Tonfa

[sirdarksol]

The tonfa is a weapon that is the fore-runner of the modern police baton. It is a long piece of wood with a handle sticking out of it at a right angle to the main piece. Generally used as pairs, tonfa are normally held with the long end extending down the forearm. This allows the wielder to use them as excellent defensive weapons, blocking even edged weapons with a standard karate block. The general strike is a normal punch, but instead of striking with the knuckles, the striking surface is the 1" square solid wooden end of the short end. The long end supports the strike along the forearm, making for a devastating punch. The tonfa can also be swung with the long end out, giving extra reach for lighter clubbing attacks. Nearly any arm maneuver in karate may also be done with a tonfa, and nearly all such maneuvers are made more effective. The potential for additional reach adds to the utility of the tonfa.

The origin of the tonfa is one of the more odd ones of the Okinawan weapons. Originally the handle of a millstone, the potential of the tonfa was discovered as the islanders struggled to find ways to defend themselves in a time that they were not allowed to have weapons.