Report from UKAT World Cup 2026, part four

And so, the final day began. That sounds rather serious—and perhaps, in a way, it was. I remember thinking that in a few hours, this adventure would come to an end. It felt a bit bittersweet and slightly strange, given how long I had been looking forward to this world championship.

It was almost over: the 2026 World Cup in Carpi, Italy

This Saturday’s agenda focused primarily on long-distance throwing across the various disciplines—something I am notoriously bad at. Partly, I lack the technique, though in my defense, I should add that I have never really practiced it much. I did train for this aspect leading up to the World Championships, but the problem is that I throw at standard end-grain targets rather than a wooden plank; consequently, my target area at home is only about 60 cm in diameter. That compares to the 100 cm stipulated by the rules. In plain terms, this means that when I train, the task is just as much about aiming as it is about managing the rotation and achieving distance.

The order of events was the same as before. Knife was up first. Unlike at the Swedish Championships, there was a practice lane in Carpi right next to the actual competition target. However, the practice target was a wooden plank, whereas the competition target consisted of a massive board made of a type of wood unknown to me. I started with a quick warm-up session on the designated practice lane over by the avenue, as I needed to switch to a different set of knives for this event. For this, I use my "Nobu" knives from Bullseye Blades; they have a very pleasing flight path and are long enough that I find the rotation relatively easy to calculate. Over in the field, the rest of the warm-up went well. After two or three rounds, I managed to stick a knife from a distance of about 15.80 meters—right around my personal best. I probably couldn't hope for much more than that. If I could repeat that performance, it would be a good day.

Time for another warm-up

Then it was time to compete. Like most people, I had to wait in a long line, as there was only one competition target and the event can take some time since you need to think a bit between throws. Furthermore, measuring takes longer than tallying up points in precision throwing.

Knife

As usual, I start with a "safety throw" from the minimum permitted distance. At the World Championships, that’s seven meters, and at the Swedish Championships, it’s four meters.* My first throw was a stick. At least I was up and running now, having qualified for the next zone. Usually, the nine-meter mark is just a stepping stone with these knives, as the throw needs to be exactly the same as the seven-meter one to succeed. Yet, somehow, I managed to miss two throws. It was likely down to nerves, though the fact is I don't remember exactly why. To make up for it, I landed a hit on my first attempt from the 7–10 meter range, scoring 11.27. Everything went according to plan; I always choose that distance (11.30–11.40 m) so I can throw by the handle. The next zone—13–16 meters—was secured. Now was the time to improve my score with the last two throws in the current zone. First came a miss, followed by a stick from 12.75 meters. That somewhat unusual distance requires you to give a little thought to the speed of the knife's rotation.

My result in long-distance knife throwing

However, I had now reached the distances where I usually struggle, even in practice. Things often come to a halt around the 13.50-meter mark, and that was the case this time as well. After hitting 13.29 meters on my second throw, I couldn't go any further. While I certainly qualified for the 16–19 meter range, three failed attempts at 17.5 meters brought my performance to a close. 

It was a bit frustrating to have thrown further during the warm-up, but on the other hand, it wasn't a bad result by my standards. It was enough for a somewhat surprising 8th-place finish, which I am pleased with.

No Spin

You might think that, since I am primarily a no-spin thrower, this is a favorite discipline of mine. But I can reveal that isn't the case. My personal best in practice is a modest 11.30 meters, and even shorter in competition. I don't stand much of a chance here. Fortunately, the no-spin event starts at shorter distances than the knife event, so the first zone is 4–7 meters. I managed a throw of 4.48 meters there just to play it safe—meaning I qualified for the next zone.

But that was when the major debacle began. I quickly made a throw that missed. There was nothing unusual about that, except that someone over at the judges' table raised an objection. I didn't understand why, but after listening to the Italian for a while, it became clear they claimed I had made too many throws. It was completely baffling. On the contrary, I still had one throw left within the zone. The UKAT rules are simple: you get three throws per zone, and the longest one counts. If you miss all three, you’re out; if you land one, you advance to the next zone. Furthermore, the competition director had reiterated these rules during the briefing on Thursday morning before the event started. But apparently, they had decided to change the rules *during* the competition—likely because the organizers were running well behind schedule and wanted to speed things up. It was starting to get dark by then. Now, you would automatically move to the next zone as soon as you landed a knife. 

In the end, knives were thrown in the dark, illuminated by car headlights.

It is absolute madness for two reasons. First, the differences in distance become enormous. Imagine throwing a knife from 7.05 meters and then not getting another throw until the 10-meter mark. It’s like raising the bar by thirty centimeters at a time in the high jump. 

The second reason is that you simply do not change the rules in the middle of a competition! I grew increasingly vocal and annoyed; people were arguing in Italian, and I tried to find someone who spoke English since they were talking right over my head. Even when someone finally translated what I was saying, the officials still looked completely baffled. That part was handled terribly—especially since I had to wait nearly twenty minutes before I could continue.

