The prop tonfa in SPL 2: A Time for Consequence (2015) was manoeuvred by Wu Jing like a short staff in a duel with his dagger-wielding foe. By grasping the short handle with the crutch along the forearm, tonfa becomes an excellent shield of defence. Yet, with a flick of the wrist, it can be swung out to attack with a series of agile moves.

This is the prop tonfa used by Wu Jing in SPL 2: A Time for Consequence (2015).

There are two kinds of tonfas: long and short. Modelled on a walking stick for the elderly and disabled, the long crutch has been transformed into a potent weapon — the long tonfa, the signature weapon of a notorious villain — Duan Yanqing in novelist Jin Yong’s Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. In My Father is Hero (1995), despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered, Jet Li breaks the impasse with his awe-inspiring double-tonfa manoeuvres. The clashes between Gordon Liu Chia-hui and Mizuno Yuka in Heroes of the East (1978) showcase the similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese tonfas.