Editing Tonfa (section)

{{Short description|Okinawan kobudō weapon}}
{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Okinawan words and phrases]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

[[Image:Tonfas.jpg|thumb|A pair of tonfa]]
[[Image:Practicante tonfas.JPG|thumb|right|A pair of tonfa with a rounded body throughout.]]
The '''''tonfa''''' ([[Okinawan language|Okinawan]]: {{lang|ryu|トンファー}} {{transliteration|ryu|tonfā}}, {{zh|c=柺|p=guǎi}} lit. ''old man's staff'' / ''"crutch"'', also spelled as '''''tongfa''''' or '''''tuifa''''', also known as '''T-baton'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://imperialcombatarts.com/specialty-weapons.html|title = Rare Kung Fu Weapons &#124; Specialty Weapons}}</ref>) is a melee weapon with its origins in [[Okinawan kobudō|the armed component]] of [[Okinawan martial arts]] where it is known as the '''''tunkua'''''. It consists of a stick with a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down the length of the stick, and is about {{convert|15|–|20|in}} long.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weapons – Tonfa|url=http://lyon-karate.com/articles/karate-terminology/traditional-okinawan-weapons/weapons-tonfa/|website=Lyon Karate|access-date=29 May 2017}}</ref> It was traditionally made from [[Red oak|red]] or [[white oak]], and wielded in pairs.<ref name="History">{{cite web|url=http://www.tonfa.org/tonfa-history/|title=Tonfa history|website=Tonfa.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614195315/http://www.tonfa.org/tonfa-history/|archive-date=14 June 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=29 May 2017}}</ref> The tonfa is believed to have originated in either China, [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] or [[Southeast Asia]], where it is used in the respective fighting styles.