I was angry then, and that’s never good. However, I managed to land the second throw from 7 meters. Fueled by pure anger, I unleashed a "power throw"—much like throwing a baseball—and managed to stick the final knife from 7.81 meters. Then I threw myself out of the competition at the 10-meter mark, as I basically always do. I really can't throw long distances using the No-Spin technique. It’s worth mentioning in passing that the result was good enough for 16th place. 

Axe

There isn't much to say about the axe throwing. It went about as well as it possibly could. What is remarkable is that, at the moment, I throw the axe roughly the same distance as the knife. After five throws, I finished at 13.67 meters in 22nd place. I am actually pleased with that ranking. The competition is absolutely teeming with skilled axe throwers from many countries—competitors I simply cannot beat. But I threw about as well as I currently can, which was the goal. 

Amidst everything else, I managed to play a few matches of Coutanque over those three days—including a debut in the brand-new doubles format, where I teamed up with Flora from Julitta. We managed to win one match and put up a good fight in two others (which we ultimately lost), meaning we didn't advance past the group stage. Still, we had fun—though it’s worth noting that this game is hardly our top choice when it comes to training.

Some final thoughts

It turned out to be a strange World Championship for me. The knife throwing went worse than expected—and by that, I mean relative to the amount of time I’d actually put into training and the results I usually achieve there. Even allowing for the pressure of competition and nerves, I should have thrown better. After all, I proved at the three-meter distance that it is actually possible! That gold medal was what saved my championship.

Happy gold medalist facing tough competition from Russia and China, among other countries

It has nothing to do with anyone else, nor with medals. However, it was one of the few results that truly reflected my capabilities. I usually score just over 100 points in No Spin, and allowing for the standard "competition deduction," I should have scored slightly higher—but that was ruined by an inexplicable "drop." Still, when I threw to my full potential, a good ranking followed.

To summarize my overall performance: first, it is worth noting that you earn points in every event—even those you don't actively compete in or train for. That is something to take into account. As it stands, however, I am ranked number 21 on the UKAT ranking list.

The medal and the knives used to win it: Throwingzone Pathfinder

In the individual events, my best placements were:

• 1, 3m No Spin
• 8, Hunter 
• 8, long distance knife
• 11, 3 m knife
• 12, Walk Back No Spin

I should also mention a 21st-place finish in Speed ​​Throwing, even though I only compete in that event at the World and National Championships because I lack the opportunity to train for it. I also set a personal best in another event I don’t train for: Duel. I improved my qualifying time to 1.32 seconds, securing 17th place; the top 16 advanced to the actual duels.

After returning home

Now that I’m back home after my vacation and a couple of intense weeks—including a new training course and wrapping up my sports instructor certification—it’s time to start throwing again. Or rather, I do throw every now and then, in addition to my training with VXO Sportkastning.

Oh, and I almost forgot: there was also a Swedish Championship a month or so after I returned from Italy. It went pretty well, and I managed to become the Swedish champion in both No-Spin and knife throwing this year. That was a little while ago now, but perhaps I should write something about that, too.  

/ J - over and out 

* The reason is that everyone should be able to participate.

** It’s a bit like the fact that I didn’t become "Best Thrower" at this year’s Swedish Championship, even though I won both Walk Back No Spin and Walk Back Knife—making me the Swedish champion in both knife and no-spin disciplines this year. You might assume that makes me the best knife thrower at the championship, but that’s not the case. You might wonder why; well, for instance, I don’t throw Double Bit, which—for some strange reason—is included in this championship. The axes are incredibly expensive, and few people throw them these days, yet the event still counts toward the total score.

Report from UKAT World Cup 2026, part three

And so, the second day of competition began. Friday’s breakfast was a repeat of the day before, rounded off with a robust double espresso. I hoped that my knife throwing that day would be just as strong as the coffee—and leave a pleasant aftertaste.

That hope also implied a desire to put the previous day behind me. Did that happen? Well, that’s hard to say. Considering I did walk away with a medal in the end, I suppose I shouldn't be entirely dissatisfied; not everyone comes home with one. Yet, the journey there and the way things unfolded leave me feeling less than fully content. There was so much more potential, especially given how much I had trained. Overall, my performance was abysmal. My throwing went up and down like the wildest amusement park ride.

Selected equipment: Throwingzone Pathfinder for no-spin, Zitoon Le Primitif (rotational) for walk-back, and Bullseye Blades Nobu for long-distance throwing. For the duel, the Zitoon Dague Commemorative was chosen. 

But that is getting ahead of things. First thing in the morning—before breakfast—I had already made a few practice throws in a virtually empty warm-up area. The feel was far from perfect, yet decent enough; it was mostly just to get my muscles and throwing arm moving. The actual warm-up throws took place later, right before each specific discipline. After all, there is a difference between standard knife throwing, drawing and throwing from a sheath, No-Spin, and axe throwing. It was hot, so a physical warm-up was hardly necessary; it was more about getting my mind in the right place and mulling over a few details.

I had decided on my sequence beforehand. I would start with the precision distances for knife throwing, then move on to the "walk-back" phase. The plan was to repeat that same order for No-Spin and axe throwing.

