Throwing knives, as the name implies, are special knives designed for throwing. There are many types of them, different in weight, size and design, but they all have one thing in common - they are designed to be thrown at the target.

This highly focused activity not only relieves stress when you need relaxation, but also develops good coordination in space and eye. In addition, it will help you make a lot of new connections, of course, if you do not throw your knife anywhere at the same time. There are a considerable number of knife throwing clubs, among which competitions are even held. In addition to the knife itself and the target, you will need a huge supply of patience - only hard training will allow you to master this useful skill. And we will tell you about everything else that you need about this purely male hobby.

• Knife selection

  The success of any enterprise depends on the right tool. Knife throwing is no exception. When choosing a knife, you need to rely on the ratio of three factors: weight, length and balance. Most throwers prefer knives that weigh between 250 and 450 grams and are between 25 and 38 cm long. The larger the knife, the more difficult it is to spin when throwing, so beginners are usually advised to take knives slightly smaller than what is written here.




Center of gravity

We will separately consider such an important issue as knife balancing. There are 3 types of knives designed for throwing. Knives with a shifted center of gravity towards the blade, with a shifted towards the handle and balanced knives. Knives with a displaced center of gravity are easier to spin when thrown, but in reality, there is no strict rule here. Try your hand at all three types and choose the one that suits you best.




Location selection

The best place for training is a secluded corner of nature, where you will definitely not accidentally stick your weapon in anyone. We still do not recommend throwing knives indoors: while your skill has not yet grown to sky-high heights, you run the risk of crushing all the breaking objects in the house. In addition, when it hits a wall, the knife becomes blunt, and the cheapest specimens can even break into pieces.




Target selection

As discussed above, it is best to practice in nature. But do not try to choose a living tree as your target: firstly, the knife hardly takes hard wood, and secondly, you are not a vandal to spoil the trees for how much in vain? A rotten stump or a non-stony hillside is your goal. If you mess around a little, you can make your own target: you will need a stand and a board about 15 cm thick from poplar or pine.




grip

In order for the knife to fly further and more accurately, it should be taken by the part towards which the center of gravity is shifted. Balanced knives can be thrown either by the handle or by the blade. There are many types of grip, but we will talk about the most common. We take a knife in our hand, the thumb is on the blade, the rest wrap around the handle. Without bending the hand, we take the hand back and up. We turn the body to the left and send the knife to the target on a fully extended arm.




Distance

A beginner should start with a small distance of 1.25 to two meters. As soon as you confidently master the throw from one distance, take half a step away from the target. It will take a lot of time to learn, but then you will gradually be able to move to the real distances of 7 and 9 meters used in competitions. Further increase in distance is simply impractical, as accuracy and impact force are reduced.




Knife Care

Always clean your knife after you practice throwing, especially if the handle is not wrapped. Sweat and dirt from your hands and moisture from the atmosphere damage the metal and contribute to rust.

knife throwing is one of the long-standing trends among sports activities. Classes with this type of physical activity have a positive effect on the entire musculoskeletal system of a person and the body as a whole. To achieve high skill in throwing knives, you must have exceptional self-control, as well as serious psychological preparation, which are acquired only in the course of regular practice. are a serious weapon, and you need to treat this type of physical activity with all responsibility. Benefits of training in throwing knives undeniable:

• The person gains additional confidence;
• Improves his ability to concentrate;
• Improves coordination of movements;
• Increased resistance to stress;
• Promotes the development of the eye;
• Increases the ability to quickly and adequately assess the situation to make the right decision.

If you are not a supporter of "carrying iron", but you like something more intellectual, then you should pay attention to throwing knives. This type of physical activity not only strengthens all the muscles, but also helps to increase self-esteem and self-confidence.

How to throw knives correctly?

How to properly throw throwing knives to achieve certain results? There are several stages of throwing knives. The main requirement is caution in working with this type of sports equipment. Steps for throwing knives:

1.Preparing to Throw a Knife:

