International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame Inductees 2003

Golden Life Achievement Award

Bob "Master of the Blade" Karp began his love of knife throwing at a very early age. His first knives were actually bayonets that his father accumulated from different countries after WWII. The bayonets were all different lengths, weights and shapes, which accounts for his ability to accurately throw anything with a blade, including axes and tomahawks. Over four decades later, Bob has earned the respect of his peers for his knowledge in the art of the blade. He is well admired throughout the martial arts industry, in which he also teaches and performs. His students are as different and unique as his throwing. They range from judges to cowboys and children to movie and television personalities. In Bob's opinion, there is nothing more gratifying than teaching others the art of knife throwing. Bob has spent many years designing a line of knives that in his opinion are the ultimate in throwing knives. Bob Karp is a director of the International Alliance of Knife Throwing, a member of the Arizona Knife Collectors Association of Phoenix, Arizona, and a member of the Wild West Arts Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

State Champion of the Year

Roy "Moses" Neal has been involved in knife throwing for several years, but his love for the history of the knife has gone on for many more than that. He has yearned to know the history and lifestyle of the early pioneers of our nation. His expertise centers around the Mountain Man era and rendezvous' of this time period. He loves teaching and passing on the traditions of the pioneers of knife and hawk competitions. Roy has actively been competing in knife throwing for several years, participating in area, state and national competitions. Among his accomplishments is the title of 2001 Rocky Mountain Challenge Champion. Also in 2001, he won top honors at the Thanksgiving Challenge held in Fredericksburg, Texas. The year 2002 brought several new titles, including Texas State Knife/Hawk Champion, first place in the Central US Hawk Competition, and second place in the Central US Knife Throwing Championships.

Silver Life Achievement

Joseph "Brokenfeather" Darrah was born in 1957 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and was introduced to knife throwing at the age of 5 by his father, who as an ex Airborne ranger with 101st Airborne, was pretty good with his M-4 trench knife. "At the age of 7, my brother-in-law gave me a set of 3 throwing knives and I was off to the races with throwing. I took the knives with me everywhere and when sleeping they weren't very far away," said Mr. Darrah. He has been throwing knives ever since. At the age of 19, he was hired as a Knife Thrower and Bullwhip artist with a small traveling circus. "This was also about the time I contacted and stayed in touch with Harry McEvoy, who helped me design the first knife I ever marketed," related Darrah. "I also became the area director of the AKTA with a charter for my knife throwing club (True Flite Knife Throwing Team) granted by Harry McEvoy. "I had never competed in a knife throwing tournament until visiting with John Bailey and David Adamovich, both of them said I was a good thrower and that I should compete. I went to my first tournament up in Maine in September of 2002 where I took several first places in different events and since then I have traveled all over the country competing in tournaments and doing pretty well with mostly 1st and 2nd places," according to Mr. Darrah. "Brokenfeather" started making his own line of knives and has enjoyed the opportunity to have made some lifelong friends and met some of the nicest folks in the world. "I am honored by being nominated for the Knife Throwers Hall of Fame and I would like to thank everyone who I've ever thrown with and all of the people present for this historic occasion!"

Outstanding Achievement in Knife Throwing and Design

Mike "Ironpost" Kolisch is known nationwide in the Mountain Man throwing circles as an expert knife thrower, maker, instructor, and promoter. "Ironpost" began throwing at a very early age, throwing knives, pocket knives, screwdrivers, butcher knives, anything he could get his hands on. In 1995, he found a place where people competed in knife and tomahawk throwing as well as Mountain Man rendezvous. "Ironpost" relates it to riding a bicycle-you jump back on after years of not riding and away you go. Attending as many rendezvous' as he could find, he won many championships in the knife and tomahawk throws. In 1998, he took charge as the promoter of the Rocky Mountain Knife and Tomahawk Championships, and has since then increased the number of throwers attending and the amount of the cash prizes given away. Recently, "Ironpost" made two trips to Korea, one to put on a demonstration for the US Army's 2nd Infantry Division's "Warrior Olympics" and the second to put on a knife throwing event to commemorate the USO's 50th Anniversary and to dedicate a new USO building at Camp Casey.

