r/kobudo • u/goofyslayerr • 8d ago
Tonfā Are Tonfā only practical when dual wielded?
Im Working on a vigilante type character as a fun little side project and when i thought what weapon he'd use i thought Tonfā because i always thought they're fighting style looks so cool!
But his character is based in a more gritty scenario kind of like Batman's city gotham so i thought only using a close range weapon could be a death sentence in such a dark world so my idea was what if he uses both Tonfā and a gun with sleeping Darts so one hand a Tonfā and one hand the dart gun or depending on situation he could also dual wield either!
But I've never in a realistic setting seen someone wield a single Tonfā other than anime and such, so mainly out of curiosity i wanted to ask if this idea if mine makes any real world sense or if I'll just chalk it up as fiction logic?
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u/precinctomega 8d ago
I mean... the police issue side arm baton may not be widely used anymore, but it was ubiquitous in the 90s and expert users could put it to a range of arrest and restraint applications.
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u/cai_85 8d ago
We have them in the UK policing still, they are telescoping usually. See this one for example: https://www.police-supplies.co.uk/protec-side-handle-baton-holder
I'd say these are a bit less common than straight, telescoping non-handled batons now though.
Answering OP's point, if you have a free hand then you can restrain someone while you hit them with the tonfa/baton, the idea of using a gun at the same time is a little less practical as one is ranged combat and the other is basically face-to-face. But keeping the gun on one hip and a baton on the other hip is quite a balanced range of options. Shoot them if they are far away and then switch up to defend/attack with the baton (and bare fist) close in.
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u/goofyslayerr 8d ago
True i didn't think about that since where i live police don't carry any weapons other than a gun and probably pepper spray
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u/CustomerAggressive35 7d ago
Also here's a good example of jet li using them in one of his movies https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbjCEe0gQSw/?stkn=M2Z2MnZvYWlpM2E0
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u/babylonianprincess7 7d ago
Theoretically it can be used with a sword/machete but most Kobudo schools dont really teach swords any more. But I have seen the Chinese and Southeast Asian equivalents of Tonfa used with swords
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u/Arokthis Godan (5th dan) 7d ago
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u/goofyslayerr 7d ago
Woah that's pretty much exactly how I'd imagine it and now i wanna watch that movie!
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u/CustomerAggressive35 7d ago edited 7d ago
Keep in mind you are working on a series that you can do whatever the hell you want and make it look cool. Tonfa or typically used as a single weapon, the free hand is used to help traps or arm brakes or locks all wrapping the weapon around a limb or neck. Using two can be useful but you lose the trapping element for sure and go to pure offense and defense which isn't bad either. But if you're creating the series you can do whatever you like with it honestly
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u/goofyslayerr 7d ago
Oh yeah of course it was more so out of curiosity anyway, one of the funny unrealistic ideas i actually had for it was that his Tonfā can extend into some sort of hook so he instead of blocking and bashing head in can just eject the hook and yoink pull someone off balance 😂
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u/CustomerAggressive35 7d ago
That's not a bad idea you can have either the extension come out from the long end and have a multi-functional purpose or when you switch handles or positioning it comes out for other ends. I practice this weapon in my martial art I'd be happy to bounce some ideas about how it's used or even creative applications if you'd like
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u/AnonymousHermitCrab 7d ago edited 7d ago
Single tonfā aren’t really trained in traditional practice, but that’s just because it’s training. In training you want to train both hands, but you can use a tonfā perfectly effectively with just one. Even allows you to get in grabs that you couldn’t use so well otherwise. To be honest, I'd almost consider it preferable.
From a historical perspective, the tonfā originated from a single weapon similar to the dharma cane; though it’d be a sort of 2-handed or 1.5-handed weapon since it's a longer tool. Could make for a cool aesthetic though for sure. https://youtu.be/L3SiHbyCMIQ?si=zy-db5oDIP_Mb-2o
If you want to consider a more fantastical route, you could take inspiration from Rave Master’s tonfā blasters. https://ravemaster.fandom.com/wiki/Tonfa_Blasters
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u/kromberg 8d ago
The PR-24 police baton was based off the Tonfa, and only ever used as a singular tool. The Tonfa's more traditional use, combined with modern two handed baton and handcuffing leverage techniques, make it a decent fit for your character.