Throwing Card Styles & Stances

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Preface

This page should only be used after you have mastered the basic technical art of throwing cards and can throw a card between 20 to 25 feet with little effort. If you cannot do this, please return to the first page in this tutorial. As before, please note that the following passages and images are excerpted from Ricky Jay's "Cards as Weapons".

The Flick

This throw is used for its distracting effect and it is not meant to cause harm or do bodily injury. Hold and throw the card as explained in the chapter on technique, releasing the card softly as you did in the practice throw. Should this card hit bare flesh it will cause only minor annoyance but will serve as a warning and let the enemy know you're out there.

The Butterfly Swirl

This has a bit more bite than the preceding throw. The grip is the same but the card should be held with a lighter and gentler touch. The index finger cocks against the Northeast corner of the card and creates enough resistance to create additional spin as the card is released. The card will now travel with more revolutions per second (rps) and this produces greater impact as a surface is struck. In the pain-tolerance tests conducted at Duke University many people described the reaction to the Butterfly Swirl with the word aculeus which is defined as the bite of an insect, hence the slogan "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

The Sea-Urchin Spin

The conventional grip is used but the card must be thrown with added force which is provided by the arm and shoulder. The arm should be raised to an angle of almost 45° as it crosses in front of the body prior to release. When the hand releases the card there should be a noticeable downward snap. The hand and body must move together to make this throw effective. When this technique is mastered this throw can produce a stinging, pinching sensation, even against the Levi-clad posterior of an adversary, and blood may be drawn if bare flesh is struck. The pain inflicted by this throw is likened to stepping on the articulated spines of the edible sea-urchin echinus esculentus, which is found in the sub-littoral zones of the British Isles. This throw is critical in the mastery of self-defense. Though not lethal, it can be very damaging around the eyes and throat, bothersome to the point of true annoyance at the mouth and ears.

The Dolphin Dart

The power of this throw has its analogue in the great driving force of the tursiops truncatus or common bottlenosed dolphin. The dolphin rams its opponent, the shark, at speeds in excess of thirty knots causing great internal injury to that predator. Using this technique, a card may be thrown with great speed and have a comparable effect on one's enemies.

For this throw the hand is almost straight overhead and the card held firmly in the standard grip. The right foot points straight ahead and the arm straightens in a forward direction snapping the card out at neck level in the same vertical plane as the extended foot. The card's flight should be such that a whirring sound is heard. This shot is very difficult and early attempts may cause the card to flutter to the ground at the thrower's feet. The release and snap must be timed correctly and the arm must move smoothly, though powerfully, at all times.

The Dolphin Dart is currently gaining popularity in this country, but for years was the favorite of Japan's Yakuza hit-men. It is precise and reliable and should be used only in life-and-death struggles. In addition to the areas mentioned in the Sea-Urchin Spin, the Dolphin Dart is also effective at the temples, heart, and kneecaps, and can paralyze a victim if it hits any vital pressure points at close range.

The Children's Cudgel

The entire deck is used to jab and strike an opponent at close range in this exercise. With the right hand assume the familiar hitchhiker's posture, thumb extended and fingers curled in a loose fist. Place the deck into the hand so the fingers curl around the east side of the deck. Move the thumb down to the top of the deck and turn the wrist to the right so you are now looking at the back of your hand; if your hand is large it may be impossible to see the cards from this position. This is a distinct advantage and gives you the additional advantage of the element of surprise. The cards should be gripped tightly and the blow may be delivered by shooting the arm stiffly to the right for a distance of no more than five or six inches It is best to direct the cards against the knuckles, solar plexus, groin or head of an opponent This technique finds its genesis in a sadistic children's game called "Knucks."

The Round-Up

This full-deck technique both stings and confuses the enemy. Hold the deck in dealing position in the left hand, which should be relaxed. When you sense an enemy attack, extend your right hand in the familiar handshake mode and surreptitiously lower the left hand. Quickly bring the left hand forward hurling the entire deck at the face of your assailant, thus befuddling him.

The Lethal Four-Card Fist

Place a card between the first and second fingers of the right hand, using the Thurston Grip. Next, place a card between the second and third fingers and then one between the third and fourth fingers; finally a card is placed on top of the index finger and secured by the gentle pressure of the thumb pressing down against the top of the card. All the cards are held in the same relative position; looking down from above, one should see only the top card and not the three beneath it.

To fire, bring the right arm across the body and then extend it forward, releasing all four cards at once. The cards will spread slightly on release; the top card goes to the left, the bottom card to the right The two center cards will travel the furthest. With practice, one can strike four individuals simultaneously. This technique is particularly useful in gang warfare and most effective when the user can throw with both hands. A skilled helper is required to load cards between the empty fingers of the person throwing. In this way two men can hold off a small army of foes.

Practical Adaptation

If you have mastered this page and it's precursor, you can now perform card-throwing tricks with ease. However, certain circumstances may force you to use your card-throwing skills for self-defense. In order to effectively defend yourself, you must be able to target enemy pressure points in order to maximize the effectiveness of your card strikes. The following map of the human body will teach you how to do just that.