The Art of Knife. and Tomahawk Throwing by Peter S. La GanaAuthor reserves all rights. No portion of this book is to be reproduced or duplicated without written consent of the author or his heirs About the Author Peter S. La Gana gained world wide notoriety for a combat Tomahawk he invented for American troops in Southeast Asia. Members of the Armed Forces praised this particular Tomahawk as an excellent weapon, and tool. Mr. La Gana, a World War II Veteran, is an ardent outdoorsman, but his main interest is silent weapons. During his many exhibitions, he destroyed the theory of “The Balanced Knife.” In these exhibitions he throws screwdrivers, files, hat pins, junk knives, bayonets, needles, letter openers, arrow heads, scissors, etc. Included in the act is throwing Tomahawks and an uncanny skill with the Borneo Blow Gun. Forty years experience went into this book.Brief History of the Knife The knife is man’s oldest tool and weapon. No other instrument of civilization has had more historic praise or has undergone so much change over the centuries, and is an essential part of our lives even today. The housewife needs a knife, a butcher is helpless without a knife, and our service men are issued both the bayonet and the knife. The length, shape, and weight of this cutlery covers a vast scope. There are knives for almost every use. These are a far cry from the first “knives” of the cave men. The first “knives” were nothing more than pieces of stone with a natural edge. As time went by, an edge was chipped on a stone that felt good in the hand--the grip was good. Later, an edge was ground on by rubbing the stone against another stone. Little by little, through the evolution of man, the knife was slowly perfected. Our predecessors shaped the knife ‘longer, and fastened longer handles for more reach and leverage, and even longer handles until he had a spear. However, he always had that shorter instrument that was due to become the forerunner of our modern knife. He felt the need for an instrument, to hold with both hands and swing with brute force to finish off crippled game. The club and the stone club ‘were ancestors to the battle axe and the tomahawk. Mankind evolved on edged instruments. It expedited his advancement Through those first few thousand years of advancement, the lighter “spear” became desired, and then the bow and arrow. All this took thousands of years of development to reach the vast assortment of cutlery we enjoy today. The Neanderthal man never dreamed of owning a cordless electric knife. The Cliff Dweller could never picture a double-bit axe. The Indian could not visualize a steel hatchet before the coming of the white man. Down through the ages cutlery changed from the crude hand hatchet and the flint knife, came the sword, the dagger, the meat cleaver, the battle-axe, the lance, spear, arrow, and the switch blade. The variety of cutlery is endless. Neanderthal man, the dark ages, on through the Medieval Ages, edged weapons played a distinctive part of mankinds evolution. The daggers plunged into Julius Caesar, or the silent blades that drove the French out of Sicily in 1282, are all a part of history. Weapons, tools, instruments, cutlery known by many names, regardless of size, shape or form, they all have, and do, serve a part of our lives, past, present and future. Perhaps it is an inherited urge to throw such instruments. It is true, almost all males have that urge. Our lives, our food, the welfare of our family may not depend on the ability to be proficient with a pointed or edged instrument. It is a skilled sport, it is a good exercise, and--in this day and age-- Who knows? The Art of Knife Throwing For the Beginner As it is true of a great many sports, the proper stance, the release, and the follow through are extremely important in knife throwing. It is understandable that it takes practice. Knife throwing is similar, in a way, to trap or skeet shooting. The proper stance, the trigger squeeze, and the follow through are very important, as are the length of stock and the choke (one would rarely use a full choke for skeet). It is also true of the proper knife. Before | continue, in spite of any claims, there is no such thing as a perfectly balanced knife. I agree, some knives are better suited for throwing than others, some are better suited for skinning, survival, and a lot are good only as letter openers. I am not pertaining to any particular brand, or design, | dwell only on my experience with what can be considered a throwing knife, for the beginner, as well as the pro. From a practical point of view, most knives are not suitable for throwing--not by the beginner anyway. One must consider distance first. For example: Do not try to throw a three inch pocket knife and expect it to hit its mark at about thirty feet. Sure-a pro could do it, but I prefer to dwell on the average person or beginner. One must visualize the knife turning over in mid air, no matter what “hold” he is using. By “hold” I mean how the thrower holds the knife (by the blade or by the handle). I'll illustrate each hold, but first--the knife itself. The beginner should start with a short knife and at a short distance. The “hold” should be by the blade, and the knife should make half a turn from hand to target. Point the handle at your