Tonfa

The tonfa belongs to a group of ancient weapons called kobudo weapons. When the Ryukyu islands were independent from Japan, Ryukyuans used the tonfa against the Japanese samurai.[4] The Japanese confiscated the weapons of the Ryukyuans, who developed clever ways to defend themselves using everyday objects. The millstone handle evolved into the tonfa. The tonfa along with the other kobudo weapons were working tools that were used in farming and fishing in ancient Okinawa. The tonfa was used as the handle of a millstone tool to prepare grains.[5]

Martial artists of the Khmer Empire wield arm shields at the forearm similar to tonfa in this bas-relief at Cambodia's 12th/13th century Bayon temple

Although the tonfa is most commonly associated with the Okinawan martial arts, its origin is heavily debated. One of the most commonly cited origins is China, although origins from Indonesia to Okinawa are also possible.[6][7][8] Although modern martial artists often cite that the tonfa derives from a millstone handle used by peasants,[3] martial arts in Okinawa were historically practised by the upper classes who imported martial arts from China and elsewhere, and it is likely that the weapon was imported from outside Okinawa. The Chinese and Malay words for the weapon (guai and topang respectively) literally mean "crutch", which may suggest the weapon originating from such device. In Cambodia and Thailand, a similar weapon is used consisting of a pair of short clubs tied onto the forearms, known in Thai as mai sok and in Khmer as staupe. In Thailand and Malaysia, the mai sok often has a similar design to the tonfa, with a perpendicular handle rather than being tied on.[3][6] In Vietnam, a similar weapon called the song xỉ is made of a pair of steel or aluminum bars. The song xỉ is used as a small shield to protect the forearms and has a sharp tip at the end to attack.[9]

A pair of Cambodian "tonfa" or staupe which is an arm shield with a pointed edge