Honors: 2001 AKTA Championships-1st Overall, 2000 World Tomahawk Champion, 2000 Colorado Knife & Tomahawk-1st Overall, 2000 RMKTA Championships-1st Overall, 1999 Colorado Knife & Tomahawk-1st Overall, 1999 Texas Nationals-2nd Tomahawk, 1998 Colorado Knife & Tomahawk-1st Overall, 1998 RMKTA Championship-1st Overall, 1998 Texas Nationals-1st Overall, 1998 National Mountain Champions-1st Overall, 1997 Colorado Knife & Tomahawk-1st Overall. See www.ironpost.com for more information.

National Champion of the Year

Pat "The Machine" Minter began throwing as a hobby in 1991, and entered his first contest in 1996. Since that time he has exploded into the knife throwing competition scene with an amazing 18 first place wins in the last 8 years. Pat was named "The Machine" for his methodical knife throw which has produced perfect scores numerous times. In 2001 he made a perfect score from a 2 spin knife in the World Championships in Phoenix, Arizona and in 1999, he made a perfect "10 for 10" at the IKTA tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Knife throwing is my passion and something that I never get tired of doing. Competing has

made me work to reach a skill level that I am very proud of and gain a great sense of accomplishment from. I have also met and made invaluable friendships as a result of knife throwing. I hope to see the sport continue to develop and gain recognition."

Honors: 3 time AKTA Men's Champion 1997, 1998, 2000, 1 time IKTA World Champion 2001, 1 time Texas State Champion Aggregate 2001-Malakoff, Texas, 2 time WKTG Sudden Death Challenge Champion 2001 & 2002, 1st Place Knife-Thanksgiving Challenge-Fredericksburg, Texas 2002, 1st Place Knife-Texas State Championship-Malakoff, Texas 2003, Several 1st Place tomahawk events, including AKTA Charleston 2000 and Creede, Colorado 2001.

National Instructor of the Year

Chuck "Walking Eagle" Weems has been throwing for about 7 years, working primarily in the mountain man style and participating in primitive rendezvous. Over the past 5 years, he has begun promoting, teaching, and demonstrating the art of knife throwing. Chuck Weems organized the Texas State Knife and Tomahawk Championship in Canton, Texas. He is now the current President of the Cedar Creek Knife and Hawk Club (CCKH) and coordinates and promotes the State Championship in Malakoff, Texas. Since his beginning as a tournament promoter, the State Championship has escalated into one of

the finest in the nation. The CCKH does various demonstrations for service groups and organizations. Chuck Weems has also done demonstrations for places like Traders Village in Houston, Texas and Grand Prairie, Texas. "Walking Eagle" enjoys teaching and introducing new members to the sport of knife throwing. He enjoys knife throwing in general because it is something that you can do at home in your backyard, and because it is a family sport and can be enjoyed by anyone. In fact, his daughter, Erica Weems, is the two-time Texas State Champion and the current Texas State Champion and Fort Martin Scott Champion of Fredericksburg, Texas.

Golden Life Achievement Award

Dan Dennehy has been throwing knives since the age of 7-72 years and counting. Dan, along with the well known Harry McEvoy, started throwing for the public in the early 1970's. Dan Dennehy also began the art of making knives in 1940, and is one of the original members of the American Knife Makers Guild. Featured in several knife magazines, Dan Dennehy is well known in the knife world. Dan had the honor of presenting G. Gordon Liddy with a Bowie knife and also has a bowie display at the Alamo. Dan has been involved in "mountain man rendezvous" since the late 1960's. Mike "Ironpost" Kolisch writes, "It is my opinion that Dan Dennehy has been an extraordinary influence to the knife throwing world, and an excellent nomination for the International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame."

Knife Throwing Pioneer Award

Sylvester Braun and his wife have been performing their act "The Wizards of the West" since the early 1940's. The Brauns put on shows involving trick riding, whips, ropes, and throwing knives and hatchets. Now in their 80's, they are still active but limit the number and types of shows that they perform.