target. Bring it back, using the shoulder and turning ever so slightly at the waist. The wrist is kept firm. If you hold the knife flat it will land flat (in a cardboard backstop, this does not matter). If you hold the blade sharp edge down, and throw it that way, it will land that way. Once again, all this comes with practice. Illustration shows the proper “hold” for this short distance throw. I call it the “Cell Block Throw,” a name used by a World War II Commando. It is an extremely accurate way to throw a knife. My illustrations are for the proper stance, the release, and the follow through. Just as in archery, the draw, hold, release, and 3follow through are absolutely essential. Here | might mention that throwing a knife is pretty much like shooting a bow and arrow by using the instinctive method, that is, judging the drop of the arrow at a distance without using a sight. (There are no sights on a knife). Another good example, a sixty pound pull bow will not be any more accurate than a thirty pound pull. So strength is not the answer. It is the user, not the instrument. | will keep emphasizing this because it is the most important factor in knife throwing. Most knives on the market today are not suited for the beginner. As a matter of fact, few are the choice of professionals. Again I must be honest. In my opinion, there are hunting knives, butcher knives, survival knives, bowies, etc. The list is very long. Certain models can serve several purposes, providing the construction is practical and the design is iaken into consideration. Example: Only a fool would try to use a razor blade to “gut out” a moose or carabou. By all means, it could be done, but why send a boy to do a mans job??? There are some good “throwing knives” on the market--strictly throwing knives. Most are one piece of steel with a variety of points, designs, and color of handles (mostly painted on). There are also some good throwing knives with hard rubber, leather, or fiber handles. A lot of these are okay, but could be better if the handles were thicker. Now these are strictly throwing knives and serve very few purposes otherwise. Some of these, better yet, most of them are okay for the beginner provided that are not too long or too heavy. | must agree, if the distance is available, a knife a foot long (over all) would be okay for a beginner. Yet the farther back one starts the more difficult it is to learn. The knife must be thrown “Sust a little harder” in order to reach the intended target. I suggest one start at a distance of about six or seven feet, but always by the blade at this distance. After you achieve accuracy at this range, step back and if the handle is right, and the range is right, you'll be on your way to becoming proficient as a knife thrower. The proper stance, proper hold, proper release, and essential follow through are illustrated for better understanding. No pointed or edged weapon should be thrown with great force. Just enough force is necessary to “lob” it into the intended target. With a knife, get the point there, and the weight of the handle will drive it in. A knife thrower must have a measure of grace and poise. Any burly “kid” can throw an object hard. That is not the idea. The idea is to get the point to the target, and make it stick--that’s all. How big or “manly” a person is has absolutely nothing to do with this sport. I have taught many hundreds to throw knives and tomahawks. My easiest pupils--girls and women. Surprised? Don’t be. They do not try to show how strong they are. 4 They have that “built in” grace and poise of all females. They “snake out” a knife as one would a fly line on a narrow stream. Knife throwing is the same principal. To throw a knife with great force is trusting to luck. One may stick a certain knife, at a given distance, maybe half the time, but a true knife thrower will stick the same knife every time, and hit his (or her) target. That is the general idea. In my exhibitions I use very small knives and big, big, knives. I contend there definitely is the happy medium, price wise, and the same applies to design. Quality is something else. I will not go into extensive detail about quality for one obvious reason. Many manufacturers emphasize quality. I cannot question quality. insist on it for any thing I recommend. By the same token, a very hard, tool steel knife will hold a good edge. medium tempered blades will hold a good ragged edge (essential for gutting or skinning) and not be too brittle for a professional knife thrower. Price wise can differ by ten or twenty dollars. Buy a knife for the job intended. If it is to be an all around knife, chances are, it will cost you less because you are not paying for a big name or surgical steel. Why pay fifty dollars for a good (??) knife and snap it on the first throw? Once again. Buy a knife for particular needs.The Practical Point for a Throwing Knife Illustration number A-B-C-D. Only four examples of knife blades are pictured, there are many more variations. From left to right. A. The Needle Point: This is definitely not the knife blade for the beginner. It is difficult to hold and the point is too slender. If it is of good steel it may snap. If it is of medium or poor steel it will bend. B. The Frog Nose: This is the other extreme. It is rather difficult