Do throwers have any place in MBC?
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Throwers
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Knife Knut
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Michael Janich
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Dear Knife Knut:
Yes, they do. I wrote an article for Tactical Knives a few months back called "Making It Stick" (also the title of an instructional video I did with Paladin Press) and included a sidebar explaining my take on the role of throwing knives in personal defense. I offer it again here:
DEFENSIVE KNIFE THROWING: The Right Place and the Right Time Can Make It the Right Choice
Among serious students of knife fighting, the act of throwing a knife in combat is typically considered foolish and impractical. Applied appropriately, however, a thrown knife can be a highly effective personal defense weapon.
The point most often ignored by critics of knife throwing is that every weapon has its limitations and is only effective when utilized within he scope of these limitations. For example, a fragmentation grenade can be an excellent weapon; however, it would not be my first choice if I were fighting in a phone booth.
The primary quality that a weapon must possess in order to be suitable for defensive use is the capability of injuring or incapacitating an attacker. It need not have the ability to kill an attacker to be effective. For example, pepper sprays have been used very successfully in self-defense but are not by design lethal weapons. Based on this interpretation, any weapon capable of injuring an attacker badly enough to stop or deter his attack is considered a valid weapon.
With this in mind, take any resilient knife and, from a distance of less than 12 feet (where most real fights are likely to start), throw it hard at a wooden target. Whether it sticks or not, note the force of the impact. Now imagine that impact, with or without the edge/point of the knife, smacking into your face, neck, chest, or groin. Would it kill you? Probably not. Would it slow you down? I think so.
At this point in my argument most so-called experts usually dredge up the two most common criticisms of defensive knife throwing, so let me address them here.
If you throw your knife, you're throwing away your only weapon. The answer to this question is obviously not to throw your knife unless you have another weapon. Since it is doubtful that a thrown knife (or, for that matter, a manually inserted knife) will instantly incapacitate an attacker, you throw to wound or simply distract the attacker while you get another weapon. If you have only one knife, but a loaded shotgun is only a few steps away, throw your knife and grab the shotgun. If, on the other hand, you only have one knife and no back-up weapons are available, you don't throw it.
If you throw your knife and miss, your opponent can pick it up and use it against you. First of all, unless you're involved in a military action or some kind of covert operation, you probably shouldn't be throwing your knife at an unarmed person. If you are involved in some kind of special ops spook-type activities, you should use your MP-5SD or one of the other high-tech toys the no-name agency for which you work typically provides before you resort to throwing a knife.
For the average citizen facing an unarmed opponent in a self-defense situation, the fact that you have a knife and the other guy doesn't should end the encounter. If he insists on fighting you even though you're armed, he's got more balls than brains. Keep the knife in your hand and cut any body part he aims in your direction. If a better weapon than a knife is available, keep him at bay with your knife while you get that weapon. If you do throw your knife to create an opening to go for the other weapon, you will still have the advantage, even if he comes at you with your own knife.
Most blade-oriented cultures realized the combat potential of knife throwing and included it among their weapon skills. They also realized its limitations, used it only within the constraints of those limitations, and, when circumstances did not favor its use, switched to a more appropriate weapon. Knife throwing was never intended to be the last word in armed combat, but applied properly, can be a worthwhile addition to your personal arsenal of weapon skills.
Sorry for the length of this post -- it was the easiest way to answer the question.
Stay safe,
mike j
Yes, they do. I wrote an article for Tactical Knives a few months back called "Making It Stick" (also the title of an instructional video I did with Paladin Press) and included a sidebar explaining my take on the role of throwing knives in personal defense. I offer it again here:
DEFENSIVE KNIFE THROWING: The Right Place and the Right Time Can Make It the Right Choice
Among serious students of knife fighting, the act of throwing a knife in combat is typically considered foolish and impractical. Applied appropriately, however, a thrown knife can be a highly effective personal defense weapon.
The point most often ignored by critics of knife throwing is that every weapon has its limitations and is only effective when utilized within he scope of these limitations. For example, a fragmentation grenade can be an excellent weapon; however, it would not be my first choice if I were fighting in a phone booth.
The primary quality that a weapon must possess in order to be suitable for defensive use is the capability of injuring or incapacitating an attacker. It need not have the ability to kill an attacker to be effective. For example, pepper sprays have been used very successfully in self-defense but are not by design lethal weapons. Based on this interpretation, any weapon capable of injuring an attacker badly enough to stop or deter his attack is considered a valid weapon.
With this in mind, take any resilient knife and, from a distance of less than 12 feet (where most real fights are likely to start), throw it hard at a wooden target. Whether it sticks or not, note the force of the impact. Now imagine that impact, with or without the edge/point of the knife, smacking into your face, neck, chest, or groin. Would it kill you? Probably not. Would it slow you down? I think so.
At this point in my argument most so-called experts usually dredge up the two most common criticisms of defensive knife throwing, so let me address them here.
If you throw your knife, you're throwing away your only weapon. The answer to this question is obviously not to throw your knife unless you have another weapon. Since it is doubtful that a thrown knife (or, for that matter, a manually inserted knife) will instantly incapacitate an attacker, you throw to wound or simply distract the attacker while you get another weapon. If you have only one knife, but a loaded shotgun is only a few steps away, throw your knife and grab the shotgun. If, on the other hand, you only have one knife and no back-up weapons are available, you don't throw it.
If you throw your knife and miss, your opponent can pick it up and use it against you. First of all, unless you're involved in a military action or some kind of covert operation, you probably shouldn't be throwing your knife at an unarmed person. If you are involved in some kind of special ops spook-type activities, you should use your MP-5SD or one of the other high-tech toys the no-name agency for which you work typically provides before you resort to throwing a knife.
For the average citizen facing an unarmed opponent in a self-defense situation, the fact that you have a knife and the other guy doesn't should end the encounter. If he insists on fighting you even though you're armed, he's got more balls than brains. Keep the knife in your hand and cut any body part he aims in your direction. If a better weapon than a knife is available, keep him at bay with your knife while you get that weapon. If you do throw your knife to create an opening to go for the other weapon, you will still have the advantage, even if he comes at you with your own knife.
Most blade-oriented cultures realized the combat potential of knife throwing and included it among their weapon skills. They also realized its limitations, used it only within the constraints of those limitations, and, when circumstances did not favor its use, switched to a more appropriate weapon. Knife throwing was never intended to be the last word in armed combat, but applied properly, can be a worthwhile addition to your personal arsenal of weapon skills.
Sorry for the length of this post -- it was the easiest way to answer the question.
Stay safe,
mike j
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Knife Knut
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