旋棍 Tonfa
Tonfa (also called tongfa or tuifa) are wooden batons with side handles usually used in pairs. They are often made of hardwood, and available with rounded or faceted main bodies. They are common weapons used in Kobudo Okinawan Weapons training. The Tonfa is the precursor to the modern police PR-24 side handle baton.
Tonfa is one of the advanced weapons we train in the Kobudo program at the Academy of Traditional Karate with a kata.
After attaining my Shodan (1st degree black belt) in Kobudo and learning the Onami Tonfa Kata, I took on an advanced self-study of the Tonfa weapon. I learned a second kata, Tonfa no Ichi, and developed a set of drills consisting of basic techniques from the two kata. So new students could use the drills to learn the basic techniques before learning the longer, more difficult Tonfa kata. I taught the drills and additional kata to Shodan (1st degree black belt) students when I took over teaching the Kobudo program as a Nidan (2nd degree black belt) in Kobudo.
- Tonfa Uki Drill (Blocks)
- Tonfa Uchi Drill (Strikes)
- Tonfa Combinations Drill (Blocks & Strikes)
- Tonfa no Ichi Kata (First Tonfa Form)
