Tonfa

The tonfa, also known as tong fa or tuifa, is a traditional Okinawan weapon from which the modern side-handled police baton is derived.

History

The origin of the Tonfa is debated but experts believe it either originated in China or Indonesia. It is used in both Southeast Asian and Chinese martial arts and was possibly brought to Okinawa through their influence. A similar weapon called the mae sun sawk is used in Thailand. Tradition holds that during the reign of Okinawan ruler Shō Shin, restrictions were placed on the use of weaponry in order to stabilize the country after a period of civil war.

This restriction is said to have favoured the development of unconventional agricultural tools as weapons of self-defense. In this context, it is believed that the tonfa was developed from a wooden handle of a millstone, a common agricultural implement much like the kama....

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