for the beginner to find a comfortable hold on this type. As | mentioned in the text, this type of point, if thrown into a plank, must hit with the grain or it will bounce out. Even a good throw could be discouraging if the knife does not stick. A professional knife thrower might not have this problem, but again, this book is written for the beginner. C. The Semi-Frog Nose: A good combat knife, but not exactly a throwing knife. It is true, this model could serve as a good sturdy blade if it is thrown at a soft backstop. I carried an issue knife in World War II like this. I not only could throw it, I taught knife throwing with it since we were all issued identical knives. But it was not the ideal throwing knife if there was no instructor. | taught close quarter combat with this model and it was a good fighting knife. D. This, beyond a doubt, is the ideal throwing knife point. The thickness of the blade tapers to the desired degree, the point slopes in toward the center of the blade from the underside and from the top of the blade as well. This is a 6 strong blade. Reliable enough to serve as a throwing knife or a hunting knife. If the handle is in accordance, this is the logical knife for the novice. It should stand up under the rigerous hours of practice, and through the years of personal satisfaction. The knives illustrated are hefty ones, ranging in weight from ten ounces to over one pound. The length over all is from twelve inches to sixteen inches. I do not recommend the long, heavy ones, few have the proper point and are more for chopping through dense brush than for throwing.The Knife Handle It is a natural thing for any man to attempt to exceed himself at some time. This applies to the knife thrower. Once the novice becomes reasonably proficient throwing a knife by the blade, he will naturally be tempted to try throwing it by the handle. Here again, the handle is important to the knife thrower. It is true, a professional can throw any knife, by the blade or handle. This book is written and illustrated with the novice in mind. Too long, the professionals have kept their secrets, and I don’t believe in it. I could relate many tricks of the pro’s but that is not the purpose of this book. All I can say, the next time you have the opportunity to watch a professional knife thrower, note his equipment. One must remember, it doesn’t take a special breed to be a good knife thrower. It does require the proper equipment to start. The essential equipment is the practical handle. It must be just a little heavier than the blade, even an ounce makes a difference, but most important of all is the shape of the handle. It must be shorter than the blade. A lot of knives have handles the same length, and some longer than the blade. These are not recommended for the novice knife thrower. Illustration No.’s 1-2-3-4 are typical knife handles. These handles are ideal for throwing. ds a SU Fancy knobs, curved handles, round or oval handles are difficult for the beginner to master. Another very important factor is durability. Exotic, decorated, although beautiful handles, are not 8 necessarily durable. A flat, tapered handle, with the metal in the handle as thick and wide as the blade is the ideal knife for the beginner. My pet knife is a medium size bowie. I purchased it and promptly removed the bone handle and made a leather handle for it. Iuse it with a fast draw rig and it is as flashy as it is sturdy. It is not a big project to replace the handle on a commercial knife provided there is adequate metal in the handle. I cut six strips of leather just a little larger than the shape of the handle. | glue three pieces together with waterproof glue. (Three strips per side of handle). I put pressure on these once they are glued. (Weights on top of the strips, or place each side in a vice for a minimum of twenty-four hours.) Occasionally | drill the holes in the handles larger to use larger rivets, and if there are only two holes, I drill a third in the center. When the two leather sides are glued and properly seasoned, I lay the handle on one side and mark the position of the holes through the holes in the metal handle. I do the same on the other half. I drill these holes one side at a time. If no electric or hand drill is available a red hot ice pick or old screw driver can be used to burn the holes through the leather. I'd better mention, burning leather is a very unpleasant odor. It could, and beyond a doubt, will draw a severe repremand for “stinking up the house”. Better keep that in mind! Replacement rivets are available at hardware and hobby shops. There are, generally speaking, two types of rivets, the type that is pressed or hammered together (not too much force needed here either), and the type that screw together. (The screw type are the best.) A thin coating of glue on the clean surface of the metal of the handle is a big help when the leather is placed in position for riveting. When the rivets are in place, the entire handle should again be placed under pressure for twenty-four hours. Sand the excess leather to taper away from the guard or hilt. Sand the edges and you have a good sturdy knife for throwing and all general purposes. There are many hundreds of knives, many are foreign made. The variety of designs, blades, handles, and materials