The calm before the storm: an empty competition arena in Carpi, Italy

It quickly became apparent that the heat was intense and that some people were struggling with it. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had trained in similar conditions, so it didn't affect me too badly. Still, just like everyone else, it drained my energy, and fatigue eventually set in. Initially, however, I was actually over-excited without even realizing it.

Rotational

There isn't much to say about the first stage, the 3m rotation. I scored a few points below my usual training average, resulting in a score of 98. However, even my best training scores wouldn't be enough for gold at this level. I don't struggle to hit the target at that distance, but maintaining concentration for the duration of the event is difficult; usually, I score between 101 and 103 points back home. The result was good enough for eleventh place.

From the next distance, 5 m, 69 points were scored, which is a result best forgotten. It is simply not feasible. Bullseye fives were mixed in with some ones and twos and no less than three zeroes. Piss poor result for me as I should have been around ninety points. Therefore, I was no better than 29th in the competition.

I fared somewhat better at the 7-meter mark, finishing in 15th place. This was despite four major blunders in the form of dropped knives. I don’t usually drop any, even though my groupings can be a bit scattered at this distance. The worst part was that the very first throw was one of those drops; it set the tone for my mood and, consequently, the rest of the session.

My plan was for a solid performance at 3.5 and 7 meters to lay a strong foundation for the upcoming "Walk Back." Since I had already started dropping knives at the 5-meter mark, there were already significant cracks in that foundation.

This had an immediate impact, and the first half, in particular, went completely off the rails. For instance, in the second round, I shot a 3-5-1 sequence from three meters and scored only TWO points from seven meters in that same set! That is remarkably poor for me; from three meters, it should be 5-5-5—nothing else. I tightened up my game a bit after that, but by then, it had already gotten into my head. I just wanted to get it over with; the joy was completely gone. My final score was 175—compared to the 240–250 I usually throw in practice, and my personal best is even higher than that.

A time of waiting—soon it’ll be my turn.

That left two disciplines: one I barely master and am a complete novice at—meaning expectations were very low—and one where I am a multiple-time Swedish champion and already held two World Championship medals. Namely, Axe and No-Spin, respectively. One was a relaxed event, while the other actually carried a fair amount of prestige.

No Spin

No Spin was the first of the two disciplines. However, the throwing order was changed—mostly because I was feeling unsure and wanted more practice throws on the competition targets before the 3-meter round, where I was defending last year's performance.

But it turned into a nightmare. It didn't start too badly: scores of 5, 4, and 4 on the first three throws from 3 meters. Not perfect, but not unusual when nerves come into play; there is always room for improvement in later rounds. Then came scores of 4, 4, and 4—slightly lower than my target for the 4-meter distance, but still a perfectly acceptable result. After that, things went downhill fast. A mental collapse meant I simply couldn't throw effectively from the longer distances that day. Everything seized up; my average score from 7 meters ended up being just 1.1 points!

Throughout the competition, I managed to hold it together for the short distances but faltered on the longer ones. By the end, I was barely reaching the target. All my technique had vanished, all my training seemed undone, and I couldn't solve the problem right there on the spot. I felt truly disheartened.

I was disappointed, yet I tried to hold onto the fact that I had, after all, scored some points from the 3- and 4-meter marks. That was what I could focus on as the time came for the big effort. I was there to defend the gold medal I had won in the Czech Republic in 2025. In other words, I had more to lose than to gain.

In practice, I usually score around 100–102 points; last year, I scored 95 at the World Championships. Here, the score was a bit lower. I don’t know exactly why. It was a combination of me being tense and the targets—which were actually very good—becoming really hard when the sun beat down on them all day. What dragged the score down was a "three" and—the worst part—a dropped knife! Despite that, I suppose you could say I managed a score of 93.

A certain sense of calm settled over me. I didn’t know then what that score would be enough for, but at least I could say I had put in a decent performance. I can’t control what everyone else does.

If I had hoped that this would carry over to the other two events, I was disappointed. A measly 53 points and a 15th-place finish in the five-meter event is nothing I intend to brag about. The seven-meter event turned into a complete farce. After a while, I was so disheartened that I basically stopped throwing. The result was laughably low: 13(!) points and 34th place. Does anyone know a good sports psychologist?

Axe

My performance in this area is best described simply as a statement of fact. I haven’t done much axe throwing in my life—just over a year, really—and I haven’t had the best conditions for training, either. In the precision event, I scored 68 points from 3 meters, 58 points from 5 meters, and 25 points from 7 meters, placing 70th, 57th, and 65th respectively. In the "Walk Back" event, I scored 184 points; this was a bit of a letdown, as I had hoped to beat my own modest competition record of 213 points—a goal that was entirely realistic but ultimately missed.

In the evening, it was time for the World Championship dinner.

After the throw, I was a bit downcast at first. It felt like I had truly missed my chance. Throughout the spring and summer, I had certainly had every opportunity to train extensively, and a good deal of that training had gone well. In particular, I had worked on a couple of things that had now let me down—specifically, the No-Spin distance event.