• Choose a throwing knife. In total, there are three types of throwing knives: with a heavy blade, with a heavy handle and balanced knives. If you are new to throwing knives, then you should prefer a knife with a heavy blade or handle, as they turn over more easily during the throw. If you have several throwing knives, then you need to start training with heavier models. If you have a knife with a heavy blade, then you must throw it by holding the blade. If the knife has a heavy handle, then it must be thrown by holding the handle.
• Take the throwing knife in your dominant hand. The knife must be held firmly so that during the throw it does not slip out and injure neither you nor anyone nearby. You need to hold the knife as if you were holding a hammer by the handle. The handle of the knife is placed in the open palm and wrapped around with four fingers. The thumb rests on top. This knife grip technique is useful when throwing a double-edged knife.
• A knife with a blade without a handle must be taken with a pinch. To do this, you need to stretch your palm in front of you and position your thumb so that a crease forms between it and the palm. The knife is taken with the handle away from you, the tip is directed down, the blunt side should lie in the fold. The thumb should rest on one side of the blade, and the rest of the fingers, except the little finger, on the other side of the blade. So you can hold the knife firmly without putting pressure on the pointed part of the blade. How to hold a throwing knife correctly can be seen on video on the internet. The same grip technique works for a double-edged knife, but for beginners it is best to hold a throwing knife like a hammer.
• Depending on how far you are going to throw the knife, you need to choose the correct position of the knife before throwing. It is worth remembering that while throwing by the handle, the knife must have time to turn in the air at least once, and - for the blade - one and a half times. In accordance with this, the angle of inclination of the knife during the throw also varies. When throwing at short distances, it is necessary to raise the wrist to the forearm, so the knife will have a higher speed for turning in the air. With an average throw distance, it is necessary to bring the wrist even further behind the forearm. On a long knife throw, the wrist should not be bent at all, as there is no need to give it additional acceleration.
• Choose your target for knife throwing. When choosing a target, it is important to remember that it must be located in a safe place where no one can appear in the throwing zone and get under your throwing weapon. The target to be thrown should be soft enough, but not so soft as to pierce it through. For beginner throwers, you can use cardboard boxes, softwood targets. It is important that the knife enters the target easily. To practice accuracy, it is necessary to move away and approach at different distances from the target. By counting the steps to the target, you can easily learn how to choose the right throw force to hit the target. The target for throwing can be very different - hanging, standing, moving, etc.

2. How to throw throwing knives correctly:

• In order to successfully throw a knife, you must take the correct stance. To do this, you need to transfer your body weight to the dominant leg. Move the other leg forward. Raise your hand with the knife in front of you and bend your elbow so that the knife is at the level of your head. The knife must be held firmly and carefully so as not to injure yourself or those who are nearby.
• Swing the knife, shifting weight from your dominant leg to your forward leg, creating momentum. Next, straighten your arm with the knife forward. From this position, the throw is made. In order to get used to this position, it is worth practicing several times, swinging in this position. When throwing knives, the hand should only move straight, up or down, avoiding throwing at an angle. The visualization of chopping firewood helps a lot. Imagine that you are not throwing a knife, but chopping wood, when the movement of the hand with the ax should be strictly forward and down.
• After releasing the knife, complete the throw. At the moment when the arm with the knife is fully extended and aimed at the target, just let the knife move, giving it acceleration. In this case, your body should be slightly tilted forward with an emphasis on the forward leg. It is important to release the knife in time, then it will fly the distance to the target and hit it at an angle of 90◦.

How to throw throwing knives to hit the target with high accuracy? Not much, but dynamic. In fact, for a well-aimed hit, very little strength is required, but concentration when throwing is important.

Knife Throwing Mistakes

If you threw a knife, and he hit the target not with a point, but with a handle, then you should take a step back and try to throw again. The knife did not have enough distance to make a turn. One step is equal to half a turn of the knife. There is no point in increasing the power of the throw. You can either reduce the distance to the target by a step or increase it.

If you throw heavy knives, then in order to hit the target exactly, you need to choose a point for the sight, slightly higher than the target being hit.

How to properly throw throwing knives we have already considered, now we can talk about some rules for the care of knives for throwing and the safety of the process of throwing knives:

• After completing the training process, be sure to clean the knife, removing traces of substances from it that can get on its surface from hitting your targets. This is especially important if fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. were used as the target.
• To choose the most ideal throwing knife for yourself, you need to try tagging several varieties of knives, both with a heavy handle or blade (with a shifted center of gravity), and a balanced knife. It is important to feel the power of control when throwing a knife, then it will immediately become clear what suits you best.
• Lighter throwing knives are more suitable for hitting the target.
• Use common sense when throwing knives. Choose your goals consciously and with an eye on the consequences.
• It is better not to use kitchen knives for throwing knives. They quickly fail and become dull.
• When throwing knives, you should not squeeze the knife too hard so as not to cut yourself, but a very weak grip can lead to injury. Find the best option for your efforts.
• If you are just learning how to throw knives then you should not take a folding knife as a throwing knife. It is worth giving preference to knives with a fixed blade.
• Consider the fact that during training, not all of your throws will be successful, and the knife may bounce off the target. Therefore, do not stand too close to the target, but concentrate your eyes on the knife until you are sure that it is safe.
• For training, do not use too sharp knives.
• The training process should not be carried out indoors, especially in an apartment. You can break a window, damage furniture and household appliances. It is advisable to conduct classes on the street in a secluded place or in special sections for practicing this type of physical activity.
• Before throwing, always make sure that no one gets into your target area and gets hurt.

