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Tonfa (Tunfa): Weapon of Versatility

April 29, 2009 | Author: Matthew | Filed under: Historical, Martial Arts, Okinawa Kenpo, karate, kobudo

Among the ancient kobudo weapons of Okinawa, the bo and nunchaku have attained the most popularity. Despite that, the tonfa (tunfa, tuifa, etc) has maintained a small but loyal following of practitioners. The reason why is the dynamic versatility that the weapon allows.

If you’re wondering where the tonfa came from or what it looks like, take a quick peek at this video:

In summation, the tonfa is a straight wooden rod with a perpendicular handle attached. It was used (probably) as the handle to a grain grinding stone. If needed, the handle could be easily removed and used as a destructive weapon.

History aside, let’s look at what makes the tonfa so dynamic.

Ways of Holding the Tonfa (Tunfa)

The interesting thing about tonfa is the different ways it can be held.

On the left you’ll notice the “classic” way of holding a tonfa, which is long-edge-in. In this position you have the length of the shaft to guard your arm as you attempt to block, parry, and close distance. You also have the butt end of the shaft to punch with. In this position you can use the centrifugal force of swinging the back end around to strike.

In the middle the tonfa is being held long-edge-out. Although practitioners often end up in this position after a strike, it can also be used as a starting position. When facing a long edged weapon like a sword, it is often desirable to have some sort of method of deflection. With the tonfa, the long edge is the best possible way of decreasing the distance disadvantage while keeping all your body parts intact.

On the right is a lesser known but still very useful method of holding. This is a form of reverse grip where the practitioner holds the actual long edge, using the handle as a tool for hitting and hooking. Much like the kama, the handle can be used to ensnare limbs, weapons, and the throat, as well as create a harsh point of impact for striking.

Ways of Striking with the Tonfa (Tunfa)

Along with the different grips for tonfa is the different means of striking. Each grip offers different possibilities, and knowing these possibilities helps when deciding which style to utilize.

As you can see, the left picture shows the fairly limited method of striking when the tonfa is folded in. Despite that, the blocking possibilities are enhanced.

In the middle the practitioner has a wide array of swinging, poking, and striking techniques.

On the right the practitioner has hooking, poking, and bludgeoning strikes. All in all, when fighting an adept tonfa user, one can never really be sure where a strike is coming from, which creates an amazing versatility.

So Good It’s Still Around

One of the best arguments for the usefulness of the tonfa is the fact that it’s still around. Police all over the U.S. (especially in Los Angeles) utilize a single “night stick” called the PR 24. While okinawans tended to use tonfa in pairs, the single baton has proved very effective for dealing with the unpredictable criminal element.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 and is filed under Historical, Martial Arts, Okinawa Kenpo, karate, kobudo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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  • Atm1297
    For anyone who can answer, I keep buying and breaking my pairs of tonfa. I just use them in the 1st and 2nd positions illustrated above. I hit only punching bags when I need practice, and yet I have a broken PR-24, and 2 broken red oak ones. I added a hard foam to the handles so that the fit is right for my hands, but that shouldn't factor in.

    P.S. Gorilla glue, duct tape... all the usual quick fixes don't and won't seem to work.
  • Hey atm. The absolute best way to go is with a company called Shureido - http://www.shureidousa.com/kobudo/tunfatuifa.html . They make extremely traditional and high quality weapons. The problem is that they are also pricey.

    E-bogu also makes pretty good quality tunfa - http://www.e-bogu.com/Tonfa_s/83.htm . I use a pair of theirs for bunkai and kumite and have yet to break them.

    hope that helps!
  • Branden
    Mattsan and I's Kobudo (weapons) training is fairly traditional and we don't have a specific kata that uses that either. It's tought as an option, but atleast in the lowly katas I know, there isn't any techniques that use it. Maybe in something other than Matayoshi style?

    I love them. I love all of the weapons, but tonfa are probably one of my top 3 picks.
  • MikeOliveri
    I've always thought the tonfa would be a fun weapon to learn. We're working sai in our weapons class and I know some bo kata, but I hope to start learning some tonfa soon.

    I've only seen one tonfa kata, but it didn't have any techniques holding the long end. I can see where the hooking could be useful. I'll have to ask around my school to see if they use it that way in class or kata.
  • Brandensan is right - we don't have any kata that use the reverse grip. However! Check this kata out that does use it (p.s. it's pretty cool) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN-KbmtJTWY
  • MikeOliveri
    Very cool. Thanks for the link! Most of the kobudo kata my school practices are Matayoshi, though there are a few where we adapt our traditional katas to weapons. Chances are, then, that we won't see a lot of reverse grip unless some of our students or instructors picked up some kata outside our style.
  • :o

    I've always wanted one of these, but can't really justify buying one; as far as I know they're illegal over here.
  • bah, just convince them you are preserving very valuable heritage!!
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