thumb|A pair of tonfa

thumb|right|A pair of tonfa with a rounded body throughout.

The tonfa (Okinawan: , Japanese: 旋棍; rōmaji: senkon lit. old man's staff / "crutch", also spelled as tongfa or tuifa, also known as T-baton) is a melee weapon with its origins in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts where it is known as the tunkua. It consists of a stick with a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down the length of the stick, and is about long. It was traditionally made from red or white oak, and wielded in pairs. The tonfa is believed to have originated in either China, Okinawa or Southeast Asia, where it is used in the respective fighting styles.

History

Regional variants

thumb|left|220px|Martial artists of the [[Khmer Empire wield arm shields at the forearm similar to tonfa in this bas-relief at Cambodia's 12th/13th century Bayon temple]]

Although the tonfa is most commonly associated with the Okinawan martial arts, its origin is heavily debated. One of the most commonly cited origins is China, although origins from Indonesia to Okinawa are also possible. Although modern martial artists often cite that the tonfa derives from a millstone handle used by peasants,

100px|thumb|A pair of Cambodian "tonfa" or staupe which is an arm shield with a pointed edge

Types of tonfa

There are different versions of the Okinawan tonfa, but the basic design is the same. The small grip is at one end of the tonfa. The main body of the tonfa is where there are variations. The most popular form of tonfa has rounded sides and a rounded bottom which makes a semicircle. The square tonfa has rectangular faces on the main body of the weapon. A paddle-shape tonfa has the bottom half wider than the front half and looks like a paddle. Another tonfa has a rounded body throughout. A crude pointed tonfa has the front heads and back heads ending in a pointed design. This can be used for stabbing defense.

Usage

The tonfa can be used for blocking and striking.

Law enforcement agencies started using a variation of the tonfa in 1972 known as a side handled baton but best known as the "PR-24" as that was the name of the most popular model. Many agencies started phasing out their use of batons for standard patrols after the Rodney King beating, in which batons including the PR-24 were used by several officers.

See also

  • Okinawan weapons
  • Hungarian shield
  • Salawaku
  • Side-handle baton

References

Further reading

  • Robert Paturel and Alain Formaggio, Tonfa sécurité, Chiron éditeur, 2001. . .

pt:Porrete#Tonfa