A couple of years ago I was passing through a rough neighborhood and that’s when I saw this fight which is still so vivid and clear in my mind as if I just saw it. 

There were two guys who have these intense and fierce looks on their faces and this along with their choice of weapon was what stopped me mid track and I stood there to watch the fight just like everyone else. 

The crowd started to grow and the tension in the air got thicker. One of the guys actually the big one was carrying a gun while the other one who was lean and lanky was carrying a knife. Everyone was thinking as if the man with the knife was mad. 

After all, what chances did he have against a man with a gun, he really needed to up his game. But little did we know about his awesome throwing knives tricks and skills which soon changed our views on the outcome of the fight.

The big guy with the gun was smirking at his opponent’s choice of weapon and his opponent responded by turning the blade of his big Bowie knife towards the sun which glinted and sparkled. It was enough to wipe off the smirk from the big guy’s face and that is when the real fight commenced. 

I had seen people practicing throwing knives tricks before but this one was exhilarating. The way he was spinning his knife and dodging the bullets was amazing and it made the big guy very angry and furious. Everyone was watching from a distance as the bullets were flying everywhere. 

The man with the knife had a Bowie knife in his hand and a pack of throwing knives in his pocket as well. He was throwing them so fast that we couldn’t even track of them. 

At first, he was just teasing his opponent but then the real fight began and he actually started aiming at his opponent. His aims were perfect and they hit the big guy right on spot.

He shrieked in pain but soon gave his hands up declaring that he has clearly lost. I immediately became a fan of the throwing knives tricks and perfect techniques of the knife man. Knife fight can be dirty an dangerous but it sure is very thrilling as well. 

That day, I became a throwing knife enthusiast and I bought my own set of throwing knives. A few days later, I was watching videos of youtube and reading different articles on throwing knives tricks. 

So, In this article, I will be sharing my knowledge of throwing knives tricks with you so you can also learn this fascinating art. However, let us have a brief introduction of throwing knives first.

A Brief Introduction to Throwing Knives

Today, many people especially the outdoor enthusiasts take part in throwing sports and even compete against other players in the world championships of this sport. There are many weapons that are used in this sport i.e. throwing axes, throwing knives, etc. 

The throwing axes also are known as the Tomahawks were used extensively in the Medieval era especially by the Vikings. Throwing knives have been used by the humans for so long and nobody knows about their true origin. 

Throwing weapons can be used in combats, fights and historically they were used in battles as well. However, they are not favorable to be used in fights and combats due to the fact that you lose your weapon when you throw it at you opponent. 

Therefore, their use only proves to be beneficial in an emergency situation where you have no other choice. Apart from that, never choose a throwing weapon as your right hand in combat or fight if even when you are very confident of your throwing knives tricks and techniques. 

Then how should we use them? The best use of throwing weapons is for sports and entertainment purposes. In the late years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th  century, the “impalement arts” were quite famous.

 

I once saw them in a movie and watching it raised goosebumps on my skin. In impalement arts, a person is attached to the target board and knives are hurled his/her way. The main idea is to outline the human target with throwing knives by throwing them very close it. 

So, now you know you can imagine how much accuracy, precision, and skill is needed to perform such a task successfully. People would train themselves on the art of throwing knives and would perform Impalement arts in circuses and shows at local fests and fairs. 

It was absolutely dangerous and crazy of course but it was really fascinating as well. Throwing arts became so popular that even the soldiers of the American Civil War indulged themselves in it as a past time in their camps when they had nothing else to do. 

Types of Throwing Knives

Generally, all throwing knives are designed and constructed in one way and feature the same characteristics i.e. they are light in weight, they are properly balanced, they are strong and durable, they feature razor-sharp blades and pointed tips. 

However, throwing knives are further divided into three main types which are mentioned below:

1- The Handle-heavy

The handle-heavy is a throwing knife that comes with a heavy handle. This means that the rest of the knife is light weighted and all the weight is concentrated to the handle of the knife.

