Thrown Weapon

Group

Translation: thrown weapon

Range & classification

Distance

CloseMiddleLong

Overview

Techniques for projecting weapons at a target from a distance, including Japanese shuriken, knife throwing, and javelin arts.

Also known as

Projectile Weapons^[1]Throwing Arts^[2]Ranged Weapons^[3]

Used in

Shuriken-jutsu Knife Throwing Javelin

History & Origin

Thrown weapons represent one of humanity's oldest ranged combat technologies, with archaeological evidence of purpose-made throwing spears (javelins) dating to at least 400,000 years ago at the Schöningen site in Germany. ^[1] Throwing weapons were used across virtually all ancient military cultures: the Roman pilum was a core infantry weapon, the African assegai served Zulu warriors, and Japanese shurikenjutsu developed as a supplementary combat art within koryu schools. ^[2] In the medieval and early modern periods, thrown weapons declined in military significance as archery and firearms evolved, but they persisted in martial arts traditions, sport contexts (javelin throw, knife throwing competitions), and specialised military applications. ^[1],[2]

Country of origin· shown in random order

Japan投擲武器(Tōteki Buki)Shuriken-jutsu

Effectiveness

Thrown weapons provide ranged attack capability, allowing a fighter to engage from a distance where melee weapons cannot reach. The trade-off is losing the weapon after throwing. ^[1]

Lineage

Throwing weapons have been used since prehistoric times (javelins, spears) and were formalised in various traditions including Japanese shurikenjutsu and European javelin throwing. ^[1],[2]

Competition Record

Thrown weapon competition includes javelin (Olympic since 1906), knife/axe throwing (IKTHOF), and shurikenjutsu demonstrations at Japanese budo events. ^[1]

Images

No images yet for this technique.

Biomechanical Mechanism

Primary Action — Cutting or thrusting with a short bladed weapon at close range — grip type determines available angles

Joints Involved — Wrist (rotation for cuts), elbow (extension for thrusts), shoulder (arc of slashing motions)

Force Vector — Forward thrust (sak), diagonal slash, horizontal cut, or reverse grip upward stab — short-range arcs

Weapon Mechanic — Short blade requires closer range but allows faster transitions between cutting angles — forward and reverse grips change available trajectories

Position & Entry

From fighting stance (knife in hand) — Establish grip (forward or reverse), maintain distance, attack with thrusts or cuts from appropriate angle

As close-range technique — In close quarters, use short arcs for cuts or direct thrusts to the target

From defensive position — Use the knife to deflect or redirect the opponent's attack, then counter

Videos

Aikido - Guillaume Erard

Negishi-ryu Shuriken-jutsu - 42nd Japanese Kobudo Demonstration (2019)

Thrown Weapon·Aikido - Guillaume Erard

Hayasaka Yoshifumi Sensei and his students demonstrating Negishi-ryu Shuriken-jutsu during the 42nd Nihon Kobudo Embutai…

1 video

Learn This Technique

No instructional courses yet for this technique.

Ratings

Danger Rating

Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to

Very High8/10

Projectile weapons including shuriken, throwing knives; high penetration risk

Difficulty

Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably

Advanced

Competition Legality

Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets

— Traditional martial arts — Practiced in traditional kata/...

— IWUF — Legal in wushu taolu if applicable

IWUF Competition RulesPDF

HEMA — Legal in applicable historical weapon categories {src— various organizations

Training Notes

✓Thrown weapon arts — including javelin, knife throwing, and shuriken-jutsu — represent one of humanity's oldest combat skills, predating all melee weapons (Draeger, Classical Bujutsu, 1973)

✓Throwing weapons bridge the gap between melee and ranged combat: they allow engagement at distances beyond sword or spear reach

✓Knife throwing and axe throwing have experienced a modern revival as competitive sports with organized leagues and standardized rules

✓Shuriken-jutsu (Japanese throwing blade art) was a supplementary skill for samurai: used to distract or create openings, not as a primary weapon

✓The physics of thrown weapons require understanding rotation, release point, and distance calibration — each throw must account for the weapon's rotation

✓Javelin throwing is one of the oldest Olympic events, with roots in ancient Greek warfare and athletics

✓Thrown weapon accuracy requires extensive repetition: the muscle memory for consistent release timing develops over thousands of throws

Common Mistakes

!Throwing with arm strength alone — the power comes from the body mechanics: step, hip rotation, and follow-through

!Not calibrating distance for rotation — thrown weapons rotate; the distance must match the rotation for the point/edge to land correctly

!Inconsistent grip — the same grip must be used every time for consistent throws

!Not following through after the release — the follow-through determines accuracy

!Expecting thrown weapons to be primary combat tools — historically, thrown weapons were supplementary, used to create openings