International Achievement Award

Doug "Chief Thundercloud" Waldorf was a charismatic leader who influenced tens of thousands of admirers in several different fields. Whether lecturing to an audience of university professors about Indians, performing on stage, or telling a story to a group of kids around a campfire, Waldorf took center stage with enthusiasm, authority, and dignity. As he spoke, he put the listener into the midst of the action with a voice that was deep, strong, and clear as a bell. His attention to detail was amazing, his accuracy of facts was impeccable, and his concern for Indians and environmental issues ran very deep. Here was a man who knew where he was coming from and where he was going-and if you didn't hold on to your seat, you'd get swept along, too. Doug Waldorf rose to national prominence in the 1960's as "Chief Thundercloud," one of the nation's top Wild West Show performers, right up there with Lash La Rue, Chief A J and Che Che Whitecloud. He stunned audiences with his knife throwing, bull whip tricks, and trick shooting with both bow and arrows and guns, and other feats. Waldorf was also a superior knife thrower, performing all the standard tricks, including outlining his cute Indian assistant while she stood with arms outstretched against a circle of wood. After the throwing, she would step away completely unhurt and the audiences would go wild. He never had a mishap. Doug also threw multiple blades-he'd start with one, showing his accuracy, then throw 2, then 3, 4, and finally 5 all at once-all of them sticking! Few throwers can do that today. In addition to his work as "Chief Thundercloud," Doug Waldorf has also worn the various hats of firefighter, a conductor of a concert orchestra, a rodeo trick rider, a radio and TV announcer, a minister, a High Priest, a scoutmaster, an archeologist, an actor, the director of two living Indian Village museums, an author, and a multi-media technician and programmer.

Knife Throwing Pioneer Award

Harry McEvoy was the founder of the AKTA as well as the author of 5 or 6 books on knife throwing. Harry McEvoy is given the most responsibility for brining knife throwing to modern America. Some of the books he has written are Knife Throwing as a Modern Sport, Knife and Tomahawk Throwing: The Art of the Experts, and Knife Throwing: A Practical Guide. He founded the Tru-Balance Knife Company in 1949 and almost ever since, he has been the primary supplier of quality throwing knives to professionals and sportsmen alike. He has coached and demonstrated knife and tomahawk throwing for more than thirty years.

International Achievement Award

Kenneth "Che Che Whitecloud" Pierce is known nationwide as a true pioneer of knife throwing. He has over 68 years of professional performances, including throwing in early film, stage performances, the "birth" of Las Vegas, and before thousands of audiences. "Che Che Whitecloud" is a third generation professional impalement artist who began throwing before the age of 10. A guiding force in the world of knife throwing, Mr. Pierce has donated his time, money, and energies into his commitment to see that the art of knife throwing is preserved and taught in the USA. He tours the nation all year promoting the art and the sport-at his expense-for preservation of the art. Kenneth Pierce is also a distinguished citizen in the state of New York, receiving the special "KNIFE1" license plate from the governor of New York. Even at the age of 77, "Che Che Whitecloud" is still a professional impalement artist.

Outstanding Achievement in Knife Design Award

Gil Hibben needs no introduction to anyone familiar with custom made knives, for he has dedicated his life to the art of knife making and design. Gil is a member of the Knifemakers Guild, was inducted into the Blade Cutlery Hall of Fame and the Masters Champion Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Well recognized the world over for his fantasy and functional knife designs, Gil Hibben has been designing knives since 1957. Mr. Hibben, along with Charles Gruzanski and Harry McEvoy, pioneered and developed the concept of knife throwing as a sport in 1968. Over the following years, he developed and performed a knife throwing act in Branson, Missouri at a theme park called "The Silver Dollar." A designer of some of the most impressive, influential, and exciting throwing knives around, Gil Hibben has designed knives for over 34 different television shows and movies. "There are other sides of this versatile man such as his expertise in the Martial Arts. He holds a Black Belt in Judo as well as a third degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate," writes C. Houston Price. Mr. Hibben has had the honor of making custom knives for John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen, Sylvester Stallone, Steven Segal, and Vice President Dan Quayle."

International Instructor of the Year

John Bailey was born in 1947 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. One summer day, when John was 9 years old, his dad introduced him to knife throwing for the first time. His dad took a handmade throwing knife he personally made and threw it into a freshly chalked target he had drawn on the side of the barn. John could hardly believe his eyes; he never thought his dad was the kind of guy that would know how to do something so cool as knife throwing. From that point on, John threw just about anything and everything he could find. John later joined the Army and hooked up with the 199th Light Infantry, who were soon to be Rangers. In 1966, after completing his special training, the unit was ordered to take leave and get all their personal affairs in order before heading to Viet Nam. While home on leave, a drunk driver struck John as he was waiting to turn into his driveway on his motorcycle. The driver was so drunk that he didn't even know he had hit John. John's left leg was completely cut off, and was laid beside him on the gurney. John was in the hospital for one year and in full leg casts (23 total) for three years, with numerous operations in-between, followed by 10 years in a full leg brace. Eventually John got out of his casts, but not before he met his would-be wife, Monika, who he has been married to for over 35 years. During that period of time, he purchased "Sunshine Knife Outlet" and developed the "The Knife Throwers Page" website. John then developed his two videos on knife throwing, "Recreational Knife Throwing" and "Throw and Stick Any Knife." He was also contacted by Boker, in Solingen, Germany, to be their primary, "Throwing Knife Designer." In 1999, John designed the "TanKri" and the "Starlight" throwing knives, and in 2003, the "Mini Bo-Kri" and the "Beil-Ax." Over the years, John and Monika developed an act called "Lash & Steel." They have performed in Germany, Estonia, Texas, Michigan, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida. John is also the founder and president of the "World Knife Throwers Guild, Inc." (WKTG) and has conducted the WKTG Blade Show Annual World Knife Throwing Championships since 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Knife Throwing Promoter of the Year

