do and karate systems. For someone with no experience, it can be very confusing to discern what's legitimate and practical from the nonsense and its's easy for an instructor to mislead a novice. Ego rules the martial arts world and very few instructors will admit they don't know everything. There's no easy answer and you'll have to put in some time researching the topic and the instructor you're considering. Once you get some foundational understanding, then it's easier to make informed judgements.
