Beginners Guide To Throwing Knives

David Adamovich, otherwise known as “The Great Throwdini” holds over 20 world records for knife throwing, longest distance (101 Feet), most knives around a human target, and so much more.  This is one impressive knife thrower, able to throw a knife with deadly accuracy.  Serously, do a quick search for this guy on youtube, and you will be astounded at what you find.  After being absolutely mesmerized by his different tricks and feats, I was left with the obvious question “how does he do that’?

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The Great Throwdini is one of those people who can take something incredibly intricate, and make it look deceptively simple.  Giving the rest of us the impression that we could just pick up a throwing knife and, after a little practice, be just as skilled.  Unfortunately, this is just not the case.  Knife throwing takes a lot of practice, dedication and persistence.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn some of the basics, and who knows, in a few years you may be giving the Great Throwdini a run for his money.

First of all (and yes, I have to say this) if you have a custom knife, or one you have painstakingly built yourself, please don’t throw it and risk doing irreparable damage.  Get yourself some fairly inexpensive, reliable throwing knives, I highly recommend the Kershaw Ion Throwing knives.  Perfect for those of you wanting to get into the hobby of knife throwing.

Alright, let’s go over some of the basics.  First and foremost you are going to need to know how to actually hold the knife you will be throwing.  In this I will be demonstrating using 2 types of knives.  I’ll be going over the single bladed and the double bladed throwing knives.    

For the single bladed, I will be demonstrating on the Tiger USA Satin Finish Throwing Knives, and for the double bladed I will be using the Tiger USA Spear Head Throwing Knives.   These knives are a phenomenal option for any budding knife thrower.  Modest price tag, and durable material make these knives a great option for starting out.

First we have the pinch grip.  It is exactly how it sounds.  This grip is perfect for throwing lighter knives fast, however this technique will not usually deliver as much force.  You pinch the tip of the knife between your thumb and pointer finger.  It helps if they blade of the knife is a little dull, so as to avoid slicing your finger open.

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Next we have the hammer grip.  This style is preferable for larger throwing knives.  Basically you hold the knife like you would a hammer.  You grip the handle of the knife (Not the blade for obvious reasons) in your hand, and swing in a manner similar to swinging, you guessed it, a hammer.

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Now, how do you actually go about throwing them?  First and foremost, always be careful and safe.  Make sure you use proper technique as not to hurt your muscles, and make sure you are in a safe area.  Clear from anything you don’t want to accidentally cut.  Old cardboard boxes make great targets for beginning throwers.  It can take some training and honing your ability to get your knife to stick into plywood or a tree.  So start with something simple.  Below is a picture to hopefully assist in your throwing technique.  The first position is where you should be at the moment you release your knife, while the second figure is the finishing position after you have let go of the knife.

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These are just a few options for holding and throwing your knives, there are countless other ways.  As I said before, these are just the basics.  Once you get more comfortable, you can branch out, finding different techniques, honing your skills at spinning the knives, things of that nature.  As with beginning any hobby, try not to get frustrated, failure is just a part of learning.  Follow these simple steps, and hopefully you will be able to start practicing more intricate techniques.

Any throwers out there have any tips or tricks that worked for you?  Or maybe you have a question, feel free to ask in the comments below and we will do our best to answer them.  As always, we love to hear from you, so let us know what you think.

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