Scott "Throwzini" Gracia is the proprietor of "The Great Throwzini" website as well as editor of "The Great Throwzini" newsletter. Mr. Gracia says "I was first introduced to

throwing when I was about 10 years old. I used to love watching the old karate movies with the bad acting and dubbed voices. Quite a few years later, when the internet took off, I found tons of other people, just like me, that loved to throw. After soaking up as much knowledge as I could I decided to start a website of my own about the sport to share all of the things I was learning. Soon I was getting so much information I had to find another way to share it so I started an online newsletter. Upcoming events, new clubs, tips, tricks, techniques and games are some of the topics covered. Since all of this began I have met some of the best people in the world. Knife throwers are a rare bunch of folks who are always willing to share information and advice. "Thank you ALL for everything! Knife throwing is good for the Soul!!" Scott Gracia's role as an outstanding instructor, retailer, and pubisher has made him the recipient of the 2003 "Knife Throwing Promoter of the Year." www.throwzini.com

Pinnacle Award of Success

Rick Lemberg, World Champion, AKTA Sanctioned Master Instructor, and Martial Arts Hall of Fame Inductee in the ancient art of Knife and Tomahawk Throwing, 2002 WWAC World Knife & Tomahawk Masters Champion, Founder and current President of Pacific Knife Throwers-the largest club of Master Throwers in the western US, 2003 Inductee to the International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame in Austin, Texas, Winner of over a dozen nationally sanctioned Knife Throwing Contests, Top 3 in over 20 Elite Tournaments and dozens of contests worldwide since 1996, Master Instructor at the World Championships of Martial Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2003, 1999, 2001 & 2002 PKT Western States Knife & Tomahawk Throwing Champion, Expert Witness for the Santa Clara County Court System as an acknowledged expert in knives and their use as weapons, Guest Television Host for the Knife Show on the Shop at Home Network, Nashville, Tennessee in 2000 & 2001, live performances at many charity and professional events and television news demonstrations-FX Network Television Performance, 1999-over 6 hours of Live Television Knife Throwing, more than all other active throwers combined, career Finance Executive now serving as President/CEO of an internet auction company, EarthHunt.

Outstanding Male Competitor Award

Jim "Grey Dog" Tanner was the overall champion of the Central US Knife Throwing Tournament in 2002. Winner of Las Vegas Knife Throwing tournament in 2003. A 5th degree Black Belt in the art of Bakido, Jim has studied martial arts for 10 years.

2002 CUSKT Championships

1st Place Knife Throwing Champion-Expert Division

1st Place Spear Throwing Champion-Expert Division

Winner-Overall Champion-Expert Division

2003 CUSKT Championships

3rd Place Knife-Expert Division

3rd Place Spear-Expert Division

2nd Place Overall-Aggregate-Expert Division

WWAC World Knife & Tomahawk Throwing Championships, Las Vegas

3rd Place Knife- 2 turn (18')

Tied for 1st Place Knife- 1 turn (12') with Joe Darrah, lost in throw-off.

1st Place Tomahawk-with Highest Score ever in PKTA history!

