Knife Throwing Dilemma

I've been throwing knives. I got several sets and I'm doing it the conventional way: throwing holding the blade tip. It's turned out to be kind of easy.

I don't stick every throw, but I'm getting there.

Here's the problem: I don't want to throw knives that way, where they spin (or tumble). I want to throw a knife so it doesn't spin - so it travels like a spear.

Here's why:  Knife throwing is a lot of fun, and doing it just for fun, it's cool to do it the normal way. But it you're going to think of it...use it...as a tactical skill, you have to use a technique that allows you to throw a knife at any distance, exactly when you need to...to WHERE you need to...and have the point STICK in your target.

Now...when you learn to throw knives by the standard method [at least as far as I can tell!] you learn to hold and throw the knife consistently...and when you've got that down...you figure out the "distance" from the target that you need to throw so that you hit the target every time with the point of the knife.

Because the knife spins (rotates, tumbles) through the air so that the point and the handle alternate as the leading edge flying toward the target. It is necessary, naturally, that the point, and not the handle be forward when it reaches the point of impact!

You adjust the distance you throw from so that if you throw consistently, you'll stick the point every time.

That's fine when you can control the distance between yourself and the target in practice and for fun - and maybe even competition. But in a situation where you want to deploy a knife as a weapon, you need to be able to hit a target, with the point, from any [throwing] distance.

At least that's my take on it.

I've seen a couple of YouTube vids demonstrating "no-spin" throwing styles...but I have not been able to even come close to mastering them. No matter what I do...my knives spin!

From the distance I'm throwing now, a half spin gets the point to the target "upside down" [one sided blade thrown with sharp-side down, sticks with sharp-side up!]

And that's great for fun, but I'm not sure my that's a skill useful in a "tactical" situation.

Of course, maybe the whole idea of throwing a knife seriously as a weapon is fantasy stuff of the movies...and I'm crazy to imagine it can be done efficiently...

Anybody have any ideas??

Just by the way...it's pretty cool to hear that "thwack" when the knife nails it and sticks. What I learned:

a)  you can tell whether it's a good throw before it leaves your hand
b) follow through, like with almost everything else...makes all the difference
c) sticking a thrown knife where you wanted it makes you feel like a bad-ass

One final observation:  If I threw a knife at someone, and hit them with the handle instead of the point...it would still hurt, and it might provide some tactical advantage just because of the diversion...or the pain. Just sayin'.

Okay...the real FINAL observation: When you throw a knife at someone...if you don't stick it where it counts, you essentially give them a knife. This may not be a problem if he is not an experienced knife thrower...but it WILL be a problem if he gets close enough to use it on you.

You know. Points to ponder.

The Gunslinger
[Zombie Killer]