Close Quarter Knife Throws

[Kung Fu Wang]

Your throwing distance seems to be very short.

I always make my own throwing knife. I always carry 3 throwing knifes with me (where firearm is not allowed). When I trained my knife throwing, I would

- walk away from my target for 10 to 12 steps.
- turn around,
- drop down, and
- throw my knife.

I like to throw my knife when I turn around. This way I have less time to aim, and I have to make a quick decision. I also like to drop down to make my own target smaller.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I’d love to see some sort of evidence for this

Mostly we see knives being thrown with a lot of energy into static flat surfaces, and even then not really going in deep

When you add curved surfaces that are mobile and wearing clothing I’m guessing that it’ll take a large knife thrown with a lot of force at a short distance to do much damage, which I suspect isn’t particularly effective

As I said, if I were silly enough to throw my knife in a fight, the face would be a pretty silly target. The parts the knife can cut are not likely at ALL to be debilitating.
The most rational target for a thrown knife is the abdomen. If you do manage to hit point first, it'll have the best penetration, and on targets with the least bony protection.
It's still extremely unlikely to be rapidly debilitating or fatal, but it's the most likely place it'll actually penetrate.

 

[jobo]

@jobo - as i stated it doesnt have to be the primary objective, there are multiple ways these techniques are advantageous

advantageous to getting stabbed with your own knife perhaps, I'm at a loss to see any benefit for a knife throw that not intended to penetrate the recipient to any notable degree or more likely at all, perhaps you could give a few advantages as you see them ?

 

[Dirty Dog]

advantageous to getting stabbed with your own knife perhaps, I'm at a loss to see any benefit for a knife throw that not intended to penetrate the recipient to any notable degree or more likely at all, perhaps you could give a few advantages as you see them ?

While they're bending over to pick up your knife (unless you're suggesting they're going to just catch it...), you can punt them across the room.

 

[Flying Crane]

I’d love to see some sort of evidence for this

Mostly we see knives being thrown with a lot of energy into static flat surfaces, and even then not really going in deep

When you add curved surfaces that are mobile and wearing clothing I’m guessing that it’ll take a large knife thrown with a lot of force at a short distance to do much damage, which I suspect isn’t particularly effective

I suspect the Hollywood image of the hero throwing a knife that imbeds to the grip right in the center of the bad guy’s chest, resulting in an instant, silent, and bloodless death, is a myth.

If a thrown knife hits with the point on bare skin or a light shirt, even if it does not stick it is going to rip open a wound. Ouch, that. If it does not hit with the point it can still injure and distract, which can also be useful.

If a knife can be thrown hard enough to stick into a board or a log or a sheet of 1/4 inch plywood, that same throw would really injure if it hit a person. A throw like that is unlikely to sink deeper than maybe 1/4 inch into the wood, but would go deeper into flesh. The amount of real damage would depend on the body part struck, whether there is an organ or a main vein or artery, etc, but it’s gonna hurt and bleed and tear open wounds that I suspect would cause most people to re-think the whole engagement, even if not life-threatening.

Yes, people do wear heavy jackets in some places, at some times of the year. So like most things, it depends. A throwing knife may be pretty pointless in some places, at some times, under some circumstances. Nobody claimed it is a perfect tool for every situation.

 

[jobo]

While they're bending over to pick up your knife (unless you're suggesting they're going to just catch it...), you can punt them across the room.

but its stuck in the folds of his jacket or maybe just maybe in his belly fat that makes it very handy to pull out and stick it in you,

 

[Dirty Dog]

I suspect the Hollywood image of the hero throwing a knife that imbeds to the grip right in the center of the bad guy’s chest, resulting in an instant, silent, and bloodless death, is a myth.

Unless the blade is really narrow, or it is parallel to the ribs, it's not likely to penetrate far at all. Because ribs.

 

[jobo]

I suspect the Hollywood image of the hero throwing a knife that imbeds to the grip right in the center of the bad guy’s chest, resulting in an instant, silent, and bloodless death, is a myth.

If a thrown knife hits with the point on bare skin or a light shirt, even if it does not stick it is going to rip open a wound. Ouch, that. If it does not hit with the point it can still injure and distract, which can also be useful.

If a knife can be thrown hard enough to stick into a board or a log or a sheet of 1/4 inch plywood, that same throw would really injure if it hit a person. A throw like that is unlikely to sink deeper than maybe 1/4 inch into the wood, but would go deeper into flesh. The amount of real damage would depend on the body part struck, whether there is an organ or a main vein or artery, etc, but it’s gonna hurt and bleed and tear open wounds that I suspect would cause most people to re-think the whole engagement, even if not life-threatening.

