Origins of Okinawan Weapons, Chapter 4, Tonfa

[sirdarksol]

There is little argument about the source of the tonfa.
A few people claim that it is used to pound rice, but this is unlikely, since there is another implement that is used for this.
The most likely claim is that it is a mill handle. Someone realized that, when grasped by the short, perpendicular part and held with the long end laying against the arm, it would make an excellent defensive weapon. The tonfa is thick enough that it can allow a standard forearm block to deflect a sword strike.
This weapon has one of my favorite martial arts stories attached to it.
It is said that a farming village was trying to determine how to make the weapon effective. All of the woods that they used to make the handle, however, would either break or would slip free of the weapon.
Finally, a young man said that he would travel to a nearby fishing village to see if they had an answer. (This was a big deal because farmers and fishermen tended to hate each other). The farmer talked to a boatmaker in the village and was told of a wood that was tough and flexible enough to serve their needs. When he asked why the boatmaker helped, the boatmaker replied that an ancestor of his had gone to the farmers with a similar problem regarding patching a boat, and the farmers had provided an answer. He was merely returning the favor.

[disgruntled]

that is a cool story. is the tonfa always used up against the arm or is it some times turned around and used as a baton (sp?) too?

[sirdarksol]

Originally Posted by disgruntled

that is a cool story. is the tonfa always used up against the arm or is it some times turned around and used as a baton (sp?) too?

It most definitely can be flipped out to strike with, but it is almost always swung back against the arm afterwards in order to present a better defense. There is also the fact that, against the arm, the tonfa looks to have less reach, and an opponent may misjudge one's reach and step close enough to take a crack to the skull.

[sirdarksol]

A bit more info on the tonfa:
Although it presents an excellent defense, fighting with the tonfa requires that you go on the offensive. Because the weapons have so little reach, you've got to close in on an opponent as quickly as possible. Defense can only last so long, especially if your opponent has a longer weapon than you. Eventually, your opponent will get a strike past your defense, and the fight will likely be over.

[disgruntled]

when using the tonfa do you try to stay in a close range to choke out long range weapons?

[sirdarksol]

That's the idea. Really, your opponent should be dead or out of the fight within a second of you closing. Any attempt to protract an armed fight is asking for trouble. A friend and I were "dueling" on New Year's, and our fights were the archetypical shuffling around, gaging each other, then we would rush forward and in one or two cuts, one of us was "dead" or at least "crippled."
With tonfa, you can use the wood to shove the sharp edge of a weapon away while you close, and deliver a strike with the other hand.

[disgruntled]

how well would a tonfa be with deflecting a sword (just enough to let you get in close range)?

about two weeks ago, i was collecting ethnobotanical samples for a class and tried to cut off a branch with a really sharp knife. i was being careless (and did not fully appreciate the quality of the knife), and took the branch off with the tip of my thumb. it sliced through both like butter.

are there tonfa techniques that act to minimize the damage a sword can do?

[sirdarksol]

If you block an incoming stroke at an angle, the sword will catch the grain of the wood and follow that, rather than continuing the original cut. The sword will end up to the side of the body, giving you a moment to finish your opponent. It's also not the easiest thing in the world to cut straight through an inch and a half of wood, but it's doable, so that's not something you want to count on. Better to block at an angle to the cut.

[Hatori]

When I first got my expensive Katana I made the mistake of underestimating both it's power and just how surgically sharp it is. I put a water melon onto a chest that I used to keep my cat litter in and when I did the practice cut, the katana (which like all good Samurai, I named!) went through the melon AND THROUGH THE CHEST and there wasn't any resistance. I thought I had just cut the melon but when I lifted it off, the chest collapsed, spilling cat litter all over my patio! Oops!!! Think I'll stick to cutting PEOPLE!!! (that was a gag by the way before I get a visit from the Old Bill!)

[disgruntled]

LOL! good thing you did not try the experiement with the melon on someone's stomache!