Re: Knife & Tomahawk

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: : : Greetings & Salutations,

: : :    I have never posted on this forum before, so I hope this is not a totally inappropriate question. I resently saw the film "The Patriot" and took note to the way the main character fought with his knife & tomahawk, and to the fact that it was simular to the way in which those weapons were used in LOTM. My question is dose anyone here know if this was based on accounts of the way these weapons were used at that time or just what the fight coordinator thaught it would look like. Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm asking because of my intrest in this period, archeaology, and hoplology. Thankyou all.

: : : Your Humble Servant,
: : : Benjamin

: : ____________________

: : The way Mel used the knife and tomahwk in "The Patriot" was totally awesome.  I couldn't wait for him to bring out the hawk again.  

: : Sorry this isn't an answer to your question, Benjamin.  I'll bet Dr. Uncle Mark or Seamus will help you out.  I hope so.  I'd like to know the answer, too.

: : (You will be on call during your "vacation", right, Dr. Uncle Mark?)

: : Dana S.

: 
: Hi guys,

: Throwing the hawk and knife are learned arts, but not all that difficult.  I like to compare it to bowling.  Once you get down the throw (roll) to the point you do it naturally and the same each time - then it is just a matter of routine.

: Essentially, you throw knife and hawk the same way.  hard.  But swinging the arm and hand in a straight line from the body naturally and straight arm.  It then becomes being familiar with how many steps (or feet) you are from the target.  There are given distances.  Example:  hawk - for me it is seven paces from target.  If I am roughly that far away the throw will consistently stick when throwing with blade down as I hold it.
: Half that distance or 1.5 times that distance you throw the same but hold the hawk with blade pointing up.  And so on.  Same with knife, only you are holding by blade for 7 paces and multiples of seven, and holding by handle for half that or multiples of half distance.  Always throwing hard, smoothly, and at same swing.  It works.  Try it.  Where did I learn?  You don't want to know.  But polished the skill during reenacting.

: Dana, give it a shot sometime at a stump or tree.  You have to be VERY careful though that nobody is downrange as if it glances off the target it is going who knows where, and if you had it wrong and the handle hits instead of the cutting edge it can bounce back at you.

: Bill R


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