are great. A highly polished blade, a plastic handle with a fancy knob, anything from an eagle head to a fist, from a naked girl to a knight’s head in armor. Very eye appealing. The blades on these knives are good. Yes, they can be thrown and last quite a long time if thrown by a professional. This book is written for the beginner, the novice in mind. It is understandable the beginner will become discouraged, lose confidence if he paid an $XX amount of money for a knife, could not resist the urge to throw it, and broke it on the first cast. It is for that reason this book is being written. Get the right equipment, the tool for the job. oA “fat” handle is out for the beginner, as is the round or oval, slippery handle. A fancy knob is also taboo. Bone handles, flat and tapered are okay. I suggest they be wrapped with tape to minimize the risk of splitting. The same applies to wood handles. I discourage any kind of knob on the end of the handle. Chances are, once the beginner gains some measure of proficiency by throwing by the blade, he will try throwing it by the handle. A fancy knob can, and generally does, produce a bad throw and quite possibly a bent or broken handle or blade. In my cdllection I have knives that I have thrown hundreds of times. In the price range--they cost from five dollars or less-- or up to forty dollars. These are selected knives because I use them for precision throwing. I also use a lot of “junk” knives. Getting back to my theory, this book is for the beginners so what I use is immaterial aside from the fact that I do know what I use to teach knife throwing. | select a practical knife for the beginner, and it must be a durable knife. If they were not, they would be broken or distorted. A few of the commercial throwing knives are okay, but they are just that, throwing blades and nothing more. A knife must serve many uses if it is worth its merit, and there are knives that can serve many purposes, including throwing. One must know what to look for when he purchases a knife and settle for what he wants, his personal needs or desires, nothing less. After all, there are thousands to choose from. In any case, the handle is just as important as the blade. A fancy or dainty hilt (or guard) can be broken very easily. A plastic or bone handle will split after awhile unless it is taped beforehand. Most pins or rivets in the handles are too thin and sear off. All this certainly cuts down the choice of a combination knife. One more thing, many handles are too large, too long, and some are too heavy. The amount of metal inside of the handle is extremely important. A lot of heavy blades have just a pencil size shaft inside a fancy handle. One must also consider price. Presicion knives, fancy knives, and custom made knives are expensive. A real fancy knife could cost $5.00 or $500. Here again it is entirely up to the individual and what they want it for. Since this book is on knife throwing I will try to inject my recommendations. I have already mentioned from time to time what I considered a good knife, for throwing, and for other reasons. It is practical to have a knife to do more than one job. If knife throwing is of no interest, perhaps, I have given the reader a better idea--a little more knowledge on knives. 10 The Backstop I suggest the beginner start with a backstop made of eight or ten sheets of cardboard fastened together with tape. These sheets can be obtained from any appliance store. (TV crates, refrigerator crates, etc.) Illustration No. #1. The backstop should be about three feet wide and five feet tall. If indoors, at least two sheets of cardboard (or a rug) should be placed directly on the floor in front of the backstop. If a bad throw is encountered the knife will not be abused when it falls out. A wooden floor can be damaged. A cement floor is hard on any knife. After a certain degree of proficiency is achieved, a think wooden plank with'as few knots as possible can be used. | order mine from a lumber mill. The best wood is hemlock. Fir is good too. Here again, it is a good idea to have your backstop about three feet wide, even if it means putting several planks side by side. The thicker the planks the less bounce. | use special planks 24 inches thick. If two or more planks are used they should be fastened together. Once, at an exhibition, | threw a very big bowie knife across the stage at a target stapled in the center between two planks. I did not have the planks fastened together because they were heavy (each 8 feet long and 18 inches wide and 24 inches thick). The bowie knife landed squarely in between the two planks up to the hilt, and four inches of the blade went into the newly plastered and painted wall. Needless to say, since then I always fastened the planks together. llThe Target Illustration No. 1 A definite mind over matter is involved here. A knife thrower must develop coordination, but he must also master concentration. This is extremely important from the beginning. A knife thrower must concentrate on the center of his intended target, even if the bulls-eye is a foot square, (a suggested size target for the beginner). But concentration on the center of that target. It is similar to the deer hunter who shoots at the deer instead of a spot on the deer. Chances are they will miss or make a