do police use the tonfa? i never really paid attention but now that i think about it i think they do. in case you don't know what a tonfa is: just how effective is this? does it take years and years of practice to become a master of a tonfa?
To the extent that the tonfa is a small club with which you can hit people, yes, they use it. A baton is basically a tonfa. I highly doubt most are trained in Okinawan weapons systems however, or grip their batons tonfa style (i.e. by the handle)
PR24's are basically tonfas. And yes departments that train them use them by the handles not gripped at the end like a traditional baton. They are good for blocks but have less reach and impact than a straight stick.
Yes, many police forces do use those, because they are effective in both an offensive and defensive manor (much more than a straight club, though an ASP baton is more compact and easier to carry). And it takes years to become a master at anything, though you can become proficient enough with less training (if you do it right).
Came to post this, to a t. Our SERT team uses them on cell extractions, in tandem with the shock shields(took a 30 second ride on that, never again). Patrol units use ASPs though.
One of my old academy instructors used to use his to break collar bones during fights. Thu banned that type of overhand, downward strike though. And the ones issued are steel pipes with the side handle bolted on. They look cool but most officers end up using them like a traditional baton which defeats their usefulness.
Our small town local cops uses one. He says he was a baton instructor in the Army or something like that. I've seen use it a few times, he never hits anyone with it, but he uses it to twist people up if they're combative. It's kind of neat to see, it's one fluid motion and they're usually crying like a baby to stop. I've seen him use one of those little keychain wood stick things once on a guy that wouldn't cuff up.