At the same time, I had successfully defended my gold medal in that very discipline. For the second year running, I was the gold medalist, which implies that, at my best, I am likely capable of throwing No-Spin with a certain degree of precision.

What remained for Saturday were the Coutanque event and the long-distance competitions across all disciplines. That—along with some concluding thoughts—will be covered in the final part.

/ J - on the roller coaster

A Report from UKAT Word Cup 2026, part Two

So it was finally time. Competition day number one of three in the UKAT 2026 World Cup, the moment I had been training for all spring and early summer. The risk of being a little overcharged is always there, at least in my case. However, it had gone well so far, and the night before had, as I described in part 1, turned out well.

Now it was Thursday morning. My sleep had been so-so, and when my phone told me to get up, I wasn't particularly rested. Although still charged, I must admit. A really good Italian double espresso made life better.

The club banners are starting to come up

The set-up was such that the first day's competitions involved "Games" in different variations. An excellent way to start, in my opinion, as it leaves the "heavier" disciplines such as Walk Back and long distance for later. Especially the latter, and with an axe can actually hurt, and if so, most of the competition is over. Good to do last, in other words.

Another early bird, Angelo Krebs, a.k.a. flying_blades on IG, who wanted to get a few throws under his belt before breakfast

I myself chose to start with the Silhouette knife. The idea was that it felt less important to me than, for example, "Hunter," where I had a silver medal from the last World Championships to defend. All said and done, I warmed up with my set of rotational knives, Le Primitif Rotation from Zitoon Knives. It felt quite good, considering the circumstances. I was a bit tense. But I noticed that the targets had become somewhat harder during the night. As I said, it was warm even though the sun hadn't had time to do its thing yet. 

Unfortunately, it turned out that it wasn't the targets that made up the silhouette. They had obviously been hanging for longer, and they were new. Often, planks are used for this event, but here they were end-timber targets stacked high. I made the rookie mistake of wanting to have an event completed in the morning, so I was up and running. But that meant I went out as the fourth man in line, and the targets were unfortunately not watered and, above all, really hard new as they were. Worn-in targets are, as you know, significantly softer.

That made me panic a bit. My first of three test throws barely stick to the target. The second was harder and hit an extra hard surface and BOUNCED backwards out again! Damn, damn, damn was what I thought. My problem is that these knives are quite thick, and this applies especially to the tip after I ground them down over time. This was despite the fact that I had sharpened them before the World Cup. In the original, they are longer and, above all, more pointed.

A deceptive target that would prove to be my nemesis

After that, to be honest, things went downhill. I used more force, which certainly meant that the knives were stuck, but also that the aim on the first two throws was about 10 cm too high. It was overcorrected in the third throw, and my first -10 p was a fact. It wasn't until the last throws that I figured out the target with three straight hits, but then it was time. The final result was therefore just -10 points. A lousy result, and not at all the start I had in mind. Unfortunately, this also affects the total ranking points that are counted on all elements. For example, this result gave place number 100. I will return in a later post with all my placements and rankings.

Such a start is just to forget and then aim for the next event. The day was not over yet! As such, "Speed ​​Throw" was chosen. A rotation discipline, which was the idea, but without prestige for me, as I only throw it at championships because I can't practice in advance, knives are missing. My goal was to hit more than 13 knives in the target, which was my previous personal best. But it didn't work out, and the same result was achieved again! But I wasn't unhappy with that.

When whirling tools were still relevant, the silhouette axe was also passed after a brief warm-up. That also went so-so, but my expectations of myself were not high. I am a real beginner at axe throwing.

Someone who is significantly better than me at axe is Simon Wall from Sweden

It was worse with the next two events that I actually want to perform well in. It's about Nine Target but mainly Hunter, where, as I said, I had a medal to defend. That didn't turn out well either. I threw decently, which meant 33 points, which ultimately gave me 8th place. I couldn't do anything about the medals this time. It didn't feel good, I must admit.

But it should be added that the course was both strange and a bit boring. Firstly, it wasn't varied at all. It consisted only of sawn-off stumps, but with different slopes on the cut. Nothing that deviated beyond that. But worse was that all but one or two were long-distance targets (6-8 meters), which definitely gave those who threw hard a big advantage. Then it didn't get any better because there was some cheating, even though this was pointed out to the organizer. However, they didn't dare say anything.

In this discipline, the idea is that you are not supposed to see and, above all, not practice on the course before the briefing. But some clever participants figured out that if you go and get Coutanque targets that would be used later in the day and put them up at different angles on a football field and then practice for half an hour, it would be better. This was partly noticeable on the podium!

The plank, or Nine Target as it is actually called, was a bit of a deal for me. Average points gave an average place. That is to say, twenty-two points and a 21st place. But a compliment to Zusanna from the Czech Republic, who managed to beat everyone regardless of class by scoring ALL points. Who knows if it has happened before!

A Hunter course that I didn't like at all

Another discipline I have never trained in and have only thrown once is the moving target. It was noticeable when my result of 19 points was enough for 41st place. Not much to say about it. Possibly, I will throw No Spin instead of rotation next time.