What do you need to learn how to throw knives?

In order to start training, you must:

• Buy a fixed blade knife. If possible, purchase knives of various types to choose the best option for yourself.
• Find a suitable place where you will train. It is desirable that this place be secluded.
• Buy a target. Softwood boards, cardboard boxes, trees, etc. can be used as a target. It is important that your knife does not penetrate the target through, but gently enters it.
• You should always have a first aid kit with you with the most necessary first aid for injuries.

How to practice knife throwing?

The main principles in conducting knife throwing training sessions are concentration, attention, purposefulness and the possession of certain physical data. The whole training process is to systematically carry out a pre-prepared exercise plan. This plan is drawn up individually, depending on what skills you would like to acquire during this training. If you study on your own, then draw it up yourself, if you study with a trainer, then he should draw up such a plan for you for each lesson. An example of the simplest workout plan:

• With each throw, you need to train your breathing. It must be consistent with the different phases of the throw.
• Choose for yourself the strength of the throw. Remember that in throwing knives, strength does not play a leading role.
• Posture of the body, movement of the legs and torso.
• Correct positioning of the hand, palms. It is important to know and be able to properly hold the knife during the throw.
• Focus on the target and its distance.
• Work out standard positions at different distances, taking into account the use of different types of throwing knives. For example, throwing a medium-sized knife from a distance of two meters to the target every 10 seconds; throws with a large knife from a distance of 3 m from the target every 15 seconds; throwing a small knife from a distance of 1.5 m from the target every 10 seconds, etc.

Usually, the training process, for many, comes down to the repeated repetition of certain exercises, with a detailed analysis of them into components.

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Throwing combat knives

Throwing a combat knife, in our opinion, is the same as throwing a pistol at an enemy: of course, you can, but it’s better not to. In hand-to-hand combat, a pistol, without cartridges, will be more useful as a "brass knuckles" than as a projectile. Similarly, throwing a combat knife means simply being left with "bare hands". You should not treat your weapons as consumables. A real professional picks up a weapon for a long time and patiently and completes his search only when he feels closeness or even, if you like, kinship with him. Between the warrior and the weapon, a very special relationship arises and eventually strengthens. The combat knife becomes part of the warrior, an extension of his hand. However, a fighter is ready to sacrifice not only his hand, but his very life in the name of the cause he serves. Throwing a combat knife from the category of just such victims. And since such sacrifices are possible, and sometimes necessary, the time has come to talk about this problem.

First of all, it should be noted that the combat knife is not designed specifically for throwing - for this purpose, special throwing tools are being developed that are designed exclusively for accurate, strong and long-range throws. The shape, size, weight, balancing of throwing weapons - everything there works only for a successful throw. But the combat knife is created for hand-to-hand combat and should be used for its intended purpose.

By itself, a combat knife will not stick. It is not enough to throw it at the target strongly and accurately, you must also be able to control its flight. This is where the complexity of combat throwing lies. At present, few warriors can boast of the knife-throwing combat technique. And this is not surprising: if the skillful possession of a knife in hand-to-hand combat characterizes the highest degree of skill of a professional, then throwing in this case is the pinnacle of martial art.

What is this process? First of all, let's talk about the tasks that a warrior can solve with a masterful throw of a combat knife. Let's start with the obvious, with the destruction of the enemy at a distance. This is the most difficult task. As a rule, its solution is achieved by the defeat of vital centers. To do this, you need to hit with sufficient force in very small areas of the enemy's body. Many people are capable of such a throw after some training. However, the main problem of throwing is not this - the knife must also pierce the body of the enemy. In flight, the knife rotates, and the ability to make this rotation manageable is precisely the main difficulty in throwing, pursuing the destruction of the enemy.

There are two fundamentally different ways to control the rotation of the knife. The first is considered traditional. It is based on a throwing movement brought to automatism. This can be achieved by repeatedly repeating a standard, typical action - a powerful roll for accuracy. This is how a penalty kick is practiced in handball or a penalty kick in football. Ready, swing, throw... Day after day. Same. Many thousands of times.

Well, but in a real battle, the enemy can be closer or further away. How is it possible to hit him at a distance of two to ten meters, using a single, standard throwing movement? To do this, the place of the grip of the knife is shifted, and the knife is given the desired rotation speed in each specific throw. Moreover, the farther the enemy is, the closer to the middle the knife is taken and the slower it rotates in flight. And the lower the speed of rotation of the knife, the greater the distance it will fly in one revolution.

