The Thronin Podcast

Jeremy Beintema, based in Vancouver Island, Canada, is the founder and owner of Bullseye Blades, one of the most respected makers of custom throwing knives on the planet. A keen thrower in his own right, Jeremy takes great pride in pushing the boundaries in terms of design, build quality and style.   I was thrilled to receive four knives from Jeremy a while back, a set of spin/no-spin Kermode blades and a single Trapper in a kydex quick draw sheath which I will using for Duel Cup training.  They are beautifully made, throw true and I am very proud to have them in my collection. Jeremy kindly agreed to come onto the show so that we could talk more about these knives and his own journey as a thrower and knife maker.  If you have not come across Bullseye Blades before I would encourage you to check out Jeremy’s Facbook page from where he takes orders and posts images of his work. I hope you enjoy this interview.                

Based in Nashville Tennessee, Rob Bentley is perhaps best known as the MD of Bentley Sheaths & Leather - a company dedicated to hand-manufacturing sheaths, quivers and utility rolls for all manner of throwing implements. Given the quality of the projects Rob produces, it is hard to believe that he has been developing his skill set for less than three years! An avid thrower himself, Rob is a man who has found not only a passion in the Art of the Thunk but a discipline, a vocation and an opportunity to connect with the rest of us. It was clear from our conversation that he is a humble, yet talented man and is just one more example of why the throwing arts can be so transformational. It was an inspiring conversation but unfortunately technology got the better of us and the Skype call dropped out a couple of times on us. Rob was patient as we tried work arounds but I apologise if there are some clunky edits in this episode - while rural England is a beautiful place to live, broadband is still a wistful dream

RC Samples is perhaps best known by his Youtube handle, ‘The Combat Knife Thrower'. Coming to us from Jacksonville Florida, RC is respected across the community as a charismatic and skilled thrower. His prolific video collection has been instrumental in capturing the attention and for  inspiring waves of new throwers to our community.   Our interview was necessarily brief because RC has a full and varied set of time commitments but we still managed to pack in plenty, including how he came into throwing, his top tips for newcomers to the throwing community and how he prepares for competition.

Brandon ‘Danger' Dillon is based in Columbia city, Indiana and is perhaps best known for his association with the Full Tang Clan. Throwing a diverse range of knives with spin, instinctive and no spin, Brandon epitomises the experiential and innovative approach that defines the best of the backyard throwing movement. In this interview we explore Brandon’s origin story as a thrower, his evolution and his passion for the Art of the Thunk. During the interview Brandon was joined by the quiet man of the Full Tang Clan - Taylor Hull. While Taylor was happy, for the most part, to allow Brandon to speak on his behalf, it was clear from the outset that he is held in high regard by the Clan and that he is blazing a trail in throwing competition despite being a relative newcomer himself. It was an absolute delight to talk to both Brandon and Taylor and I hope you get as much from our conversation as I did.

In this episode my co-host Dan Edwardes, (Parkour Generations) and I discuss two books that have played a significant part in shaping my current training regime. ‘Peak' by Anders Ericsson and ‘The Pressure Principle’ by Dave Alred.   If you are looking for ways to refine your training or struggle with nerves during competition then you’ll find plenty of inspirational material in this relaxed chat, held recently at Dan’s apartment in the heart of London.

Time flies and, when Dan Edwardes and I came together to record this update on the progress I have been making towards my 1000 day knife throwing challenge, I had just passed the 333 day mark!    Here we talk about the training challenges I have encountered over the winter months, the ways in which my throwing has changed to accommodate those challenges and how I performed in my first competition of the year (The Woodend Warriors Spring Fling in Nottingham).

My guest for this extra-ordinary episode has already joined me on the show once before - that time he was playing wingman to the extraordinary Lee Floyd Fugatt but he has an equally colourful and time-served tale to tell himself - I am, of course, talking about none other than Rick 'the Rocket' Lemberg. Hailing from Montara California, Rick is a seasoned competitor, knife designer, demonstrator and teacher of the throwing arts, having worked with celebrities, military groups and, perhaps most notably, astronauts from the NASA program. Rick is a successful business man, having cut his teeth in Silicon Valley and is now Senior Vice President of Gravity Capital Partners. As if this were not enough to keep him busy, Rick is one of our leading throwing arts historians, an ultra distance runner, an author and he has just launched The Aim Games project which has taken the community by storm in recent weeks. In this special episode of the Thronin podcast, I chat to Rick about the Aim Games - its origins, the future o

