Two burglars who allegedly broke into a woman's house in California were shocked to discover their victim was a competitive axe-thrower who kept her axe by her bedside.

Robin Irvine told KCAL9 News that she awoke in the middle of the night on 2 November as one of the men, who had broken in through her front door, attempted to remove her watch from her wrist.

Ms Irvine said she then jumped out of bed and screamed before grabbing the tomahawk axe, causing the intruders to flee the property.

"‘I could’ve thrown it," she said. "I could’ve put it right in his spine. It would have paralysed him."

Ms Irvine, who lives in Hemet, South California, said she had learned to throw the axe growing up and had taken part in axe throwing competitions.