It is this throwing technique that is used most often. However, due to obvious limitations, such throwing is usually used against an unsuspecting enemy, for example, from an ambush.

The second way to control the rotation of the knife is used much less frequently. It is paradoxical, but true: despite the fact that this method is much more difficult to understand and master, it significantly simplifies the use of a combat knife for throwing, expands its capabilities. The fact is that the concept of "throwing technique" for this method is absent. He does not need to painstakingly work out standard throwing movements. Moreover, any hard, traditional form of throwing is simply not good for such throwing. Indeed, in this case, the speed of rotation of the knife depends on the form of the throwing movement. No need to stop, take special "throwing racks" and pick up the grip. The knife is held with the same grip, and each movement of the fighter only enhances the striking possibilities of the throw. In general, it is difficult to imagine a picture of close combat in which throwing of the second type would not “fit in” or from which it would not naturally “follow”.

At the heart of this method of controlling the flight of a knife is an internal image, a kind of “thought-action”. It is not difficult for us to stick a knife, holding it with our hand. And if, when throwing a knife, imagine that the hand does not release the knife, but reaches the target. It’s not like a throw, it’s more like a blow. But, this is precisely the main problem of such throwing. It is necessary not to imitate this blow, not to try to copy it exactly, but to really guide the knife along the trajectory, literally “driving” it into the target. Only in this case, the knife will acquire that single smashing speed of rotation and hit the enemy with impeccable accuracy. It is important that even a moment before the knife "came off" from the hand, the fighter had already completed the "thinking action" - he drove the knife into the target to the very handle. The actual flight of the knife can no longer affect this result.

The difference between these two methods of control is huge. If in the first case it is an impeccable form, a jeweler's eye, an instant adjustment of the throwing mechanism, then in the second it is complete unity, the merging of the inner state of a fighter with the situation and purpose.

Concluding the conversation about the two ways to control the rotation of the knife, it should be noted that all of the above is true for any grip of the combat knife. If the knife is held by the handle, then throwing can be performed both without turning the knife, and with one full turn (by 360 degrees). When throwing with a grip on the blade, the knife makes half a full turn (180 degrees). But, one way or another, with any of these options, throwing can be performed in both the first and second ways.

The traditional way to control the rotation of the knife is based on the standard throwing movement - a powerful throw for accuracy. Moreover, the farther the enemy is, the closer to the middle the knife is taken and the slower it rotates in flight. And the lower the speed of rotation of the knife, the greater the distance it will fly, turning to the required angle. Such throwing is most typical for grasping the blade of a knife.

With traditional throwing, it is possible to throw a knife held by the handle. In this case, the rotation of the knife is controlled in the same way as when throwing with a grip on the blade: by first intercepting the handle closer to the center of gravity of the knife or further from it.

The second way to control the rotation of the knife in flight does not provide for a change in grip depending on the distance of the target. The grip is standard for throws to any achievable range. And the required speed of rotation of the knife is set by changing the form of the throwing movement itself. The peculiarity of the second method lies in the fact that the form of each throwing movement is only a consequence of a kind of "thought action" - an internal effort aimed at hitting the target.

Throwing in the second way is especially effective when gripping the knife handle. In this case, the transition from combat work to throwing can be carried out practically without any preliminary preparation. For example, immediately after the end of the protective action or simultaneously with the removal of the knife. At the same time, at short distances, a “non-reversible” throw is performed, at medium and long distances - with a turn of 360 *.

In addition to tasks involving the destruction of the enemy, knife throw can be used in some other cases.
So, an accurate and strong blow with a handle or a flat knife will easily stop, or even knock down an approaching or even fleeing enemy. An even more traumatic throwing technique is also possible, when the knife, bumping into the enemy with a handle or guard, begins to behave like a bullet with a displaced center of gravity.

In some cases, a knife that has stuck a millimeter from the enemy's head can instantly calm him down, completely suppress aggression.

Sometimes, a knife is used to distract or, conversely, to attract attention. For example, even an ordinary eloquent swing towards the enemy can make him take cover and thus provide the fighter with a few priceless moments to get out of the affected area. And an exact hit, for example, in a metal barrel or window glass will successfully replace the shot of a sentry raising the unit on alarm. Not to mention the alarm triggered when hitting a car.

It is not difficult to imagine situations in which the accomplishment of a combat mission depends on whether it is possible to disable the enemy's technical means or not. Cut off power or communication lines, disable a radio station or navigational instruments, smash a windshield or a searchlight, jam a mechanism or an aircraft turbine - all this and much more can be done if you manage to stick a knife at the right point with an instant throw.