Joseph ‘Brokenfeather’ Darrah is a living treasure of the throwing arts community. Based in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Joe has an international reputation as a master knife maker, as an Ambassador of Thunk and he is a 10 time World Champion title holder in his own right. Co-founder of the IKTHOF, life time supporter of the AKTA and a plethora of other clubs, societies and groups, Joe is recognised across the world as one of the most generous and tirelessly thoughtful throwers out there. In this interview Joe touches on his early induction into the throwing scene by his father at the tender age of 5. He goes on to share a whole host of stories gleaned from his half century of experience as a thrower and maker of throwing knives - needless to say the time flew! This is an interview I have looked forward to since I first started the Thronin podcast and it was an honour to get to know this larger than life, giant-hearted man a little better.

Devin Debow is the third guest in a trio of no-spin throwers who I have had the pleasure of interviewing in recent weeks, but Devin is unique in being the only one who has earned the epithet of 'US Ambassador of No-spin' by Brandon ‘Danger' Dillon - a title which is well deserved. Devin is a proud Texan who hails originally from Hot Springs, Arkansas and he enjoys a wide range of interests including sky diving, climbing, sculpture, freelance writing and survival training. However, Devin is best known as one of the most accurate no-spin throwers on the planet. Having just successfully defended his title as the IKTHOF No-Spin National Champion last month in Las Vegas, I am delighted that he has been able to take time out from his insane schedule so that we can all get to know him a little better.

Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Ryan Moomaw is a renowned no-spin thrower, founding member of the Ralph Thorn School and creator of the KnifeShuriken Youtube channel. Perhaps best known for pushing the boundaries of no-reload throwing, Ryan's innovations have been picked up by other instinctive and no-throw trail-blazers such as Adam Celadin.   A regular face at AKTA events in the past, Ryan is respected as a versatile thrower who is as comfortable throwing knives, bolts, and screwdrivers as he is no-spinning tomahawks! In this interview we discuss his origins as a thrower, his on evolution in no-spin and he offers some sage advice to newcomers to the throwing arts.

Patrick Brewster has earned a reputation as one of the most respected figures in no-spin and instinctive throwing. based in Pennsylvania, he is perhaps best known to the community as the founder of Flying Steel blades - producer of some of the best no-spin throwing knives and spikes in the world.   Modest of his own achievements as a thrower and passionate about the art, my interview with Patrick went by in a flash but along the way we chatted about his origins as a thrower, his influences as a knife maker, advice for the fledgling no-spinners out there and his take on the future of competition. Patrick is a gracious guest and a man of great integrity who I have been looking forward to talking to for some time now - I was not disappointed!

Charlie Atlas is a formidable thrower and one half of a husband and wife act who are enjoying international rave reviews for their ‘Death Do Us Part Danger Show’. Along with his partner Rachel, the couple have quickly become a firm favourite of the throwing community, earning respect as talented entertainers as well as generous friends to those who have sought them out. With signature stunts including moving human targets, sword swallowing, fire knives and the ‘board of death’, they hold audiences transfixed and, as if that were not enough, between them there are muscles, sexy curves, tattoos, sequins and costumes that would be the envy of any self-respecting burlesque show. I was thrilled to get the opportunity to chat to Charlie before he and Rachel set off for their UK tour this summer and picked his brains on a range of topics. Here we chat about his upbringing on the tiny Hebridean island of Islay, his early forays into the world of music, tattoos, security work and then how his world was turned upside

Matthew Dunn has flashed onto the world throwing stage in recent months with his own unique brand of throwing. Many of you may be familiar with his videos on the Kickass Knife Throwing Facebook group; wearing a trademark hoodie, shades, gloves and a chest rig, Matthew’s hands flash out left and right in rapid succession, sending knives thudding into the targets at the far end of his indoor range. Looking more like someone out of the DC or Marvel universe than the traditional throwing scene, Matthew seems to have forged his own path. He is a streetwise blue-sky dreamer with big goals and an even bigger heart. In this interview we talk about growing up tough in New Jersey, how he got his start in the throwing arts and his vision for the future. Only in his early thirties, it is exciting to think about just where he can take things in the years to come.

