The tonfa (Okinawan: トンファー tonfā, Chinese: 柺; pinyin: guǎi lit. old man’s staff / “crutch”), also spelled as tongfa or tuifa, also known as T-baton[1] is a melee weapon best known for its role in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts. It consists of a stick with a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down the length of the stick, and is about 15–20 inches (380–510 mm) long.[2] It was traditionally made from red or white oak and wielded in pairs.[3] The tonfa is believed to have originated in either China or Southeast Asia where it is used in the respective fighting styles. A similar weapon called the mai sok san is used in Krabi-krabong and tomoi.