But returning to the beginning of our conversation, let us once again recall that throwing a combat knife is permissible only in extreme, urgent cases. As a rule, all the tasks listed above are successfully solved with the help of special throwing weapons, or even just improvised means.

Well, a short video on how exactly to throw :)

and the release of the "KNIFE" program, which tells a little about the types of steel used for, as it were, throwing knives sold on the territory of the Russian Federation.

A throwing knife, as the name suggests, is a knife that is specifically designed for effective throwing. These knives are made to be lightweight and therefore different from ordinary knives. Many cultures around the world have developed various techniques for throwing knives of various shapes and sizes.

Are your heroes Bill the Butcher, William Wallace or any other knife-throwing guy? You, too, can learn to throw knives like one of these legendary throwers. Just always remember to be careful. To properly throw a knife, follow the instructions below.

Steps

Part 1

Choose your knife. There are three types of knives that are suitable for throwing: heavy-bladed knives, heavy-handled knives, and balanced knives. Knives with a heavy handle or heavy blade are usually better for beginners, as they flip more easily when thrown.

• Remember to throw the heavier one first. If you throw a knife with a heavy blade, throw it first. To throw, hold the knife by the blade. Conversely, if you are throwing a knife with a heavy handle, throw it by holding the handle.

Take the knife in your dominant hand. Of course, people often invent their own grips over time, but for beginners, there are three main types of grip, the choice of which is based on the type of knife and / or personal preference. Please note that in all cases it is necessary to hold the knife firmly, but carefully. Holding the knife too tight will affect your throw, holding it too loose will cause the knife to fly out of your hand too early and potentially injure someone.

• We hold the knife like a hammer: Hold the knife as you would take a hammer by the handle. Place the handle in your open palm near your fingers, grasp the handle of the knife with four fingers, put your thumb on top. This grip is especially useful when you are learning to throw a double-edged knife.
• Hold a pinch knife with one blade: stretch the palm in front of you, move your thumb towards it so that you get a crease between the finger and the rest of the hand. Take the knife by the blade, with the handle away from you, and so that the blunt side of the blade lies just in that very fold, and the tip points down. Put your thumb on one side of the blade, the rest (except the little finger) on the other side. This way you will squeeze the knife without pressing on the pointed part.
• Holding a double-edged knife: Point the handle away from you, and grasp the blade so that your thumb holds it on one side, and all the other fingers (except the little finger) on the other, thereby squeezing it without pressing on any of the sharp edges. Please note that such a grip will not allow you to make a powerful throw; if you are learning to throw double-edged knives, then try to better hold them in the manner of a hammer

• Bend the knife. How you do this will determine how quickly the knife flips in the air. This must be done taking into account the distance between you and the target. Note that these distances are a bit subjective: a knife that is held by the handle must have time to turn in the air at least once, and the knife that was thrown while holding the blade must have time to turn one and a half times. Accordingly, determine the angle, depending on how your knife behaves with the chosen grip and on the distance to the target.

  • close range: Bend your wrist to your forearm, so the knife will turn in the air faster, which, given the short distance to the target, is simply necessary.
  • Average distance: slightly bend the wrist back to the forearm. This is to slightly increase the speed at which the knife flips in the air, which is necessary since there is not a very large distance between you and the target.
  • long distance: Don't bend your wrist. This will prevent the knife from spinning too much, which is necessary since the distance between you and your target is quite large.

  • Choose a target. It is important to use targets that are thick enough so that the knife does not pierce through them, but soft enough that the knife can easily enter them. For practice, use cardboard boxes or cereal boxes, this is the best option for determining accuracy. More trained knife throwers prefer soft woods such as willow, birch or pine. This helps to correctly calculate the number of steps to move away from the target (assuming it is not moving) so that you get the right feel for how hard you should throw the knife. In addition, you can use this distance as a unit of length in the future.

    • Your targets can be hanging, free standing, or attached to something.

    Part 2

    throwing a knife

    Stand up right. Place the weight on the dominant leg. Non-dominant leg - forward (it should not have any weight on it). Raise your dominant hand in front of you, perpendicular to the ground. Bend your elbow so that the knife is at head level. Hold the knife at a comfortable distance from your head so you don't cut yourself when you swing to throw.

  • Swing your knife forward. Shift your weight from your dominant to your non-dominant leg to create momentum. At the same time, extend your arm from your forearm straight out in front of you. This is the very point when you need to release the knife. Practice this swinging motion a few times to get used to it.

    • Don't throw a knife like a baseball; if you do this, then your arm swings, all the time being near your body. When throwing knives, you must move your hand straight, up or down so that the knife does not fly at an angle. To avoid this tendency, imagine that you are chopping wood.
    • If you have bent the knife up, straighten your wrist at the end of the swing.

