A Brief Introduction to the New Sport of Martial Arts Knife ThrowingMost people who try to throw a knife, or who have seen someone perform this skill, think that sticking a knife is very difficult and requires excellent hand to eye coordination. But knife throwing only appears to be difficult. In fact, it is quite easy and requires little coordination-- if one knows the correct technique. Unfortunately, what are probably the best techniques for knife throwing are not necessarily very widely known.
 | The reason knife throwing appears difficult is, of course, the fact that knives have a unique characteristic that makes throwing them different from throwing most other types of objects. When one throws a ball or a rock, one only has to hit the target. One doesn’t have to worry about which part of the ball or rock hits the target. But if one wants to throw a knife effectively, one not only has to hit the target, but also hit it with a particular part of the knife: the point. This adds a new dimension of difficulty because hitting the target with the knife point is complicated by the tendency of knives to spin around in the air when thrown. Only by controlling the spin of the knife can the thrower control the location of the point of the knife. Thus, the most fundamental task in knife throwing is controlling spin. And while there are other ways to do this, the most effective way to control knife spin is to eliminate it altogether. This is also the easiest way to throw a knife, because by eliminating spin we eliminate the additional dimension of difficulty presented by the thrown knife. Spinless throwing makes knife throwing a knife as simple as throwing a rock or a ball.
| With the difficulty of sticking the knife removed, many things are made possible that are virtually impossible with other types of knife throwing.. Among other things, the spinless throw allows a thrower to stick moving targets, to stick targets while he is running, jumping or performing other athletic moves, to throw almost any kind of knife or improvised weapon, to get off hard, accurate throws from virtually any body position or arm angle, and to stick targets from unknown distances, if necessary without even being able to see them. And while this makes impressive looking trick throws so easy that even amateurs can do them, more importantly, it also makes knife throwing into a legitimate martial art.
The spinless throw is, then, the foundation of the new “martial arts” school of knife throwing, a very advanced, yet very simple, form of knife throwing that is not yet as well known as some other types of throwing, such as the type of throwing that you might see in a stage performance. This new form of throwing has very little in common with these older forms. It is, as the name indicates, more a form of martial arts. And like other forms of martial arts, this type of knife throwing has both an “art” side, that is, a sporting or recreational side, and a “martial” side, a serious, survival-oriented side.
The degree to which the “martial” or the “art” side is emphasized is, of course, entirely up to the individual athlete. Whether your goal is entertainment, survival or something in between, this is a sport with much to offer. We in the martial arts school of knife throwing are convinced that our techniques, both for the spinless throws and the types of spinning throws we also use, are the most versatile, practical, powerful, effective, easiest and most fun ways to throw knives ever created. We invite you to explore the tools and techniques that we will present here and adapt them to your own needs, whatever those might be.
|