Knife juggling facts for kids
Knife juggling is a cool type of juggling where people throw and catch special knives. These knives are not sharp! They are made for juggling. While some people do it for fun, knife juggling is mostly a performance art. You often see knife jugglers at street shows or at fun art and history festivals.
When jugglers throw the knives, they spin straight up. This helps them fly smoothly in the air. The knives usually spin once or twice before they are caught. Most jugglers use three knives. The tricks they do are often simple, like a basic cascade pattern. Sometimes they might even throw a knife under their leg! This is because juggling knives are heavier and a bit harder to handle than regular juggling clubs. It also makes the act more exciting and a little more risky.
Special Knives for Juggling
Jugglers almost never use real, sharp knives. There is no good reason to make it more dangerous for the performer. Instead, they use special juggling knives that are made to look sharp. These knives are carefully balanced for juggling. Using real machetes is not a good idea because they do not spin well. This makes even simple tricks very hard. Other things with blades, like an axe or even a chainsaw, can be juggled. But they often spin in a dangerous and unpredictable way. Most jugglers avoid these items, though chainsaws can sometimes be juggled more safely than axes.
Juggling knives are usually made with a thick blade of steel or aluminum. They have a handle like those found on juggling clubs, often made of wood. The blades often look like a scimitar (a curved sword) with an edge that looks sharp. However, all the edges are rounded so they are safe. Another common blade shape is a long diamond. All the edges and the point are also rounded or made safe. Even though these knives are much safer than you might think, they are still heavy. If they fall from a height, they can cause serious bumps or bruises. Because of this, only experienced jugglers who understand the risks should try knife juggling.
World Records in Knife Juggling
Did you know there are world records for knife juggling? The current world records for juggling five knives (103 throws and catches) and six knives (six throws and six catches) are held by a juggler named Thom Wall.
