A cowboy never leaves the house without his trusty lasso! Whether you need it or are just basking in a Wild West fantasy, knowing how to lasso on the spot can help you catch the wildest thoroughbred or stop a troublesome cattle before they escape. Fortunately, all you need is a simple knot to get started!
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Forming a Lasso with a Honda Knot
Step 1. Get a piece of string
For a lasso, the precise length is not important, as long as it is enough to tie the knot, the ring and make it spin over your head. Any excess part can be wrapped and carried with you. For adults, about ten meters is enough and far; for children, the shorter the better.
If you're just practicing, any type of string is fine. However, if you really intend to use the lasso, it is best to use a thin, sturdy rope with some stiffness. The stiffness makes the rope a little harder to tie, but it remains an ideal quality because it allows you to "push" the rope to change the size of the loop
Step 2. Make a simple loose knot
The first step in creating a lasso is a simple knot. This is the classic first knot for tying your shoes. To make one, just create a ring in your rope, then pass one of the ends through the ring. Don't tighten this knot - keep it loose and give yourself plenty of room to work on. You will modify this simple knot in the next few steps. When done correctly, your string should now look like a large "O" with a loose knot at the bottom.
Step 3. Pull the tail of the rope back through the knot
Grab the shorter end. Pull the rope towards you and over the "O" -shaped ring. Insert it between the outside of the "O" part of the simple knot and itself. Pull the string so that 15 cm pass through. A new ring will form and become the base of your lasso.
Step 4. Gently tighten the knot without pulling the tail completely
Pull the loose part of the rope (the end you will hold to throw the lasso) and the new ring you just created. While doing this, be careful not to pull the end through the knot again. In the end, you should have a tight knot at the base of a small ring (with the end also coming out of the knot). This is called honda knot.
Step 5. Pass the excess end through the Honda knot
In conclusion, simply thread the long end of the rope through the small loop of your honda knot to form a working lasso. By pulling the excess part, you can tighten the lasso to grab objects.
Step 6. Tie a locking knot (optional)
If you're making a lasso for fun or for beauty, you're done. If you're serious about using it instead, you might want to add one last knot to make your lasso more durable and easier to use. At present, the short end of the lasso can be pulled back thanks to the Honda knot, untying the knot and ruining the lasso. To avoid this, just tie a small locking knot at the end. A simple knot will suffice.
Part 2 of 2: Throwing a Lasso
Step 1. Hold the lasso
By simply grabbing the excess part of the rope and starting to rotate, the tension in the rope will close the ring before the lasso is even launched; therefore it is important to use a grip that holds the lasso wide open as you spin it and give it speed. Hold the lasso following these instructions:
- Make a nice big loop by passing more rope through the Honda knot.
- Leave 30-60 cm of the excess rope next to the ring.
- Grab the ring and the "handle" of the rope together. This should create a “double” part of the rope between the Honda knot and your hand. This part is called "shank" (paw).
- Point your index finger into the paw through the Honda knot for greater control.
Step 2. Swing the wrist overhead with the rope
Holding the rope at the end of the leg, start swinging it in a circle above your head. Be careful not to hit or hang yourself. Be quick enough not to make it difficult to keep it level, but not too quick to lose control.
Step 3. Release the rope when the momentum seems to be sufficient
Throwing a lasso isn't like throwing a baseball - it's more a matter of releasing it at the right time rather than pushing it forward. Try to let it go when you feel its weight move forward - it doesn't have to be in front of you. Indeed, it is more likely to happen when the ring is behind you.
When you throw the lasso, let go of the ring but keep the rope firm so you can tighten the noose
Step 4. Squeeze the lasso to grab your prey
When you have wrapped whatever you are trying to catch, pull the string tight. This will pull the excess end of the ring through the Honda knot, tightening the lasso on the prey.
