Tonfa
Also known as: tunkuwa
Oak staff with a perpendicular handle set a third of the way along its length, practised in pairs; the police baton PR-24 derived from it came into use in 1972.
Quick Facts
About the weapon
The tonfa is a wooden weapon of Okinawan kobudō: a staff with a perpendicular handle attached roughly a third of the way along its length. Its origin is disputed, with China, Okinawa and Southeast Asia all suggested. Today's practitioners often claim it developed from the handle of a millstone used by farmers; historically, however, martial arts on Okinawa were practised by the upper classes, who adopted them from China. Related weapons are the Thai mai sok, the Khmer staupe and the Vietnamese song xỉ. The tonfa measures roughly 38 to 51 cm and, when gripped, extends about three centimetres past the elbow. It was traditionally made of red or white oak. Five shapes are distinguished: rounded sides with a semicircular end, angular faces, one widening like a blade toward the end, one fully rounded, and one pointed for defence with a thrust. The tonfa is used in pairs. Three grips are known: the natural honte-mochi, the reversed gyakute-mochi, and the special tokushu-mochi, which is rare but used in the Yaraguwa kata. In Matayoshi kobudō the weapon is called tunkuwa, and the kata Matayoshi no Tunkuwa Dai Ichi and Dai Ni are practised with it. In 1972 police forces began using a derived baton with a side handle, known as the PR-24. After the Rodney King incident they gradually moved away from it.
Parts of the weapon
- Grip