poor hit. To teach a beginner 1 place a dime size white spot in the center of a black target. That is the concentration point. This is not recommended if you plan on some day being an exhibitionist (a knife thrower who would outline an object rather than wanting to hit it dead center). It is important that concentration be emphasized. It must be practiced just as the actual throwing of the knife itself. After a measure of accuracy is achieved, a knife thrower can use an assortment of interesting targets: balloons, milk cartons, candy wafers, a styrafoam ball swinging at the end ofa string, split a twig, or play tick-tack-toe. A knife thrower can come up with a vast assortment of targets for his knife. All it takes is a little imagination. However, no matter what the target there must be a concentration point. Start slow and gradual. As you become more proficient you will see the concentration point almost automatically. With practice you can throw a knife faster and more accurate. Don’t rush it. If you do, chances are you will pick up bad habits and become discouraged. Endless hours of personal satisfaction and achievement are rewards for patience and practice in the beginning. I might mention, from the financial point, aside from the initial knife investment, it is a practical sport all can enjoy. 12 The Proper Stance-Short Distance Illustration #1. One might think the proper knife hold should be next. This is not so. The proper stance is the next step to achieving (or mastering) the knife. A knife can be held right, but the stance is more important. A golf club and. a baseball bat'is held in the hands but the stance is not the same. Start Illustration #2. is the straight-in close distance stance. The blade is held by the thumb, index finger and middle finger point down, sharp edge toward the target. Midway 13The Proper Stance - Medium Range Illustration No.’s 1 - 2-3 & 4. Medium range can be varied according to height of person, length of arms and ability to follow rules. Physical factors are on a lesser degree. Strength plays no part at all. Just enough strength is needed to get the point to the target, that’s all. Concerning those physical variations one individual might have slightly longer arms, or be tall, or short. The stance still applies to all. A long arm person might not find the need to “lean into” the throw a shorter armed person might find necessary. The stance remains the same. Feet flat, before, during, and after the throw, Keep that right heel down, if you are right handed. Illustration #3. The tip or point of knife is tucked snugly against the center of the third finger. Study Illustration 1- A. The knife makes % revolution from hand to target. Observe Sequence. Both feet are flat on the floor with knees bent-slightly forward. Feet, though spread apart, are side by side. All movement is with arm, wrist, and shoulder. The wrist is semi-stiff. Do not “snap” the wrist. A smooth release is essential. Distance should be, generally speaking, about eight feet from backstop to toes. This is with a knife about six or eight inches long (overall). There is no “wind-up”. Keep the wrist firm, use just enough force to turn the knife over (one half turn) and reach your target. Medium range is considered about fourteen feet. Please note I say about for distances, I never measure feet or inches down to any degree. I true knife thrower doesn’t need to get out a tape measure or mark a spot. That is part of the challenge. Before I continue, let me say this. I do suggest a certain length knife for a suggested distance. This does not mean one must own a knife | for each distance, a lot depends on the T a | A available space the beginner has at his \ \ - disposal. However, a small knife has limitations of distance for the novice, as does a too large knife. The final analysis-?-must be up to the individual Sequence to make his own selection as to available space and desires. What I recommend will work, if all factors are possible to the would-be knife thrower. 4 15Medium Range Throw A suggested knife for mid or medium range would be about ten inches long over all. I have always been partial to that combination, six inch blade, four inch handle. The blade is held horizontally, by the thumb, index finger, middle finger and third finger. (NOTE: Illustration #4). A razor sharp knife can be thrown in this manner just as any other. I never dull my blades. If the beginner feels more confident to take the edge off the blade, do it for.ease of mind. Midway Knife in this Illustration turned broadside to Illustrate turning sequence. fe — Mh 16 Start I personally like this throw if the heft of the knife is good. A fourteen ounce knife with the Proper dimensions is a pleasing thing to throw. A slightly heavier version is okay too. The handle is held flat against the palm. At the instant of release, it should have the feeling of chopping a piece of wood to leave a mark on it, not trying to cut through it. Take the knife in your hand by the handle as per illustration 4. This will give you the feel. Here again the feet are kept flat in position. 