2- The Blade-heavy

The blade heavy is the throwing knife that features a heavy blade. While planning to throw such a knife for pulling off some throwing knives tricks, it is better to throw the blade and hold the handle which is light in weight. So, throw the blade first and hold the handle. 

3- The Balanced

Then comes the balanced knife whose weight is equally concentrated between its handle and weight. This one is better for expert players, however, the blade-heavy and handle-heavy work best for people who are just starting to learn the art of throwing knives. 

Holding a Throwing Knife

Before throwing a knife, you must learn how to hold a knife properly. The best technique is to place your forefinger, middle finger and ring finger on the center of the knife’s handle considering that it is a blade-heavy knife. 

You can let the little finger of that hand hanging off from the end. Then the next step is to place the thumb on the exact center of the handle but on the other side. Now, you will just have to open your hand for throwing the knife. 

This is a very unconventional way of holding a knife in which you just have to hold a knife in a specific way mentioned above and then release the knife. 

This way of holding a knife is different from the conventional hold which most people practice in which they place the thumb of the hand holding the knife on the side of it and align the fixed blade knife vertically to the target. 

This approach is not favorable due to two reasons. The first one is that this approach leads to an awkward position of the hand which will surely affect your technique and you won’t be able to perform throwing knives tricks properly. 

The second reason is that in this approach your thumb is on the side of the knife which messes up with the balance of your knife when you set out to throw it. Therefore, there are chances that your knife will wobble and you might not hit your target. 

How to Throw a Knife?

The following are the steps which you must follow while throwing a knife properly. 

1- Set up a Throwing Line

After properly holding the knife, the first and foremost step is to set up a throwing line in your mind or if you are not an expert yet, then you can actually draw the line on the ground. For this, you must calculate the distance between you and your target. 

Then all you have to do is measure five steps from the target and start drawing the line from there. This will allow you to give your knife a proper rotation in the air before it can go and stick into the target. 

2- Step Back

After you have determined your throwing line, your next move will be to take a step back so you can start aiming for your throw. 

3- Position Yourself

In order to throw a knife properly, you must take a step back at 45 degrees and slightly to the left as well. This position is for people who are right-handed. If you are left-handed then you should take a step back at forty-five degrees and slightly to the right instead of left. 

Now your throwing line will only be two steps away from you and this distance will allow you to gain as much force for the throw as possible. 

You should also make sure that your stance is proper and you must also take into account that your left shoulder faces the target if you are a right-handed person, however, if you prefer to throw the knife from the left hand, then your right shoulder should be facing the target.

 

4- Throw the Knife

Finally, you have to throw the knife. You have to do this as hard as you can and with as much force as you can so that the knife flies through the air with magnificent speed and hits the target hard and sticks there instead of falling down immediately. 

Also, you should make sure that you throw the knife in a way that it moves horizontally to the target throughout the way so that the knife can get the rotation it needs. 

By checking off all the above-mentioned steps in your mind, you should finally release the knife from your hand with your arm fully stretched out towards the target. 

The above-mentioned technique is the best one to throw a knife. 

However, there are other techniques as well. Let us have a look at them.

The Professional Technique

This one is a very common technique of throwing a knife and it is used mainly by the expert and professional players. To pull off this technique, you must determine the throwing distance which is normally five steps away from the target. 

Mark a throwing line and stand at it. Your left foot should be placed slightly backward in case you are a right-handed person. However, if you are a left-handed person, then you should place your right foot slightly back. 

The rest is quite simple, now you just have to aim and throw the knife. 

Spear Style 

This is also a very common technique of throwing a knife among all throwing knives tricks but this one is specific to its use in fights and combats. 

The specialty of this technique is that it does not rotate the knife and send it shooting forwards towards the target straight like a spear and this is why it is known as Spear Style Technique. 

In this technique, you throw the knife like a spear and it is difficult to perform as well. However, the benefit of this technique is that you don’t have to measure your steps from the target and you don’t have to calculate the rotations of the knife as well. 

All you have to do is aim, throw and pray that it hits the target sound and square.