  • Release the knife and complete the throw. With the arm extended in the direction of the target and the wrist perfectly straight, simply let the knife slide out of the palm of your hand. Your whole body will be tilted forward slightly (due to the shift in the center of gravity), and your arm will continue to move down. If you release the knife in time, it will fly straight out of your hand and strike the target horizontally, like a dart.

    • Knife throwing is about precision, not power. The most important thing is to keep the whole movement dynamic and apply the minimum amount of force necessary. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be surprised how little force you need to apply.

  • Determine what needs to be changed for the perfect knife throw. If you see that the knife hits the target, but with the handle, not with the blade, and changing the angle of the hand did not help, just step back from the target, or step closer to it. Not make the throw stronger or weaker. You need to do more or less rotations. The general rule in knife throwing is that one step equals one half turn of the knife.

    • As always, heavier objects require more force in order for them to fly at the right speed for the right distance. Instead of greatly increasing the power of the throw, which can result in a loss of fluidity and control, when throwing large/heavy knives, consider aiming for a point slightly above your intended target.
  • the lack of balance is exactly what will give the flying knife the momentum to spin as it moves towards the target. Experiment with both types of knives to see which one gives you the most sense of control.
  • A good throwing knife does not require any special care, but it should be light enough to throw. The lighter the knife, the easier it is to aim and throw.
  • Use common sense to determine if a knife will be effective against a particular target. For example, ordinary knives are able to break through glass, but the blade of the knife will become dull upon impact.

  Warnings

  • Do not throw kitchen knives - when thrown, they can collapse, or become very dull.
  • When throwing a knife, do not squeeze the blade too hard - you will cut yourself.
  • Do not use folding knives. Beginners should only learn on fixed blade knives.
  • The knife can bounce off the target on a miss, so back away and keep your eyes on the knife until you see that it is now safe.
  • Don't practice with an overly sharp knife. You practice throwing ordinary knives, not Guinsu knives.
  • Don't throw knives indoors. Even with a low rotation speed and a minimum of force, the knife can break the window and other glass objects. For minimal damage, train outside, away from windows.
  • Throwing knives, even blunt ones, is very dangerous job. Remember about common sense: do not aim at people, and at something that would be a pity to damage. If necessary, do this under the supervision of an adult.

  What will you need

  • Knife with a fixed blade; not a swiss knife, not a folding knife.
  • A board or other suitable target, soft enough for the knife to get stuck in it, but strong enough so that the knife does not go through it and fly out the other side.
  • first aid kit; it's best to always have it with you if you're practicing with knives.

Special techniques of hand-to-hand combat [Practical guide] Petrov Maxim Nikolaevich

Part 5. KNIFE THROWING

Part 5. KNIFE THROWING

Every scout must be able to throw a knife. Throwing a knife, as a way to defeat the enemy, has the following advantages:

The enemy is struck from a distance that excludes hand-to-hand combat, namely at a distance of three to ten steps (2.5–6 meters);

If the throwing of a knife is made unexpectedly for the enemy, he does not have time to dodge or close himself from him;

The penetrating force of a knife strike when throwing is one and a half to two times greater than with a normal hand strike with a knife (experiments have shown that when a knife strikes a shield from boards, the subjects pierce a tree by 16–17 mm, and by throwing by 27–28 mm);

Throwing a knife occurs silently, and if the enemy is hit by it in the neck or in the heart, then he falls without having time to shout.

The main distance for a confident defeat of the enemy by throwing a knife is 5-6 meters and closer. The enemy in this case receives a blow, not having time to dodge, deviate, crouch, fall, close. It can be hit from 8-10 meters, but an accurate calculation of the distance and repeated rotation of the weapon in flight are required, the enemy can avoid defeat during this time.

Throwing a knife at the enemy is considered the most appropriate when the enemy does not see the scout or does not expect an attack. If he is waiting for a knife throw, then the distance should not exceed 3-4 meters so that the enemy cannot dodge.

However, skillful throwing requires persistent training.

1. Knife and target

What is a throwing knife? Firstly, it is a perfectly balanced blade and handle, and the blade can be heavier than the handle, which is convenient for throwing a knife with the tip forward for short distances. Secondly, a throwing knife often has a hole in the handle or a ring for attaching a rope. In this case, when you miss, the knife can be pulled back, and when it hits the target, the rope allows you to use the knife as a harpoon.

Thirdly, the throwing knife does not have a guard, because it upsets the balance (balance between the blade and the handle). Fourth, a throwing knife is usually used in conjunction with a regular knife.

