Wheel of death (Impalement arts)

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For other uses, see Wheel of death (disambiguation).

The Wheel of Death, in the context of the impalement arts, is a classic moving target stunt sometimes performed by knife throwers. The thrower's assistant or target girl is secured to a larger circular target board that is free to spin about its centre point. As the target rotates the thrower must execute a series of rapid, consistent and carefully timed throws to land knives on the segments of the wheel not covered by the assistant's body.

There are variations in the exact configuration of "wheels": in some the assistant is positioned with their arms at their sides while in others the assistant is spreadeagled. Sometimes the "wheel" might not actually be circular: shield shapes and rectangular rotating boards have been known and all will work as "wheels" as long as they are correctly balanced to rotate smoothly when the assistant is in place.

[edit] History

Moving targets were an innovation used by European impalement artists in the 1930s. The husband and wife act The Gibsons, from Germany, have been credited with introducing the Wheel of Death into the USA in 1938, when they featured in Ringling Bros, and Barnum & Bailey's shows at Madison Square Garden.[1][2][3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Stan Brion, "Foreword", in Adamovich, Heil & Schollenberger, A Day on Broadway: The art of being a knife thrower's assistant, Turnshare (London, 2005), ISBN 1-903343-73-9, p.ix
  2. ^ Quotes and stories about Knife Throwers in the Circus. David Adamovich. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
  3. ^ Time magazine, 18 April 1938, <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,759533,00.html>. Retrieved on 22 March 2007 
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