The same can be said about Duel, but with the difference that I was really satisfied there. A discipline I do not train in and have only thrown with a machine twice before. My personal best was lowered from 1.48 s to 1.32 s, which gave me a 17th place. The sixteen best went on to the real duels.

Tomorrow's challenge was waiting around the corner, both literally and figuratively!

So the competitions started, and the roller coaster had begun. Some decent results in Speed ​​throwing, Hunter, although it was below expectations, and Nine target mixed with bottom nip as silhouette knife and personal best in Duel.

However, the feeling was to concentrate on tomorrow when it was time for my planned parade events in Walk Back knife, but above all, No Spin, both Walk Back and precision throwing. That was when all my training would be reflected, at least that was the idea.  

/ J - was in progress anyway

Knife Throwing May 2026

- a good but not quite as intense month 

If April was completely crazy from a knife-throwing perspective, with almost ninety hours spent with a throwing knife in hand, May has been somewhat calmer. Although not by much, it must be admitted. It only differs by a few hours across all the days. But I only noticed that now when I summed it all up.

A summer picture already in May. The new TacticalEdged.Dojo Spike DC

There are, of course, several reasons why there is a lot of training. Internal motivation is one such, a concept that I discussed a lot on a sports leadership course I am taking part in. But external factors also contribute. At the end of this month, the Soulthrower Open awaits, and the following month, the big highlight of the year, the U.K.A.T. World Championships in Carpi, Italy, will come. After that, my competition season will be rounded off with the Swedish Championships in Arboga in August.

In addition to the fact that there have been various types of motivation, the strange spring of course contributes to good conditions. Where I am, we have basically had summer heat without rain for almost the entire month. The number of rainy hours is easy to count. A blessing for throwers, but perhaps not as appreciated by nature and those who live from it. It is starting to get dry now.

Another reason for fewer throws is this one, which I spent a few hours on. But after having all my first submissions rejected because of sandals (!) I don't know if I'll feel like continuing.

As is customary at this point, the results are summarised with some numbers.

For May, they are;

•  86 hours, divided into
•  26 training sessions, which resulted in approx.
•  31 800 throws

Thus, one less session in May compared to April, which almost exactly explains the difference in time. Strange!

However, the number of throws was fewer, and that is not so strange. The beginning of the month was spent more on Walk Back and precision throwing with the associated point counting, which slows down the "pace". I have also thrown a little more long distance, which also gives fewer throws per unit of time. You simply have to go longer distances. But, it is important to point out, the number of throws is not a value indicator in itself and not something I pay much attention to. It is mostly an interesting aspect.

Warming up is important in all contexts. But here it is done sport-specifically.

The list of the most used knives this month looks like this:

1. Throwingzone Pathfinder: 7504
2. Zitoon Le primitif Rotation: 5304
3. Zitoon No Reload: 2185
4. Zitoon Le Rafale: 2185
5. Zitoon Le primitif NS: 2050
6. Zitoon Commemorative Dagger: 1955
7. Bullseye Blades Nobu:1857 
8. TacticalEdged.Dojo Spike DC: 1185
9. Acejet Merlin Kiridashi: 945
10. Zitoon Philippe: 555

In addition, there have also been some axe throws, about 1600 throws with the custom ceratops from Throwingzone.

At the top, as usual, is my number one competition knife in No Spin, Pathfinder from Throwingzone. Number two is just as consistently my competition set for Walk Back rotation, Zitoons Le Primitif rotation. A couple of new knives have also crept into the list. Acejets Merlin Kiridashi is a test subject for an upcoming review, and the same can be said about TeDojos Spike DC.

Progression

You know how things tend to go in waves and how you suddenly reach a new plateau? That was a bit of what happened at the beginning of this month, it feels like. In that time, I managed to break some personal records again.

The first thing was that I FINALLY got 105 points from a three-meter rotational throw. And no less than twice. Before, I've had many 104-pointers, but now that curse is broken.

In addition, I've polished my PB Walk Back rotation. Up from 265 points to 268 points! I'm of course very happy with that. Although I'm happier that the series often ends up over 250 points now. Now I'm aiming to pass 270 points. That would be a nice milestone.

I am most pleased, however, with the smashing of my previous No Spin record. There, I increased from 237 to 248 points, which is my current personal best in practice. The next goal is, of course, 250 points. A round and nice number.

Just for the heck of it, I also managed to throw 92 p from 5m precision/No Spin.

Now all that remains is to continue on the chosen path and mix "volume training" with quality and mental relaxation on the way to new goals.

/ J - continues on the chosen path

Picture of the Day No 289 "A beautiful sight"

Anyone who is not a knife thrower and who has not suffered from a lack of good target material for some time probably has a hard time understanding the joy of a gigantic pile of logs lying at the edge of a logging area.

Especially if you know that this particular pile of spruce pieces is intended for you and you just have to load it in a car. It also happened that when I examined the logs, I saw that most of them were very well sawn. Although it is clear, this is done by machine and not by hand. The blade of a harvester is quite sturdy and goes through on the first try, leaving a nice surface.