Overall Aggregate Champion

Thomi Hawks Frontier Challenge Hawk Throw

2nd Place

2004 First ever "Gold Cup Champion"

CUSKT Championships

1st Place Tomahawk-Expert Division

2nd Place Spear-Expert Division

2005 CUSKT Championships

7th Place Knife-Expert Division

4th Place Tomahawk-Expert Division

7th Place Overall

WWAC World Championships-Claremore, OK

World Champion-Long Distance Knife Throwing

Thomi Hawks Frontier Challenge

Tomahawk Throwing Champion

2006 CUSKT Championships

8th Place Knife-Expert Division

2007 Frontiersman Throw at the Alamo

8th Place out of 29-Adult Division

2008 World Championship-Austin, TX.

1st Place Tomahawk-Intermediate Division

Knife Throwing Pioneer Award

Charles Gruzanski (1933-1972) was born in Chicago, Illinois, the second youngest of three children. During his youth, he suffered frequent bouts of pneumonia, which kept him from graduating high school. Hoping to improve his physical conditioning he entered the US Army on February 2, 1950. He was promoted to Sergeant Military Police Investigator in Kokura Kyushu Japan after a year of service. Around the same time he began practicing Judo and was awarded the rank of Shodan (first degree) by the Kodokan in 1953. During this time he became acquainted with Yumio Nawa, the headmaster of a martial arts tradition known as Masaki Ryu. Nawa Sensei was an expert in the Japanese martial art of manrikigusari-jutsu (weighted chain), kusarigama-jutsu (the art of chain and sickle) and shuriken-jutsu (the art of throwing small bladed weapons). Mr. Gruzanski's proficiency in Judo, combined with his previous experience with knife throwing allowed him to quickly become proficient in these arts. He was the first non-Japanese to be awarded an Instructors Certificate in the arts of the Masaki Ryu Manrikigusari-jutsu and Edomachichikata Jutte (a feudal age police art which used a fork shaped iron truncheon). In 1968, he authored a book entitled Spike and Chain, based on his studies with Yumio Nawa of the Masaki Ryu.

After returning to Chicago in 1959, he visited Carmen Corrado, owner of the Corrado Cutlery Company in Chicago, to acquire some swords and throwing knives. Corrado suggested that he contact Harry McEvoy of Grand Rapids, Michigan. McEvoy had designed throwing knives since 1939 under the name of Tru-bal. This began a friendship that lasted over 13 years. In June of 1964, with the help of Harry McEvoy, he started the very first knife throwing organization called the Tru-Flyte. This was the first national organization founded to promote knife throwing as a modern sport. The board of consultants included Harry McEvoy, Robert Abels, William D. Randall, Jr., Gary Randall, Robert Lee Wilson, Gil Hibben, Ralph H. Totsch, Paul LaCross, D.L. Garg, Norman C. Heilman, Jr., Jim Ramsay, Kenneth Pierce and Yumio Nawa. All were true pioneers and craftsmen. Assisted by Harry McEvoy, he co-authored Knife Throwing as a Modern Sport, the first detailed book on knife throwing in 1965, Mr. Gruzanski was also the founder of the Chicago Academy of Martial Arts. The curriculum of this training hall included Kodokan Judo, Hakko Ryu Ju Jitsu, Kyokushinkai Karate, Yoshinkan Aikido, and the classical martial arts of the Masaki Ryu tradition.

Special Recognition

Burl "The Underhand Man" Carl started tournament throwing in 1997. He first got the nickname "The Underhand Man" while attending a tournament in 2000 hosted by two-time International Knife Throwing Champion, Lee Fugatt. He was playing around throwing underhanded an 18" Gladius short sword that Lee had made, when "Master of the Blade" Bob Karp asked him if he could throw a knife underhanded like that as well. He not only did it, but went on to demonstrate several underhand throwing techniques using different knives. Ever since then, his friends all know him by his nickname. He claims that, "Over the years I've pitched softball, tossed horseshoes, bowling balls, and even thrown picks, axes, and just about anything else underhanded. It wasn't that difficult transitioning to knives and tomahawks." He is a diversified thrower able to throw overhand, and underhand and is currently working on half spins and no spin throws for both overhand and underhand. "I was only into overhand/underhand spin throws until I saw Bob Karp, Ralph Thorne, and Roy Hutchinson throw. These guys are truly awesome to watch and have inspired me to try yet another form of throwing." One of his many interests is his knife making hobby. When he started throwing in competitions he says he couldn't find many designs that he liked, so he started creating and making his own knives. "I always felt that a throwing knife should at least look somewhat like a knife instead of a sharp pointed piece of metal." His main mentor was Lee Fugatt and says it was Lee who really gave him a strong foundation on throwing knife dynamics. His designs range from bowie knives to daggers and he says he will be working on designs for half spin and no spin blades to round out his range of throwing abilities.

National Knife Maker of the Year

Lee Fugatt

Bronze Life Achievement Award

Lawrence Czekaj