But, with hard training, you can learn to throw any knife well in any way, from any distance. Nevertheless, for starters, it is better to use such a knife, the length of which, together with the handle, does not exceed 20–25 cm (with a deviation of no more than 1–2 cm), the weight is in the range of 150–250 grams, the center of gravity is close to the geometric center of the knife .

The handle of the knife should not catch when slipping out of the palm of your hand, the knife edge should be exactly in the middle line of the blade, when viewed from the side. A double-edged reconnaissance knife (dagger) with a wooden handle, which has been in service in army intelligence since the 1930s (see Fig. 1), is quite suitable for combat and training throwing in terms of its qualities. It can be thrown with equal success, holding both the blade and the handle.

A throwing target must meet the following requirements:

Be soft enough that the knife sticks well into it;

Be strong enough not to collapse after several hits;

Do not absorb shock, do not change its configuration and position relative to the support under its influence.

Stuffed animals covered with straw, twigs, rags do not meet these requirements, or partially comply. Therefore, it is advisable to make special targets from planed boards.

Such boards, each 3–4 cm thick, are glued together in three layers crosswise to make a wooden “package” 10 cm thick, 50–100 cm wide, 100–200 cm high. The top layer of the boards on the front side is smooth and without knots . The boards are glued together with wood glue under the pressure of the load. To increase the overall strength, the shield can be grabbed at the corners with nails or screws.

Rice. 76. Knife throwing targets

Then, on the front side of each shield, a contour of a human figure is drawn with black paint. Depending on the height of the shield, the contour can depict a person in full height or to the waist. The shields are attached to the wall of the building, to the fence, to the crossbar or to the tree in such a way that they cannot turn, swing, fall from the blows of a sticking knife. (In the field, thick slabs of turf tied with ropes to tree trunks can serve as good targets.)

The throwing area must be cleared of debris, mowed grass from it, and it is best to fill it with earth and tamp it down. This is required to facilitate the search for a knife bouncing off the shield after an unsuccessful throw in an unpredictable direction.

2. Starting position

Stand facing the target, move your left leg slightly back, bend your knees slightly. Hold the knife with your right hand below in front of you with a direct grip (i.e., point up), put your left hand on top of your right. The handle of the knife should lie diagonally across the palm of your hand. The thumb should be placed on the side of the handle or on top of it, but in any case, point it forward at the edge of the blade.

3. Throw

To properly throw a knife, you need to do three things at the same time:

a) step forward with your left foot;

b) direct the left hand towards the target;

c) swing your right hand up over your shoulder. In this case, the body will turn left shoulder forward.

At the time of the swing, it is very important not to bend the hand with the knife at the wrist. The axis of the blade should be a continuation of the axis of the forearm. This is required in order to exclude the extension of the hand at the moment the weapon is released from the hand, as it leads to random rotation of the knife in flight.

With a push of the right foot, turning the body to the left and a swing of the right hand, the knife is sent to the target. The release is made by simply releasing the knife handle at the moment of full extension of the arm in the elbow joint. At the moment of release of the knife, one should, as it were, aim at the target with the thumb of the right hand. In no case should you allow a whip of the hand, or “fall through” the hand below the level of the target (Fig. 77).

Rice. 77. knife throw

To maintain balance, you can take a step forward with your right foot after the release of the knife. The throw must be made with force, but without excessive tension of the fingers and without enslavement of the arm in the elbow and shoulder joints.

4. Flight of the knife

There are two main ways to hold a knife when throwing: a) grip on the handle and b) grip on the blade. First, you need to work out the correct throw in the “grab the handle” method with one revolution of the knife around the center of gravity during the flight.

To do this, stand at a distance of 5 meters from the target and make several trial throws.

Do not try to immediately hit the target, pay attention to how the knife sticks. If it sticks into the target in the handle up position, take a step forward. If the knife sticks with the handle down, take a step back.

You must ensure that the knife sticks straight with each throw, that is, perpendicular to the surface of the target.

Then, in the same way, determine the distance for the correct throws in half a turn, one and a half and two turns of the knife. Just do not think that if one turn is obtained at a distance of 5 meters, then half a turn will be obtained from a distance of two and a half meters. This is not true.

Having worked well throwing a knife in this way, you can proceed to throws with a grip on the blade.

Remember: the greater the distance to the target, the closer to the handle you need to hold the knife at the moment it is released from your hand.

Rice. 78. Knife grip when throwing

Rice. 79. Improper hitting a knife at a target from a distance of five meters

Rice. 80. Flight of the knife for one, one and a half and two turns

If the enemy approaches, then for throwing the knife is taken closer to the end of the blade. Conversely, to hit from a greater distance, the grip should be closer to the handle.

