Many people think that throwing knives, kunais, and shurikens are the same. We can’t really blame them since they do look a lot alike, with the exception of shurikens. Some even think that daggers and throwing knives are one in the same thing. However, the truth can’t be far from it. Here we’ll discuss what throwing knives are, what they are used for, and what exactly makes a throwing knife a throwing knife.
What is a Throwing Knife?
A throwing knife, as the name suggests, is a kind of knife that can be thrown. It is a ranged weapon and are not included in the same category as ordinary knives but are in a distinct category of their own.
But wait, since kunais are used for throwing purposes as well, aren't they considered as throwing knives? Well you might be right but there’s a slight difference. Let’s discuss them.
Difference between Kunai & Throwing knives
Now an amateur might say that kunais and throwing knives are one in the same thing. They’re sharp objects used for throwing aren't they? Well that’s like saying katanas and longswords are the same thing because they’re both used for slashing at people during combat. The main difference is in their origin and the way they’re used.
The kunai was used in Japan and were used both as a weapon and as a multi-purpose gardening tool. Kunai's were most commonly used by ninjas who used these tools for a variety of purposes from attaching ropes to the ring to climb walls or trees to distracting their foes by throwing it at them.
The throwing knife however was mainly used for hunting purposes in central Africa and were not used for climbing.
Now you might own throwing knives but just can’t seem to hit your target. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered on that front as well.
How to properly throw Throwing Knives
Whether used in martial arts or sports, throwing knives involves the same basic principle and mechanics.
The objective in both cases is to stick the pointy end into the target with precision and a significant amount of force.
Now listen up, there are two types of techniques when throwing them, you can either learn one or both of them. A congratulations is in order if you do learn both of them so do let us know.
The spinning technique
When using the spinning technique, the knife rotates during flight. This means that the thrower must calculate the distance, the throwing movement and the placement of their hands on the knife. All these factors come into play. For example, if the knife is held from the blade when thrown, it will make a half spin. Whereas if the knife is held by the handle, the blade will make a full spin. This means the thrower needs to estimate if he needs a full spin or a half spin in order for the tip of the knife to make contact with the target.
No spin technique
The other more intricate way to throw a throwing knife is a no spin technique. For the no spin technique you need to throw the knife like a spear or dart. If thrown this way the knife will travel in a linear fashion and will not make any revolutions. The only downside to this technique is that the knife will not be as stable during flight as the spinning throw.
Now that you’ve learned the different throwing techniques of throwing knives, you might be asking yourself, Why even learn to throw throwing knives. Well other than the fact that they’re extremely fun to do so they’re also used in various sports.
Just like archery, knife throwing is being pursued by many people around the world as a sport or a pass time. They are a major hit in the U.S and Europe. There are at least twenty five knife throwing clubs in Europe alone!