By the way, "just" loading them might be a bit of a challenge. They are between 55-60 cm in diameter and weigh between 65-80 kg each or so. And that was before it rained on them. Most people, mostly Americans, would have thought that a pickup truck would have been a must. But it turned out that between 5 and 6 of them at a time can fit in a small Peugeot 207.

A pile of potential targets

The small car sits quite steadily on the road with nearly half a ton of target material in the trunk.

Now it can be pointed out that there are no longer distances to be covered. But there were three turns. Thus, the first actual training with Växjö Sportkastningsklubb (VAIS) is getting closer. The snow is gone, now there is some kind of leader, that is, yours truly, a place to be and then the last piece of the puzzle, something to throw at. 

Of course, it was a truth with modification. Something to throw with is not so bad either. To start with, I will lend some knife sets for participants to try out. Since I have a few, the good thing is that beginners don't have to decide on what model to buy right away. The only thing left is a date and some people who want to throw!

Later on, the agenda is to buy some suitable beginner knives and axes. But it is important to get participants first so that there is an economy. Everything has its time. The project after that will be to get hold of wood to build a couple of proper target stands for a trippel set up. To start with, my own old tripods will do.

/ J - planning ahead

#knivesandbikes #knivigtvarre

U.K.A.T. World Championships, part 4

 

- The competitions continue

It's been a while since those extremely hot competition days in Hradec Králové. The World Championships lasted three days from June 26th to 28th. So my memories aren't quite as clear as I would have liked. I'm noticing that now that I'm about to write some of them down.

But I remember some things with all the clarity I could wish for. For example, the heat I just mentioned. It's also a contributing factor to my success in at least one discipline. Then there was that medal. I remember that!

World Championships in Hradec Králové

Even though it's hard to teach old dogs to sit, or in this case, get this old man to put on a cap and some sun protection, I did take something with me from the day before. The one dedicated to games. It was that the knives are very difficult to handle when the heat is at its worst. I have noticed this especially applies to No Spin. Unfortunately, it had a big impact on the results these two days as well. Now it was time for the real power battle.

Walk Back

Axe

The most important events during the entire World Cup are, after all, Walk Back in the three disciplines, axe, knife, and No Spin. Those were also the ones I focused on, although with very different levels of ambition. First of all, it can be said that I care very little about what results others achieve. It is not something I can influence. But my own effort is all the more important, and I get really disappointed when I don't live up to my own expectations.  

The axes I throw with are Rinaldi Ceratops in a custom version by Throwingzone. That's where my No Spin knives come from as well.

The goal in axe-throwing was simply to beat myself. Not particularly difficult, as I only have one or two results overall and hardly anything from training either. There was definitely nothing written down with the new axes as they arrived a few weeks before the competition.

But what was to be beaten was 213 points as a personal best or at least the result from previous Swedish championships. What was thrown with borrowed axes. Unfortunately, I was nowhere near that today. The nerves made themselves known, and the score was accordingly. I got a low 157 points, which placed me in 66th place in the starting field. The reason was that one or two axes ended up on the ground. At home, I have noticed that "no stick" with an axe is quite difficult. Normally, the problem for me as a beginner is the "fine touch", throwing with high precision, not putting the axe in the target.

Knife

In Walk Back knife, I had higher expectations of myself. My personal best in training is 260 points. Of course, beating my personal best at my first World Championship was not to be expected. Incidentally, it would have been enough for gold in that case, as the winner finished with 252 points this year. Then, points in competition are always something that is affected by the prevailing circumstances. After all, it is an outdoor sport that we engage in.

But the goal was clear: I wanted to achieve a bit over 200 points. That's not how it happened, and the result was 191 points, which certainly made me the second-best Swede in the discipline and gave me 35th place. What I found annoying was that I threw, although not well, at least competently at the shorter distances, but lousy at the longer ones. Something that gnaws at me because I know why. I return to bad habits and beginner's ways when I get stressed. Small tics are added to the technique, ones that I know are wrong.

Although I didn't actually feel stressed, I must add. There has been some extra training from six and seven meters ahead of the World Cup with some success. It was in the back of my mind. The next step is to manage to bring it out when it really matters! How about the coming Championship at home or next year's World Cup?

No Spin

This is the sport I trained for. The one I'm known for on paper. Now all that was left was to make the best of the situation. But it didn't really work out that way. In fact, it was a fiasco. The score was 155, and that gave me 16th place. The reason was that everything went badly during the throw.

The sun had taken its toll. Like everyone else, I got sweaty. That in itself wasn't a huge problem. Just drying myself off and changing my shirt. But a couple of throws into the round, I discovered that the knives wouldn't let go of my hands! I just couldn't get them in the right direction. They kind of stayed put, and the throw started to dive down to the left like when you have a too-late release, although I tried to think about it. A couple of throws went wrong. Sure, I was sweaty, but not that bad.