It is best to use a special throwing knife that flies to the target without revolutions.

It is distinguished by a blade weighted to the point and a light handle. Such a knife always flies with the tip forward.

5. Workout

To master the basic technique of throwing a knife, an average of 30 lessons every other day, 30–35 minutes each, are required. In the future, as more and more solid throwing skills are developed and with the acquisition of experience, less and less time is required to master new ways of throwing a knife.

The scout must hit the target exactly at a distance of up to ten steps. At the same time, he throws a knife with a grip on the handle and on the blade from an open place and from behind a shelter, standing in one place and on the move.

Later, you can begin to master complex methods of throwing, such as a throw from below, from a prone position, from the side, in a somersault and in a jump.

Throwing a knife from above

The knife is held by the blade with the right hand, handle forward. Thumb on top along the blade. Starting position: left-handed stand. To swing, take your right hand up and back without bending your wrists. With a push of the right leg and turning the body to the left, with the movement of the hand, send the knife to the target with the handle forward and release it at the moment of full extension of the arm, when it is directed exactly at the target.

Basic requirements: fixation of the hand in the wrist joint is mandatory. The axis of the weapon must be a continuation of the axis of the forearm. This is necessary to avoid additional extensor movement of the hand at the time of release of the weapon, which leads to random rotation of the knife in flight. You should also avoid excessive tension of the fingers and enslavement of the hand in the elbow and shoulder joints.

Figure 81. Throwing a knife from above (handle forward, blade forward) and from below (handle forward)

As already mentioned, when releasing the knife, it is necessary, as it were, to aim at the target with the nail of the thumb and prevent the whip of the brush, and also not to “fall through” the hand below the level of the target after releasing the knife.

In this case, the knife should slide along the thumb in the direction of the target.

The sequence of learning knife throwing:

Learn how to hold a knife and the starting position before throwing;

Learn the swing and technique of throwing a knife without releasing it from your hands;

Throw a knife from a place at the target (increasing the distance);

Throw a knife on the move.

Knife throwing from below

For this, a left-sided combat stance is adopted. The bent left hand is located in front of the chest. The correct grip of the knife is of great importance. For a long-range throw (6–7 meters), they take it by the handle with the blade towards the shoulder.

When throwing at 4–5 meters, the grip is carried out by the blade.

In the lowered right hand, the knife is directed with the hilt down; the blade is pressed from behind with four fingers to the palm (the cutting part from the palm), and the thumb fixes it in front (in the direction of the throw). It is important that the knife is on the same axis as the forearm, because the hand is retracted slightly backward downwards.

For throwing, you need to take your right hand back and up, slightly turning the body to the right and back.

Then, without bending the arm with the knife at the elbow, smoothly swing the body forward and swing the arm from the bottom up and forward without overflowing with the brush. At the moment when the forearm with the knife form a straight line to the target, release the blade. In this case, the knife makes a half turn. It is released in such a way that at the moment of departure the blade slides from above over the fingers of the hand. At first, they throw smoothly, achieving the accuracy of hitting and sticking the blade. As the reception is mastered, the throw is carried out more sharply.

Common mistakes: lashing with the brush up and untimely release of the knife.

Knife throwing from behind cover

To remove the sentry, as well as when performing other special tasks, the defeat of the enemy from behind cover is used. The main thing here is secrecy and surprise. As a rule, two main methods of throwing are used: from above and from the side.

More reliable - from above. In this case, the thrower appears from behind cover for a few seconds, determines the distance to the target and throws.

It is very important that at the time of the reception, the right hand is already in the combat position (in front of the chest); either appearing from behind cover and throwing must match.

Throwing a knife from a prone position

There are several ways. The most common: from behind the head and lying on the side. For throwing from behind the head, the grip of the knife is carried out, as when throwing from above. Taking the knife in this way, it is necessary to slightly raise the body above the ground, slightly leaning on the left hand. Then, swinging the right hand with the knife up and back, while lowering the torso and straightening the right arm, hit the target. The knife is released when it, the arm and the direction of the target are in a straight line.

The distance to the target and the number of revolutions of the knife are selected individually.

When flying out of the hand, the knife should slide over the fingers. In no case do not allow a whip with a brush. This is contraindicated in any way of throwing a knife.

Throwing a knife in a somersault

When hitting a target in a somersault, throwing a knife from above is usually used. The complexity of this technique lies in the fact that during the run-up, the fighter focuses not on throwing, but on somersaults. Therefore, he either does not have time to throw the knife, or does it too late. In either case, the target remains untouched. In the vast majority of cases, such a circus does not make sense.