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, to throw a combat knife is simply to stay with " 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.

Video: Knife throwing master class

Between the warrior and the weapon, there arise and eventually become stronger completely special relationship. 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. Shape, size, weight, balance throwing weapons- everything there works only for a successful throw (Fig. 67).

Difficulty of throwing a combat knife

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 skillful possession of a knife in hand-to-hand combat characterizes the highest degree skill of a professional, then throwing in this case is the pinnacle of martial art.

What is knife throwing?

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 exactly what it is. the main difficulty of throwing pursuing the destruction of the enemy.

Two principles of knife rotation control in flight

There are two fundamentally different ways to control the rotation of the knife.

The first is 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 desired speed rotation 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 by making one revolution (Fig. 68, 69).

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.

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 and 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 capabilities of the throw (Fig. 70, 71).

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 “left” 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 the ways

The difference between these two methods of management is huge. If in the first case it is an impeccable form, a jewelry eye, an instant setting of the throwing mechanism, then in the second - complete unity, merging internal state a fighter with a situation and a goal.

Conclusion on Throwing in Two Ways: Universal Knife Hold

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.

Video Tutorial: Combat Knife Throwing

How else can you use a combat knife besides throwing

In addition to tasks involving the destruction of the enemy, knife throw can be used in some other cases.

Yes, accurate and swipe handle or flat knife 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 for distraction 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 technical means enemy 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.

Throwing a knife should be done only as a last resort.

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.

How to throw a knife correctly? The rules for this apply equally not only to special throwing knives, but also to ordinary cupronickel cutlery and even to long nails.

After an unsuccessful throw, the knife bounces off the target at the same speed as it flies towards it, but whether you have time to bounce is another question. Therefore, the main rule is: dull the blade (strongly), and leave the point itself a little sharp. The knife will still dig into the tree, but it’s unlikely to hit you.

So, learn about the three main rules on how to throw a knife correctly.

№1

Find the center of gravity of the knife by balancing it on your index finger. Well, if it turns out to be a "balanced" knife - one whose center of gravity is exactly in the geometric center.

№2

Grasp exactly the found point with your index and thumb. With the tips of the rest, press the blade to the palm of your hand, placing it on the line of life towards you. Simply put, don't grip the knife with all your might. Hold it as if you are trying not to let go of a sparrow. The blade should pass freely between the fingers.

No need to hoot bravely and spit in the palm of your hand. From moisture, friction will increase, and the sliding of the knife will slow down. If your palm is sweating, just sprinkle it with talc or starch.

№3

Stand at a distance of at least three and no more than four meters from the target. A knife thrown from this point, having made half a turn, will surely fly up to the target with the tip forward (they say that the physics “Dynamics of rotating bodies” is somehow involved in this).

When experimenting with throwing distance in the future, remember: if it is less than 3 meters, hold the knife a little closer to the tip. If the distance is more than 4 meters, move the grip closer to the handle.

Once upon a time, for male hunters and warriors, the ability to throw a knife was a vital necessity. Today, throwing knives at a target has become one of the skills of the fighters of the units. special purpose and quite a popular sport. Below are tips on how to throw a knife correctly from the 2005 World Knife Throwing Champion American Rick Lemberg.

Which knife to throw

A throwing knife is a metal rod 30 centimeters long with a pointed front and blunt edges. It is recommended to train to throw it at a flat wooden target with a flat surface so that there are no ricochets.

How to throw a knife correctly - hand movement

To properly throw a knife, hold the handle, not the blade. At the same time, in order to ensure the stability of the flight of the knife thumb should be placed along the handle.

In order to properly throw a knife, the hand is wound behind the head, and then, describing a semicircle, it goes forward. The knife should be released from the hand at the moment when the hand takes a horizontal position parallel to the ground. In this case, the wrist should not be relaxed.

How to throw a knife correctly - distance to the target

The thrown knife rotates during the flight and if the distance to the target is less than or equal to 2.5 meters, then it manages to make only half a turn. A full circle is made by a knife thrown at a target from a distance of 4 meters. That is, in order to learn how to throw a knife correctly, you need to train your eye and learn how to accurately determine the distance to the target.

In order to learn how to confidently hit a target with a knife from a certain distance, years of training are required, and if the distance is increased, then you will have to train again.

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 escape 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 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 the 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 cling when slipping out of the palm of your hand, the knife edge should be exactly on middle line 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. 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 is drawn with black paint. human figure. 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. (AT field conditions 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

Get in front of the target left leg move back a little, bend your knees a little. Hold the knife with your right hand below in front of you with a direct grip (i.e., point up), left hand put on top of the 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.

push right foot, turning the body to the left and swinging 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 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 with open space and from behind cover, standing in one place and moving.

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 foot 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 not allow 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 to throw a knife:

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. Great importance has the right grip. 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 somersaulting. 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.