Tonfa
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The tonfa, also known as tong fa or tuifa, is a traditional Okinawan weapon from which the modern side-handled police baton is derived.
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[edit] Technique
There are numerous ways to defend and attack with the tonfa. In defense, if the handle is grasped then the shaft protects the forearm and hand from blows from the opponents and the knob can protect the thumb. If both ends of the shaft are held, the shaft can be used to ward off blows and the handle can be used as a hook to catch the opponent's weapons.
In attack, one can swing the shaft to strike the target. Large amounts of momentum can be imparted to the shaft by twirling the tonfa by the handle. The tonfa can also be wielded in such a way as to use the knob as a striking implement, held either by the handle or by the shaft. One can also stab one's opponents with the shaft of the tonfa. By holding the shaft and the handle of the tonfa together, one can use it for holding or breaking techniques.
Tonfa are traditionally wielded in pairs, one in each hand. This is unlike police nightsticks, which are generally used alone. As the tonfa can be held in many different ways, education in the use of the tonfa often involves learning how to switch between different grips at high speed. Such techniques require great manual dexterity.
[edit] History
Most accounts describe Tonfa as originating from a handle or pin in a traditional grindstone used to mill grain such as rice or wheat.
[edit] Pop Culture
Used by Sun Ce in Dynasty Warriors (Sun Jian's son). In the Super Sentai series Chouriki Sentai Ohranger and Juken Sentai Gekiranger along with their American counterparts from the Power Rangers series Power Rangers: Zeo and Power Rangers: Jungle Fury the Blue and Yellow Rangers of both series wield Tonfas as their main weapons. Yuuji Mita also known as OHBlue and his counterpart Rocky DeSantos who is known in Zeo as Zeo Ranger III both weld Tonfas with blades attached to them. In Ohranger they are called Delta Tonfas while in Zeo they are called Zeo Bladed Tonfas. Ran Uzaki and Retsu Fukami and their counterparts Theo Martin and Lily weld Tonfas as their main weapons even though Ran and Lily's weapons put together form a Bō staff configuration. In Gekiranger they are called GekiTonfas while in Jungle Fury they are called Jungle Tonfas
[edit] See also
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