Tracy ‘Pickaxe’ Tenny may be petite in stature but she is a powerhouse in the world of competitive knife throwing! Hailing from New York State, she grew up hand in hand with the critters of the mountains and forests, before moving to Georgia which failed to tame her too! Anyone in the IKTHOF will no doubt have crossed paths with Tracy at a competition or meet along the way; she is a fierce competitor, her determination matched only by her kindness and charm. In this interview Tracy and I chat about her early experiences in throwing, her first competition which took place just 4 days after she started throwing in earnest and how she caught ‘the bug’ which has driven her interest ever since. The more I meet the ladies of the throwing world, the more I come to realise that we gents have our work cut out for us - just take a listen to Episode 27 of the Thronin Podcast to learn just why I have so much respect for Tracy and her ambitions for the future.

This is part 2 of my interview with James JW Wiseman. James JW Wiseman is an actor, stuntman, weapons expert and a Texas Cowboy for hire! His passion for throwing knives and hawks was sparked by his father when he was just a young boy in Cypress Texas but I doubt either of them would have predicted where those early experiences would take him. James now has an enviable number of TV and film appearances including playing Jesse James in the much heralded ‘Deadliest Warrior’ series. However, his exploits do not only take place in front of the camera; James has spent the last few years becoming increasingly involved in throwing competitions and has placed in knife, spear, boomerang and hawks in a number of ColdSteel Challenge events as well as winning his first Mountain Man Throwdown in December last year. For more stories, reflections on competition throwing and a great hawk challenge that James has offered up to the community, tune in to this week’s episode!

James JW Wiseman is an actor, stuntman, weapons expert and a Texas Cowboy for hire! His passion for throwing knives and hawks was sparked by his father when he was just a young boy in Cypress Texas but I doubt either of them would have predicted where those early experiences would take him. James now has an enviable number of TV and film appearances including playing Jesse James in the much heralded ‘Deadliest Warrior’ series. However, his exploits do not only take place in front of the camera; James has spent the last few years becoming increasingly involved in throwing competitions and has placed in knife, spear, boomerang and hawks in a number of ColdSteel Challenge events as well as winning his first Mountain Man Throwdown in December last year. A natural raconteur, James was a very easy guest to chat to and so our conversation will be presented over two episodes. We talk about his early experiences in throwing, his experiences in ‘Deadliest Warrior’, his passion for thrown weapons of all kinds, as well a

Well folks, this is the last recording of 2015 and I have taken the opportunity to reflect on my journey in throwing so far while also looking forward to what 2016 may bring. For this episode I got together with Dan Edwardes, my ‘sometime co-host’ of the show and looked back on the incredible 15 guests I have had the privilege of interviewing since the show’s inception.   I also consider the progress I have made in my own throwing practice to date and where I need to shift my focus as I rapidly approach the 200 day mark of this 1000 day challenge. Thanks again for all your support in listening to the Throning Podcast and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Jason Willard Johnson is perhaps best known for his predilection for impaling drinks cans at distance with devastating accuracy using a home-brew style of military half spin. He seems to have exploded onto the scene this year, and has immediately garnered our respect as a thrower, martial artist, poet and all-round nice guy. However, as we all know, such skills are hard won and so I was delighted to have the opportunity to glimpse behind the veil and get to know Jason a little better. In this episode we talk about Jason’s beginnings as a thrower, how he came to develop his own unique style, our shared passion for the works of Musashi and other philosopher warriors and his aspirations to set up his own school in the near future.

Lee Floyd Fugatt is a man with a long and illustrious history within the throwing community, having competed at Master level in numerous IKTHOF competitions in the late 90s and early 'naughties’! He held his own against the best in the world despite being born blind in one eye and thus having to compensate for a lack of depth perception. After serving over two decades as an Army Ranger and having become an accomplished knife and flute maker, honouring his own cultural traditions as part of the Navajo first peoples, no one would have blamed Lee if he had elected to step into his golden years at a leisurely pace and enjoy a well earned rest…but that is not in his nature! In 2009 Lee suffered a near fatal stroke; he woke up several days later, emerging from a coma, to find himself paralysed down the left side of his body and now completely blind. It would seem that his throwing days were over and Lee slipped away from the community. However, this year, assisted by his good friend Rick Lemberg, Lee stepped back i

Nicky Billou is based in Toronto but has an international reach as one of the most respected sports psychologists in the industry. Having worked with elite athletes and members of the Canadian Olympic team, Nicky is perfectly positioned to advise on just what it takes to attain a top ranking in the precision throwing arts. Author of ‘Finish Line Thinking’, a step by step guide to winning the mental game, I was thrilled to be able to interview Nicky about how his model and program for sporting excellence might be applicable to those, like me, who are aiming to accelerate their throwing performance.