Yes, people do wear heavy jackets in some places, at some times of the year. So like most things, it depends. A throwing knife may be pretty pointless in some places, at some times, under some circumstances. Nobody claimed it is a perfect tool for every situation.

well no flesh is yielding and will absord the energy and bounce it off and bone is hard and will bounce it of, a knife throw like shown in the vid will not go through the abdominal wall, even less so if the guy is fat

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

In CMA, people train to throw object look like a shuttle. It's solid steel with points on both ends. This way even it may spin in the air, but it doesn't matter which end will hit on the target. It usually weight form 1/2 lb to 1 lb.

 

[Dirty Dog]

well no flesh is yielding and will absord the energy and bounce it off and bone is hard and will bounce it of, a knife throw like shown in the vid will not go through the abdominal wall, even less so if the guy is fat

Show us a video of a knife bouncing off your flesh. Bone will redirect it, yes. But it is NOT going to bounce off flesh. That's ridiculous.
Although, again, I do not advocate throwing the knife at all. Especially at that range. I'd just take a tiny step forward and stab them instead.

 

[Deleted member 39746]

I see the use in throwing a weapon if its either partially on your person for throwing, or if you need to run away, maybe if someone going for something ranged and you throw it at them also. Not idea but when is anything in actually fighting someone ideal.

Some HEMA treatises put it as a means to escape or distract a archer/crossbow man or someone going to throw something at you. (granted one of them makes the assumption you can take either a dead enemies weapon or a dead allies off the ground i think)

edit: second hand citations for those treatises, not my personal readings of them

 

[drop bear]

I see the use in throwing a weapon if its either partially on your person for throwing, or if you need to run away, maybe if someone going for something ranged and you throw it at them also. Not idea but when is anything in actually fighting someone ideal.

Some HEMA treatises put it as a means to escape or distract a archer/crossbow man or someone going to throw something at you. (granted one of them makes the assumption you can take either a dead enemies weapon or a dead allies off the ground i think)

edit: second hand citations for those treatises, not my personal readings of them

Vikings were mad keen for a sneaky axe throw.

 

[jobo]

Show us a video of a knife bouncing off your flesh. Bone will redirect it, yes. But it is NOT going to bounce off flesh. That's ridiculous.
Although, again, I do not advocate throwing the knife at all. Especially at that range. I'd just take a tiny step forward and stab them instead.

if it's not going to penetrate deeply, which you see to agree with it will bounce out off your very bouncy ab muscle, it has to be one or the other, it wont stay put like it does in a wooden door with only a quarter inch of penetration

 

[Dirty Dog]

Vikings were mad keen for a sneaky axe throw.

On what evidence do you base this assertion? The TV show "Vikings" is not a credible reference, just FYI...

if it's not going to penetrate deeply, which you see to agree with it will bounce out

Where did I say it wouldn't penetrate deeply? If it's aimed at the abdomen, there's every reason to believe that it will, in fact, penetrate reasonably deep. It certainly will NOT bounce off.
But hey. It's your claim. Support it. You like YouTube. Post a video of a knife bouncing off your abs of steel.

 

[Tez3]

Vikings were mad keen for a sneaky axe throw.

'Vikings' are still chucking those axes.... Axe Throwing - Gränsfors Bruk

 

[drop bear]

'Vikings' are still chucking those axes.... Axe Throwing - Gränsfors Bruk

So are hipsters.

 

[drop bear]

On what evidence do you base this assertion? The TV show "Vikings" is not a credible reference, just FYI...

I thought the tv show vikings did a legitimate job of shoe horning in a decent bit of viking history.

Anyway it is in the sagas.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

On what evidence do you base this assertion? The TV show "Vikings" is not a credible reference, just FYI...

I don't think it's common, but it did happen. In Olaf's saga, there's a guy named spjall who was well-known as an accomplished axe-thrower. The hardar saga also supposedly makes a reference to it, but I've only read a summary of that story, and I remember not fully understanding that chapter's summary.

 

[drop bear]

I don't think it's common, but it did happen. In Olaf's saga, there's a guy named spjall who was well-known as an accomplished axe-thrower. The hardar saga also supposedly makes a reference to it, but when I originally read that story, I remember not being able to understand the statement, and it didn't seem like axe-throwing was a first choice.

He got shanked or something. And hit the throw as a last ditch.

I could see the knife throw the same way. Either as a hail Mary or a transition in to something else.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I don't think it's common, but it did happen. In Olaf's saga, there's a guy named spjall who was well-known as an accomplished axe-thrower. The hardar saga also supposedly makes a reference to it, but I've only read a summary of that story, and I remember not fully understanding that chapter's summary.

Quick google search of the saga, Harðar saga og Hólmverja - Icelandic Saga Database
It's chapter 33, and I still don't really get it. I get the feeling part of it got lost somewhere, or there's a translation issue, but I'd have to research it more to know.