As with any physical activity safety should be your first consideration. Especially in the case of throwing a pointed, and/or sharp edged weapon like a knife. Anytime we deal with weapons there is a certain level of danger and risk involved, by following a set of rules or guidelines we can minimize that risk.

Find a safe location to train. When choosing a place to throw knives you need an open area with a wide range of visibility in all directions. This way if someone unaware comes near your target area you will be able to see them before they get within your throwing range. If you have to choose an area that many people may be walking near, it is a good idea to rope off a danger zone about 10 feet around your target (throwing knives will sometimes bounce off your target and could fly in any direction, even back at the thrower). If you have spectators or other throwers waiting to throw they should always stand 2-3 feet behind the thrower at all times. When competing be sure all contestants are behind the throwing line before resuming throwing. The competitor should throw the amount of knives you are using, then he should also go and collect them. Once he is behind the throwing line you are ready to resume throwing.

• Find an open area with high visibility.
• Rope off your knife throwing area.
• Spectators and contestants should stand 2-3 feet behind the thrower.
• Thrower should collect his knives before the next competitor throws.

Choosing a target. First lets discuss what NOT to use, any object you would not want to harm or damage. Also never throw at any type of living things, people, animals, and trees. We do not throw knives at people or animals for obvious reasons, but the novice knife thrower may think a tree, alive or dead may make for a good target. However, if we examine the target we notice it is round, meaning there is only a small target area in which the knife will actually stick, everything else will glance off. Even if you do get your knives to stick, this will slowly wound and kill a living tree. Knife throwing is considered more of a sport rather than a martial art. Movies may depict knives as effective throwing weapons, but in real life there are only a small amount of instances where it would be smart to throw your weapon. Unless you are highly skilled and trained, throwing your weapon at an enemy is as good as giving him your last means of defense.

• Do not throw at living things.
• In most cases throwing at your knife at an opponent in real life is not a good idea.

Target construction. Constructing your own knife throwing target is ideal, it will allow you to choose the size, material, and placement to suit your throwing style. The ideal target would be around four feet wide by eight feet high, and about 4 inches of depth. One solution is to buy a large piece of particle board then glue, or tape about four layers of thick cardboard onto this. When throwing at a target like this the knife will initially hit the cardboard and barely touch the wood. Once the cardboard is torn up you can easily replace the first few layers of cardboard and will instantly have a new fresh target. Using this method will also allow you to tape, or draw a target onto the cardboard to increase accuracy. With this type of target you can either nail the wood to a wall, or build a base for a free standing target.

• 4' x 8' x 4" is a great size for a target.
• Do not use particle board by itself, be sure to put cardboard in front.
• If you make an all wood target, choose a soft wood like Pine, Birch, Willow, Poplar, or Cypress.

What to look for in a throwing knife. For proper rotation purposes you need to find a knife that will work for throwing. Balance, weight, and design are the biggest factors in determining if a knife is good for throwing. To determine if a knife has proper balance lay it across your finger until it balances, when it does your finger will mark the balance point. You want the balance point in the middle, or slightly towards the handle of the knife. The weight of the knife will determine how far the knife will stick into your target. A heavier knife will also give you more control. The design of the knife is also important, if the blade is curved in any way it should be avoided. Many combat military blades with handles can work well, but the best choice knife would be a single piece of steel in which the handle and blade are one.

Basic throwing technique. Warm up, with any type of physical activity a small amount of stretching will get you loose and prepared for knife throwing. I suggest shaking out your hands, and loosening the shoulders. The quality of any knife throw depends on these factors: stance, grip, preparation, release, and follow through.

The stance you use and get used to should not change. A common stance is a right side back stance, place your left foot about one and a half feet behind the right. From here step forward and plant your left foot and then begin the throwing motion. However, depending on what feels more comfortable you can switch your stance from right back to left back.

Your grip is one of the biggest factors in throwing, this aspect of knife throwing can change dramatically from thrower to thrower. Your thumb and index finger's position should always be forward pointing with the blade towards your target. They should not wrap around the target as this will impede your release and give an awkward spin. The rest of the fingers should wrap around the knives handle. Do not clench the knife too tight, or too loose. If you are gripping too loose the knife will slide in your hand before your release, giving it an incorrect spin. However gripping too tightly will delay your release also giving the knife the wrong amount of spin. Ideally you want your wrist to give the knife spin, not your grip.

The preparation stage of knife throwing includes the cocking motion of the arm just before your release. Bring the knife back behind your head and behind your shoulder will allow for optimal power and spin. Keeping your wrist, elbow, and shoulder aligned in a straight line throughout the throw will give the knife proper rotation, allowing for a perfect stick.

You should release the knife at about eye level, set your sight and mind on your target. The wrist does not control the throw, if you use your wrist to give the knife rotation you will never achieve consistent throws.

The follow through motion also decides how well your knife will rotate and stick. Once you have released the knife do not abruptly stop your arm, instead follow through so the knife is given proper rotation allowing for a perfect stick.

• Find a comfortable stance and do not change it.
• Do not hold the knife too tight, or too loose.
• Your wrist gives the knife spin, not your grip.
• There are many types of grips to choose from, including blade and handle grips.
• You wrist, elbow, and shoulder should be aligned during the throw.
• Before, during, and after your throw your mind and sight should be on the target.
• Follow through with your throw, do not abruptly stop after the release.
• Find your own style of throwing that works for you, these are suggestions that can be built upon.

Finding the proper distance. Depending on the rotation of the knife you are throwing you need to find the distance at which the knife makes one complete rotation. Finding the proper distance of one rotation relies on trial and error, testing and correcting with each throw. During this time don't worry about hitting the bulls eye, just try to stick the knife on the target at a consistent rate. After each stick observe the knife's impact with the target. The knife may land at varying degrees in these three angles.

• Sticking with the handle at an upward angle. This means you are too far away from the target, move closer.
• Sticking perfectly so the handle is pointing straight at you, and the knife is not rotated in any way. This is a perfect stick, examine your technique and keep it up.
• Sticking with the handle at a downward angle. This means you are too close to the target, move back.

After finding the right distance from your target, you can also change your throwing distance by gripping the knife at the blade instead of the handle. This will change the rotation of the knife in a way that will require one half less of a spin to stick properly. To throw knives at any distance, you can grip the knife in different positions to effect spin. For example if you are using a handle grip try gripping the handle closer to the blade, in the middle, or further from away from the blade. All three positions will give a different spin. When using these gripping positions it is extremely important to keep your form the same so you can see how each grip effects your throw.

• Find the proper distance or your knives will never stick.
• After throwing examine how each knife sticks.

• Practice makes perfect.
• Once the knife sticks throw the same way every time.
• Be safe, and have fun.