Backhand throwing

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FishGillFinger

Joined
Apr 7, 2011
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17
Sample of backhand knife throwing. Using knives and spikes no spin and half spin.

[video=youtube;fmUN8op_XyQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmUN8op_XyQ[/video]
 
That's interesting, and as performance art, I'd say, Cool.
As anything else I'd say... well... its fun to watch.

kinda reminds me of watching someone use a blow dart or an atlatal and aiming at balloons.

So I guess 1/8" of 15degree tip penetration into soft wood isn't that interesting after all.

Which brings me to my actual point, what is the point of knife throwing?

1. Sport?
2. Self-defense?
3. Show?
4. Exercise?
5. Something to piss off your parents and ruin your steak knives?

- Hal Zucati
 
What is the point of knife throwing?

I guess that depends on who you ask. Why do you throw knives (or why don't you)? Personally, it's something I enjoy.

What kind of knife throwing IS interesting to you?
 
FishGillFinger said:
What is the point of knife throwing?

I guess that depends on who you ask. Why do you throw knives (or why don't you)? Personally, it's something I enjoy.

What kind of knife throwing IS interesting to you?
Click to expand...

Something new, something more edgy, I hear folks like Ralf Thorne say " keep the performance/circus aspect in your "combat throwing" so that the more conservative folks won't get scared and interfere" ( I paraphrase) and I think... yea, that's what most folks who throw knives do, even the knives themselves have been turned into a sideshow. Keep it quiet and cute, and it'll be allowed to continue.

I both admire and respect skill and the effort it takes to perform any knife throwing, I throw myself so I know how hard getting started can be and how much effort it takes to get good. That being said, there has to be more. More use, better tools, more flexibility and more variety.

I guess I'm just tired of so much sizzle and not enough steak. Flashy moves and cool trick shots and card games at mountain man festivals are great, but that can't be the extent of this sport.

What do I want to see? I want to see knife throwing legitimized as an Olympic sport.
I want to purchase a knife throwing hunting license.
I want the knives themselves to evolve and change and alter the public perception of what a throwing knife is, hell, maybe eliminate the knife as a subtype altogether in favor of "throwable" and "non-throwable" knives.
I want to see more serious testing in all types of target media including ballistics gel, soft and hard targets and a range of destructive and non-destructive tests performed to find the optimum blend of durability, usefulness and flexibility as a tool.

Backyard trick throwing is fine, I do it myself. Its just not enough.

I've been throwing knives since I was 4, making them since I was 8 and only recently begun to realize that I haven't even scratched the surface...

- Hal Zucati
 
I enjoy throwing. I enjoy darts, shooting, archery, and about anything else (sling shots, spears, blowguns) where I can project a target projectile at a bullseye. When I started and had been throwing about 6 months I was disgusted with my success rate and someone on here said "I've been throwing about 5 years now and at this point it's pretty much point and shoot." Well, I read that and thought "sure it is." I thought I'd never get good enough to expect a 100% hit ratio. But I grew up throwing spears and at under 50 feet it has been "point and Shoot" since I was about 12. So I sucked up my failures and kept throwing. Well, here I am at 2 years practice. You were right! Amazing, how rarely I miss now. So I find myself working on velocity, distractions, small targets, length and weight adaptations, throwing while moving and other points. But I can't throw backhand worth crap! So I am impressed.

I throw every day overhand, underhand and side hand. I have tried back hand and nearly murdered my neighbor's goat almost 50 feet away. I just can't control where it is going to hit, at what angle and tend to throw much too hard. I can do it if I am less than 6 feet from the target and basically toss the knife. Again, I am impressed! You give me hope.
 
That's pretty much the same way I describe it. I call it instinctive throwing.

Just watch out for extending your elbow fully when you're throwing hard backhand.

Here's another with all half spin:
[video=youtube;dcouG63-zgs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcouG63-zgs[/video]
 
My point of knife throwing would be for defense reasons, as i picked up the skill in the military. It is also fun and yes, it can ruin a knife or two. I throw a Blackjack #7, so if i ever have to throw my Randall #1, it will most likely hit on the point. The knives similarities makes that a good choice for a "Randall training knife" without the chance of damaging the Randall during practice. $400 knife vs $160 knife. Know what you intend to throw and practice with that length daily. You will learn what distance is too far or not enough. The guy in the video is a very skilled thrower, as i only throw a 1/2 spin and that limits my distance.
 
If you're using the half spin with the thumb control grip, it's possible to throw from up to 25-30 ft with a give or take 12" knife. My preference is the index finger grip (perhaps a way you could add distance to your throw), but I really like the thumb grip for backhand and underhand. One of my favorite throwers is a simple 11-12" spike with a little tape on the handle. They're great for long distance and I can make them myself if I want to.
 
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