17 The release will be horizontal, the knife point will land that way. If the proper point is being used this will not matter. The position of the feet is not changed during the throw. Arm, shoulder, and a firm wrist are essential. The knife thrower must twist from the waist almost a half turn, and the throw, release, and follow through must be smooth and graceful. Again, you must visualize the knife making one half revolution from hand to target. (NOTE: Illustration A-1) Another good mid range throw is by the handle. Illustration A, B, C, & D. In this throw, the knife makes one complete revolution. Wind up18 The Proper Stance - Long Range stages as a be- ginner. Starting here will surely end in dis- appointment. (One must learn to crawl before he walks.) For an ex- tension of dis- tance, I step out with my left foot, lean far into the throw, and come up on my right toe at release. The instant of re- lease, I look like 19 Illustration No.’s 1 - 2 & 3. The Long Range throw is held by the handle. Here is where the shape of the handle is extremely important to the begin- ner. Note position of feet, bend of left knee and visualize distribution of body weight. A “long” distance for a knife thrower is about twenty-five or thirty feet, here again, give or take a foot or two. This distance should not be attempted until you have mastered the initiala baseball pitch- er the instant he releases a “fast- ball”, yet I only use enough force to “lob” the knife into the target. Even so, the knife thuds into the target with great force. The weight of the handle does it Remember, throwing a knife hard is a means to no end. It steals from accuracy, it abuses the knife and it quickly destroys the backstop. Knife throwing is an art. A handle hitting the backstop makes a lot of noise, a blade that snaps makes noise. The purpose of this book is not a lesson on how to make noise. The purpose is to make the reader proud of his achievements with an instrument as old as time itself. As often as you have held a knife in your hand, did it ever occur to you what a gigantic part it has, and does, contribute to your life? In all justification, this is one book one does not start from the back to see “who done it?” I prefer, to emphasize when all else fails, read instructions. A knife is a knife. It cannot be considered deadly at fifty yards. Every weapon has its limitations, if you want a silent weapon beyond knife range, get a bow and arrow, a blow gun, a cross bow, or a firearm with a silencer on it. In all due respect, one must be skilled enough to hit his mark. Long Distance Throw by handle (knife turned broadside to depict turning sequence) aa NAIA 20 Throwing The Tomahawk As I stated in the text, throwing a tomahawk is much easier than knife throwing. However, there are facts one must consider. To throw a tomahawk requires more distance between thrower and target (this will vary depending on the weight of the tomahawk and the length of the handle.) | illustrate five models. Illustration A. There are a few other models that can be thrown, but they lack quality and that special “feel” of a tomahawk. Again I must emphasize, I do not degrade any cutlery, including any tomahawks. I will say some are better than others. Illustration No. 1 - is the proper stance for throwing a tomahawk. The distance from the target is about twelve to fourteen feet. The tomahawk (head and handle) weighs just a little over a pound. The handle is fourteen inches long. All tomahawks, with the exception of one, are thrown so the wide cutting blade reaches the target. That one exception, the Seneca Warrior, fourth from left, must be thrown so the pick-end will reach the target. Bouae Stance Never throw a toma- hawk hard! Just enough 21force is necessary to get the tomahawk to the target. At the suggested distance for the beginner, the tomahawk will make one complete revolution. Snake it out gracefully visualizing it turning over in mid air, but keep you eyes on the center of your target. You will notice, if you are throwing the tomahawk as per instructions, the blade might land right but not stick. That is okay. Now apply just a little more force, but don’t over-do it. Learn to stick it every time--then go for accuracy. PAY LS, Sequence of Tomahawk spinning in midair Once you have mastered this weapon try these novelty targets. An apple swinging past your backstop on the end of a string, try splitting a branch or twig, or try an olive on the end of a string, better yet invent your own targets. If you get bored, try throwing the tomahawk underhanded, or left handed (remember to reverse your stance for this). You will amaze your friends once you become proficient. Challenge them. Tomahawk throwing is a great sport. Don’t disregard the fact that it is a weapon with a few thousand years needed to develop it. Tomahawk throwing is an art. It is easy to learn to throw a tomahawk if a few simple rules are followed. The very first rule, and the most important is that you never throw a tomahawk with force. It is not necessary. The second rule is distance. Theré is absolutely no set distance, but one must understand the tomahawk must make one complete revolution. Here I must explain, I am referring to the conventional tomahawk. I have seen a few models called tomahawks that would shame the original inventors. These Tomahawks are a flat piece of metal with a point on the end of the handle, a point on each side of the head and a point (or spike) between them. This instrument should not ever be called a