Any instructional videos on throwing stars?

K

Kajuna

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May 24, 2004
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Can anyone please direct me to any instructional videos on throwing stars on the internet that I could view for free?
I've been asked to repeat a popular school fair activity booth that I did last year that involved throwing large nails at a big circular target that had a lady painted on it. The idea was to mimic what those knife throwers do who throw knives at a female assistant as she is tied to a large spinning disk. Unfortunately, parents were concerned about using knives and we compromised by using nails instead. The booth was a big crowd pleaser, but since then several people have complained that it inspired too many kids to go around throwing nails, so I thought that using throwing stars might be a better option.
One parent who helped out last year had a bunch of throwing stars that he called ninja stars and he donated four of them to our fair committee before he moved away. They are about 3 or 4 inches in diameter and have 4 points each. The committee members think that these would be more appropriate to use and less likely to be copied by kids since they aren't easy to obtain like nails.
My problem is that I don't know anything about how they are used. I've seen them used in tv shows and movies but that's not very educational.
I would appreciate it if anyone could point me in the right direction.
Thanks a lot for any advice.

Robert
 
Kajuna said:
...several people have complained that it inspired too many kids to go around throwing nails, so I thought that using throwing stars might be a better option.
Click to expand...
Really? Why?

Oh well, whatever. I do remember your predicament from last year, and glad to see it was so popular. Welcome back!

There isn't much to the techniques--in fact, there are a few techniques.

The simplest is a frisbee-type throw. Most of the kids will probably want to throw it this way, instinctively.

You can also easily throw them overhand, like a knife. No special adaptation of the basic throw is really required.

I would recommend you find a softer target, though--a lot of commodity shuriken are cheaply made, and don't stick very well. In fact, a nice soft target can compensate for a wide variety of bad throws!
 
Watchful said:
Really? Why?

Oh well, whatever. I do remember your predicament from last year, and glad to see it was so popular. Welcome back!
There isn't much to the techniques--in fact, there are a few techniques.
The simplest is a frisbee-type throw. Most of the kids will probably want to throw it this way, instinctively.
You can also easily throw them overhand, like a knife. No special adaptation of the basic throw is really required.
I would recommend you find a softer target, though--a lot of commodity shuriken are cheaply made, and don't stick very well. In fact, a nice soft target can compensate for a wide variety of bad throws!
Click to expand...


Thanks for your advice, Watchful. I'd like to keep the same round target because it looks rather neat in a cheesy kind of way, and the people will remember it, but I'll see how well the stars stick to the surface of it. It needs a little retouching anyway.
I remember from last year that after practicing nail throwing overhand for a few weeks I got a bad case of tennis elbow, so maybe the frisbee throwing style will be easier to take. My joints aren't what they used to be.
As to your question, do you mean why they think nails are not a good idea or why I think stars will be better? I think that some of the parents are afraid of giving some of the wilder kids ideas about nails being potential things to be throwing at each other, and since the ninja stars are not a common object for them, I thought that they may not be as likely to find them or similar things as easy to get as the nails. Also, I thought that I could dress the part of a ninja at the booth and make things a little more theatrical for the audience.
I still want to make the accuracy of throwing and sticking the stars closely around the girl's figure part of the process for winning a prize, so I'm going to have to try your suggestion and see if I can control my aim well enough with a frisbee style throw. It wouldn't do for the ninja master to keep screwing up and killing his assistant.:D

Robert
 
I would suggest you stick to the nails

I was a kid once and I could fashion stars real easy when I set my head to it

Also stars are illegal in some places whereas nails have that old timey look to em if done right

Bye
Knifesmith
 
Knifesmith said:
I would suggest you stick to the nails
I was a kid once and I could fashion stars real easy when I set my head to it
Also stars are illegal in some places whereas nails have that old timey look to em if done right
Bye
Knifesmith
Click to expand...

Thanks, Knifesmith, I didn't know that. I'll have to check it out. I must say that I'd never seen the throwing stars before except in movies and tv, and I thought that they would be a novelty that kids might not consider trying to make or get themselves.
It's funny that the committee parents all thought that they looked very benign compared to a 7 inch nail and all of them said they preferred that I use the little throwing stars.

Robert
 
theres a really neat under arm "flick" that is actually pretty fun and powerful, I usually put my index finger to help get rotation. It ends up rotating Clockwise while going towards target, however still sticks.
 
commandojoe said:
theres a really neat under arm "flick" that is actually pretty fun and powerful, I usually put my index finger to help get rotation. It ends up rotating Clockwise while going towards target, however still sticks.
Click to expand...

Could you please explain that a bit more? Or maybe direct me to some online site that gives instructions on what you refer to?
Thanks a lot.

Robert
 
nope not on there, interesting yet stupid book though :)


this is what I mean
HPIM0712.jpg



HPIM0711.jpg

closeup with senban shuriken
 
:) Thanks a lot, commandojoe.
BTW, that's a beautiful star you have there in the top photo.
I'll look at the site that you posted also.
Thanks,

Robert
 
the one on top is your average throwing star, not sharp enough to do any real damage except stick in my opinion, I got it in a pack of 12 stars for like $6 out of Bud K when I was younger

the senban on the bottom glides effortlessly. Those are my favorite Looks like you can get those from here http://www.jinenkanseigi.com/senban_shuriken.htm tell me if you order them, I'm interested in maybe ordering more. (I got them from a gun show)
 
Commandojoe, from looking at your photos, I have been trying to practice with the stars, but the throws are very weak if I just move my arm upward from around my waist and then flick out at the wrist. I may be reading the photos wrong.
The only way I can get any distance is to do a lateral frisbee type move, starting with the hand sort of between my left shoulder and breastbone and rotating out laterally at the elbow. If I try to add the final flick of the wrist I get less accuracy. It also helps if I stand a bit sideways to the target and step forward toward the target during the arm movement and release almost at the end of the forward step. I wouldn't describe this as an underarm throw, so I'm not sure if I understood you correctly. At least I am not getting an elbow and shoulder pain as I did last year trying to throw the nails overhand. I find these little stars quite a bit of fun.
I don't plan to buy any at this time since we have enough to run the booth at the fair, but I did check out the site that you mentioned and saved it for future reference.
Thanks a lot for your advice. I will continue to practice in the time we have left. Since all the other stuff is already built, I can spend my time practicing throws instead of building the booth and target.

Robert
 
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