Warming up from 6m. A little bit of bad angles, but otherwise ok

Good advice was hard to come by, but there was a quick solution. The ground where we were was extremely sandy, and it was very fine and extremely dry sand. So it was possible to dry your hands on it. Something that more people than I have come across. Unfortunately, it didn't help fully. I asked the referee for permission to leave the track to wash my hands, which I got, but that didn't work either. Maybe because I didn't have water nearby, but lemon juice. Certainly without sugar, but still.

Panic was near, and the throwing was accordingly. It was especially bad on the longer distances. I have difficulty with them sometimes anyway, and now it didn't work at all. Then you get tense and don't trust your technique, and a vicious downward spiral has begun.

Afterwards, it would turn out that there was surface rust on the blades and almost a sticky coating consisting of moisture and dust. A combination that was not good at all. Something I will definitely take with me to the next competition, regardless of the weather. It is extremely difficult to throw when the "release" is out of sync.

Precisionskastning från tre, fem och sju meter

Axe

The precision moment in axe-throwing went about as expected. That is, the outcome was impossible to predict since I don't actually throw axes. "Yet" should be added since I've just started. 

But the scores of 89, 64, and 62 from the respective distances placed me 46th, 64th, and 62nd overall. Not much to say since most others actually practice this discipline. I was satisfied with getting results that can then be improved. It can also be said that to get gold in, for example, three-meter precision, not only a perfect score, 105 points, was required, but also a throw-off between three participants who all succeeded in that feat. That says something about the class of the competition. It's not just about picking up medals if anyone thought so.

Knife

Then it was the same competition discipline and distance with a knife in hand. Here too, a full pot was required to be in the gold discussion from 3 meters. So I was not involved; these are levels I didn't even reach in training, so it was hardly a disappointment. The closest I have achieved at home is 104p on a number of occasions.

This year too, I have new competition knives, and that may not be the best recipe for success, since the formula for success is something like "use one type of knife, throw one discipline and master it first". Now, it's not really my thing because I throw everything that is not mounted.

This year's competition knives come from the French Zitoon Knives and are called Le Primitif Rotation.

The basic feeling when I stepped onto the court after giving the judge my scorecard was good, however. But the precision and thus the calm did not appear. The result was a mediocre 83 points, which is really bad for me. I always throw between 95-103 in practice. So around a hundred is normal for me. Therefore, at least 90-95 points should be doable even in this context. But that's not how competition logic works. It has to be done there and then!

No Spin

Now I have deliberately chosen not to tell everything in the correct chronological order this time. The reason for that was that I actually had a smart idea, even if it didn't last all the way. The debacle with the sweaty knives that I told you about above took place at noon.

But already in the morning, after a relatively quick warm-up on the half-empty practice field, I tore off the precision element in No Spin. The reason was simple. I wanted to avoid throwing too many elements when it was at its hottest. I also thought it was a good warm-up for the upcoming Walk Back.

The winners received an engraved knife from the main sponsor AceJet.

This made 3m precision in No Spin actually better than in rotation. For anyone who doesn't know, I can tell you that it is usually considered significantly more difficult to throw without rotation.

The result was still not according to plan, as it was set at least 100 points. Usually, I am around that when I train at home. But the fact was that after a couple of half-hearted hits with a four or five, I managed to get into an acceptable rhythm. After the twenty-one throws, I had managed 95 points. At that time, I had no idea what that would be enough for in terms of placement. The morning meant that many throwers of different calibers remained. Several of them have significantly heavier qualifications than I. So I assumed that a couple of well-known people would pass me in the results list.

A somewhat nervous and very long wait ensued. The day passed, results pouring in, and were announced on a large screen. 

It felt undeniably good, my first World Championship GOLD!

In the end, it turned out that no one managed to throw more points than me, no one at all, actually. Just like with Hunter, I didn't believe the result at first and, knowing from experience, I waited with joy. But gold was a fact, and it came in my first World Cup! I wasn't really thrilled at first; it was a bit hard for me to understand. It took a couple of days for it to sink in.

Long Distance Throwing

Throwing long distances is an art in itself. Moreover, something that I do not master at all. My modest personal records in all disciplines testify to that. Therefore, I had modest ambitions that mostly extended to achieving some result in the three disciplines.

The result in the long-distance axe was about half the distance compared to the winner. My 10.43 m in axe gave me a 46th place.

This was followed up with 22nd place in No Spin with 7.15 m or regular competition distance if you like. Time to start practicing more on that detail.

But you don't have time to practice everything equally, and I don't have targets for this either. This means that when I practice at home, I have to aim as much as I focus on throwing far. It's not optimal. In addition, there is some stone and misery behind the targets, so I miss, and the axes and knives risk losing both their edges and points.

The best thing was actually in the long-distance knife where I threw a knife from 11.35, which is about what I do in training, and I was therefore satisfied with the effort. The result was 13th place. The winner threw around 19 meters, and for a medal, around 17 meters were needed. Thus far beyond my current ability. My personal best in training is only 13.40m. 