!Training only at one distance — thrown weapons must be practised at multiple distances to develop adaptability

!Ignoring safety in thrown weapon practice — always use appropriate backstops and clear ranges

Related Techniques

Guard Position — the ready stance from which this technique is initiated

Counter Techniques

Guard Position — return to a defensive ready stance Distance Management — control the measure to avoid being in range Counter-Attack — strike during the opponent's recovery or between movements

Setup Chain

1Ready Position — assume the guard stance appropriate for the weapon

2Distance Control — manage spacing relative to the opponent

3Execute Technique — perform the offensive or defensive action with correct form

4Return to Guard — recover to a defensive ready position

Sources & References

Primary Source

Bubishi: The Classic Manual of Combat (Patrick McCarthy, 2008)

1BookThe Art of Fencing (Barbasetti, 1932)

Alias sources — [1] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008) [2] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008) [3] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008)

2BookThe Book of Five Rings (Musashi, 1645)

History sources — [1] Anglo, S., The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe (Yale University Press, 2000) [2] Draeger, D. & Smith, R., Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (Kodansha, 1969)

3OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)

Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)

4CitationThe Art of Fencing (Barbasetti, 1932)

Alias sources — [1] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008) [2] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008) [3] MMA Instruction Manual (UFC, 2008)

5CitationThe Book of Five Rings (Musashi, 1645)

History sources — [1] Anglo, S., The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe (Yale University Press, 2000) [2] Draeger, D. & Smith, R., Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (Kodansha, 1969)

Community

Athletics

Requires

close-range reflexes, wrist dexterity, grip transitions

Favours

quick hands, strong wrists for grip changes

Key muscles

forearm flexors, wrist rotators, deltoids, core

Sub-techniques

Find by what a technique does — not its name

Every move, in any martial art, shares a few universal traits. Mix and match below to pinpoint the right tool — or compare equivalents across styles.

Distance

Javelin-Dart

Family

Techniques for throwing spear-like projectiles, from ancient javelins to smaller darts, used across historical military and tribal combat traditions.

1 subfamilies·2 techniquesExplore

Knife Throwing

Family

The sport and combat discipline of throwing knives at targets, practiced in competitive circuits and military training.

1 subfamilies·2 techniquesExplore

Shuriken-Jutsu

Family

Japanese art of throwing bladed projectiles, divided into bo-shuriken (spike-type) and hira-shuriken (star-type) methods.

2 subfamilies·4 techniquesExplore

Notes

Thrown weapon techniques — shuriken (505 passages/33 books), knife throwing (265/20), javelin (91/26) — cover projectile weapons launched by hand. These are supplementary combat skills — used to create distance, distract, or set up primary weapon attacks. (33+ books; Draeger, Classical Budo; throwing arts texts)

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Thrown Weapon work?

Techniques for projecting weapons at a target from a distance, including Japanese shuriken, knife throwing, and javelin arts.

Where does the Thrown Weapon come from?

Is the Thrown Weapon legal in competition?

Traditional martial arts: legal — Practiced in traditional kata/forms and weapon-specific competition under var…; IWUF: legal — Legal in wushu taolu if applicable; HEMA: legal — Legal in applicable historical weapon categories

How dangerous is the Thrown Weapon?

Danger rating 8/10. Very High — projectile weapons including shuriken, throwing knives; high penetration risk

How do I set up the Thrown Weapon?

The standard setup chain: Ready Position → Distance Control → Execute Technique → Return to Guard.

How do I defend against the Thrown Weapon?

Standard counters include: Guard Position — return to a defensive ready stance / Distance Management — control the measure to avoid being in range / Counter-Attack — strike during the opponent's recovery or between movements.

What are the variants of the Thrown Weapon?

Common variants: Forward grip slash (cutting with the blade in a forward (hammer) grip); Reverse grip stab (thrusting with the blade in an icepick (reverse) grip); Forward grip thrust (straight thrust targeting the body or limbs); Defensive cut (slashing the opponent's attacking limb to disable it).

How effective is the Thrown Weapon in competition?

Thrown weapon competition includes javelin (Olympic since 1906), knife/axe throwing (IKTHOF), and shurikenjutsu demonstrations at Japanese budo events.

What are common mistakes when doing the Thrown Weapon?

Top errors to watch for: Throwing with arm strength alone — the power comes from the body mechanics: step, hip rotation, and follow-through / Not calibrating distance for rotation — thrown weapons rotate; the distance must match the rotation for the point/edg… / Inconsistent grip — the same grip must be used every time for consistent throws / Not following through after the release — the follow-through determines accuracy.

What are other names for the Thrown Weapon?

The Thrown Weapon is also known as Tōteki Buki, Projectile Weapons, Throwing Arts, Ranged Weapons.

thrown projectile shuriken knife-throwing javelin ranged