tomahawk--it is not in any way. Because it will stick by any point (?) there certainly can’t be any feeling of achievement, at least no feel- ing that one has mastered the tomahawk itself. When you can pick up a throwing tomahawk, say how it will stick (and where), you then have reached that degree of achievement and personal satisfaction. There are quite a few models of tomahawks available today. Most of them are not throwing tomahawks. Some are beautiful decorator pieces, conversation pieces, and make exceptional gifts. Most are replicas of originals manufactured from steel, bronze, or brass. Some of these are Peace Pipe Tomahawks and can be smoked if 22 so desired. However, since these models should not be thrown I shall not go into detail about them. For the beginner, or novice, I naturally recommend a good sturdy model. Of these, though not necessarily the best, is the Squaw..model. The word squaw does in no way imply these are tomahawks for the ladies. One model of squaw tomahawk I use is a hefty one and is of good quality. The handle is quite long tor a throw- ing tomahawk. Over the years I have learned the average length of handle for throwing tomahawk should be about fourteen or fifteen inches. It is true the American Indians used longer handles on some of their models, but there were fighting weapons and a little extra length sometimes meant the difference between life or death. The Squaw tomahawk has but one side to the head. History has it that white men dubbed this model the squaw because the Indian Women used it as a camp axe when the men were not at war. Now, just at it was then, the squaw tomahawk can be used for many other things other than just throwing. Minature models can be bought for the young “pioneer,” but are definitely not a toy. Medium models can be bought for the small statuate man, boy, or lady; and hefty ones for the big “he man”. All these models are rugged and will stand some abuse. Naturally, the length of the handle and the strength of the individual are important factors. By strength I mean one must have enough strength to get the tomahawk to the target. To become good with a tomahawk these things require consideration. First, the distance. The “thrower” must visualize the tomahawk turning over in mid air. As I said before, the tomahawk should make one complete revolution from hand to target. If you are too close, it would be necessary to whip the tomahawk (or snap your wrist) to force it to turn over more quickly. That is wrong and abuses the instrument, not to mention your backstop. Throwing the tomahawk is in no way as complicated as throwing a knife. One can use a different hold on a knife for shorter or longer distances. With the tomahawk the thrower must start back far enough for one complete revolution. Example, if you are starting with a tomahawk equipped with a 1% pound head, an 18 inch handle, and your stance and release is right, suggested distance is about eighteen or twenty feet. If the handle is shorter and the head is lighter, the distance should be about ten feet. Just enough force should be used to turn the tomahawk over and get it to the target--no more. There is absolutely no need for strength beyond that. This is an art. If one wants to demonstrate his strength then take up weight lifting. Knife and tomahawk throwing is much like other sports. Golf for 23instance; the proper stance, delivery, and follow through are essential, as is the proper hold on the golf club, keeping your eye on the ball, and practice. Begin slow, practice the stance, the throw, and the follow through, then start actually throwing the tomahawk. I shall illustrate the right handed stance. (This must be reversed if you are left handed.) Another important factor is to always toss the tomahawk so the blade will land vertical (straight up and down), especially if you are throwing at a plank. You release the tomahawk almost straight in front of you. Since it is common knowledge that one picture is worth a thousand words, I will illustrate as much as possible. The reader must consider the tomahawk, as the Indian knew it, was not designed primarily for throwing, but for close in, or hand- to-hand combat. It is true the Indian could throw his tomahawk with superb accuracy, but it did not matter how the head hit his enemy, just so the head hit first. Remember also, that tomahawk head was made of stone. In our day and age, there is little need to throw a knife or tomahawk at another human being. It is true, these weapons are, as of this date, still being used in combat. It is my sincere wish that wars would cease to exist, and the need to use such weapons except for sporting events, would not be necessary, yet in the history of man, cutlery did, does, and will be part of our lives. 24 Peter S. La Gana has demonstrated his skills with silent weapons for many years. Listed below are but a sample of his exhibitions in this art of knife and tomahawk throwing. KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh, PA WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA NBC-TV, San Francisco, CA Special Forces, Ft. Bragg, N.C. Marine Corps, Quantico, VA The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. War Memorial, Johnstown, PA The list of clubs, sports shows, county fairs, colleges and sch Oe ge: ools are