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Thrown weapons, such as spears, slingshots, tomahawks, shuriken, and boomerangs, provide distance in combat. They have evolved in various cultures and can also be used for hunting and sport.
Thrown weapons are designed to give a warrior the ability to strike from a distance. An important counterweight to hand-to-hand combat weapons, throwing weapons of various types exist in different cultures.
The spear, a long flexible pole with a sharp point attached to it, was a fairly international primitive throwing weapon. It evolved in several directions, into javelins, used for both sport and warfare, pikes and spears. One of the thrown weapons that lasted, the spear also played a role in fishing and hunting, and spear fishing is still practiced today.
The slingshot is a weapon that has existed since ancient times. He is immortalized in the story of the young Jewish shepherd, David, who conquered the giant Goliath with this type of thrown weapon in the Old Testament story. A sling, which is a strap used to swing and hurl a stone, is different from the class of thrown weapons called slings, which are a y-shaped stick with an elastic strap that can throw small stones.
Tomahawk is an Algonquian name for a hatchet that could be used in hand-to-hand combat, but if a thrown weapon were needed, it could double as a missile. The tomahawk was used by a variety of Native Americans and was sometimes decorated with or included a pipe. As the use of firearms spread, tomahawks were of less importance in warfare and more in ceremonies.
Shuriken, meaning “hand hidden blade”, known in the West as the Ninja Throwing Star, is a traditional Japanese weapon that is meant to be easily concealed. Although designed as a throwing weapon, the small 4- or 8-pronged shuriken can also be used for stabbing if needed. This type of thrown weapon was considered a supplement to the larger and more powerful weapons a warrior would wield, such as a sword and spear. The art of shuriken is a secret part of the curriculum of a number of martial arts.
The boomerang is a flat, curved piece of wood used as a thrown weapon in Australia, but similar weapons are found in Africa, India and North America. Designs vary quite a bit, even in Australia. Of course, the type of boomerang used as a throwing weapon is not meant to go back to the thrower. The range is approximately 150 yards (137 m).
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