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In his book,
SHURIKEN-DO, Shirakami Ikku-Ken
describes a throwing technique that produces a rotation-less throw with
which he claims to be able to hit a 3 inch circle from up to 5.5 meters
(that's about 18 feet)! The technique, as well as the equipment, is
very different than what we usually think of as knife throwing in the
West. I will discribe the technique of Shirakami as well as I am
able here, but the reader should not assume I can actually do this.
The projectile is not a knife, but what we could call a spike. Sometimes
with a single point, sometimes with a point at either end (Bo-Shuriken),
anywhere from 6 to 12 inches in length!
The stance is different too. Imagine a line drawn on the ground
from the center of your target through your body. Assuming a right hand
throw, place your LEFT toe on the line, foot pointing straight at
your target. Now draw the right foot back until it is a little more
than shoulder width from the left. It should be pointing straight
out to the RIGHT (perpendicular to the line) with its heel
on the
line. The left hand goes out straight in front and may hold other
implements. The right hand, holding the spike as described above, is
held back with your forearm straight up somewhere behind your right
ear.
The effect of the whole thing looks somewhat like an ancient Egyptian
painting.
When you throw, the spike is pushed forward with the combined motions
of your arm, and the twisting, to the left, of your torso which, with
practice, can impart considerable forward velocity. At the moment of
release, the hand must snap from its vertical to a horizontal
position, which imparts torque and therefore spin to the spike,
but (and here's the trick) as the spike leaves the hand, its tail is
brushed by the finger tips exactly enough to counter-balance
the torque and stop the rotation!
"Impossible!" I hear some say. Yes, difficult indeed, but there is a
training aid! Many of you have seen sets of throwing spikes with
tassels tied to their ends. I've been asked countless times about these,
and their purpose is finally revealed by Shirakami! It turns out, the
tassels are training aids for this technique! First, the tassels will
dampen the spike's rotation, but more importantly, they provide something
for the beginner's fingers to brush against, providing tactile feed
back. As the trainee gets better, the tassels are made shorter, until
eventually, the thrower needs no tassels at all!
To read more about
shuriken
click on that link!
The grip
is not anything described my McEvoy or the other Western
authors on the subject. Rather the spike is laid on the open palm,
with the back touching the fleshy part at the base of the palm, while the
tip leaves the hand along the long middle finger. The thumb is then
folded over the spike to hold it.
Mail to mjr, goto
Survival,
Thrower, or back to
How to throw.
This page is part of the official ARCHIVE COPY of the pioneering but abandoned Thrower website on knife throwing. Copyright and details