The Remains

What was left were two rather spectacular events. A duel and a game. In the duel competition, I already disappeared in the qualifiers. I am very confident in drawing knives from a sheath, as I usually play with throws from the belt at home. But I have never practiced speed either with or without signal/measuring equipment. If I remember correctly, I got around 1.5s in time, and the one who beat me was around 1.2s. To move on, I think you had to be around the second clear. The times differ slightly depending on which rules you are using. In the U.K.A.T. context, the thumb should be against the pit of the throat in the ready position. For that reason, the times are not as extreme as some that can be seen online.

However, it is a fun and crowd-pleasing sport to watch, and I would consider practicing a bit if possible. In the results list, I am listed in 69th place. 

Duel throwing

In Coutanque, I actually advanced when I miraculously won my first three matches. Some form of qualification to the round of 16 or something like that was the result. I lost there, but after all, I didn't get a proper beating; on the contrary, that match was so even that the guy I lost to wondered if I used to play. The truth is that I've done it in two tournaments before at the Swedish championships. That's where the experiences end. 

The final match in Coutanque was not as exciting as the road there

This is what a world champion looks like! Simon Wall from Sweden

The most fun thing that remained on that front was to follow another Swede, Simon Wall, who advanced like a bulldozer even against the most renowned competitors. Some matches were very close; others were not. Once in the final, there was actually never any talk about the matter. Simon took the lead quite early and held the lead until the end. That was Sweden's second gold! 

Towards the next World Cup

It's easy to see that this experience gave me a taste for more on several levels. It gave me the desire to continue training, and for the moment, next week's Swedish championships loom. But beyond that, next year's World Cup is in sight, which will take place somewhere in northern Italy if the rumors are true. It's not completely official yet, as far as I know. But it also fueled the passion behind the desire to get better. I simply want to become a better thrower. There are so many things to practice!

Two World Cup medals gave me the motivation to keep going. It motivates me to train a lot more. I intend to try to defend the medal and aspire to more!

Winning two medals, one of which was gold, hardly felt doable before I went to the Czech Republic. It hardly feels doable now, either, I might add. Sport throwing, or knife throwing if you will, is like any other small sport. There may not be tens of thousands of practitioners in every country. But the top/elite/the best, they are there in all sports, rest assured. To have the privilege of competing with and against all of them is an honor.

But the passion is there, and I want more. So I have every plan to participate next year as well. Then I intend to be a much better version of myself. After all, I am a beginner at practicing the sport, even though I have partly devoted myself to it for half my life. 

/ J - the gold medalist

Soulthrower Open, Part I

Sometimes you are so overwhelmed with impressions that you hardly know where to start. At least me and today is such an occasion. Then I still had a few hours to sort out the weekend's events. Therefore, I intend to try to clarify all the thoughts regarding knife throwing in a couple of posts here on the blog.

 

What will be processed is everything that happened during the Soulthrower Open that took place in Arboga. A knife-throwing competition open to everyone and with an international touch. Truly international it would appear as those who came the furthest away were from the USA and Australia! There were also throwers from Great Britain with backgrounds from both Scotland and southern England as well as throwers from Finland, the Czech Republic and of course Sweden.

It may not be the biggest competition in the world in terms of the number of participants, but it may well have been one of the nicest.

That feeling was something I discussed over coffee at work as there are some there who have been involved in other minor sports and they partially recognized themselves. There is a certain camaraderie when you engage in a minor sport. Something that I am also familiar with since my time as a Ju-Jutsu practitioner. You have the chance to meet and talk to the best in the world, something that is of course completely impossible in a major sport such as football or the like. That the average player would have a chat with Zlatan or Messi does not seem very likely. But here you can both meet some of the best in their field and share their knowledge.

Then again, I actually think knife throwers are a friendlier breed than most. But that observation may not be completely scientifically substantiated. But until someone disproves me, I will maintain that it is so.

Most of the participants in Soulthrower Open 2023

Size is not everything, as the saying goes, and that is also true in this case. There were really good throwers present in all disciplines. Especially as those who are good in one discipline often tend to excel in several others as well.

It is possibly the flip side of small sports. Sure there aren't thousands of people to compete with but there's always a top and it's always superb, so here too. There were throwers with world championship titles and winners of other international tournaments and awards interspersed with newbies like me. This means that as a beginner you sometimes have to face the best in your first competition. Which of course is both a curse and a blessing in terms of results. But it is extremely inspiring either way.

In terms of sports, I was mostly there to learn. This is only my third competition so more experience is needed. In addition to the hours you stand and enjoy at home pounding a sharp object into a piece of wood, training is needed for the competition situation itself. It's really something else to perform when you have to. Something that many experienced and something that I intend to return to in a later post.

The primary goal was to get to know more throwers and get faces of some of the people with whom you had previously only exchanged a few words online or followed on social media. The amazing thing was that they were even more likable in real life! It was therefore with both sadness and joy in my heart that I left Arboga for the journey home.

But we will see each other again soon in different contexts.

/ J - feeling emotional

PS. I nästa inlägg ämnar jag inrikta mig på själva tävlingen.