Police impact tools have evolved over time. Back in your grandpa’s day, a police officer “on the beat” likely carried a Billy Club or a Blackjack, with the handle directly in-line with the force-delivering body of the weapon. But since the early 1980s, side-handle batons such as the Tonfa or PR-24 have become one of law enforcement’s non-lethal tools of choice for more sophisticated crowd control and anti-riot operations, and for maintaining public order during national emergencies.

EDI-USA is a leading manufacturer of Tonfa batons, offering increasingly hard-to-source fixed baton models. Our top-of-the-line Tonfa batons come in either polycarbonate or polypropylene material: tough polycarbonate lends durability and impact resistance, while lighter-weight polypropylene enables swifter maneuvering and greater ease of carry.

EDI-USA’s Tonfa Baton comes 23.5 inches (60 cm) long, but custom dimensions are also available to be manufactured upon request. Contact one of our product specialists to discuss what material and size is right for your team’s needs.

The EDI-USA Tonfa baton design is based on a centuries-old defensive weapon, originally made of hardwood, said to have been used by Okinawan farmers and later adapted into Japanese martial arts.

The Tonfa or PR-24’s unique side-handle design makes it much more than just an impact weapon— it is also a pressure-point activator and a joint-locking tool. The side handle can be used either as an impact head for prodding densely muscled pressure points on a combatant, or as a fulcrum point for rapidly spinning the main baton shaft to build momentum and deliver maximum blow force. The side-handle design can also make it more difficult for combatants to grab hold of the baton or steal it from the user.

However, this more sophisticated design requires more extensive training to use properly, for both the user’s and the combatant’s safety. For that reason, Tonfa-style batons are often used by Special Forces units. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Okinawan tunfa, which inspired the modern Tonfa police baton, is still used in kobudo martial arts.

Wondering if the Tonfa baton is right for your team? Contact EDI-USA today to get a quote.

Protest and Riots to Increase Worldwide

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How to Prepare

We are living in very exciting times right now, rapid technological innovation and artificial intelligence development in every field imaginable that will help us humans perform fewer menial tasks.

But are we ready for the workforce to be permanently displaced by automation?

Many economists make the argument that we are spending too much time wondering if it will happen and not enough time planning on what we will do when it does, as they say this sweeping takeover is inevitable.

With so much change happening all at once along with other political motivating factors, the next 20 years seems to have set the table for significant social unrest.

Will you and your team be ready to handle the uptick in public demonstrations and unrest?

Well…. We are here today to give you and your team some pointers on how to prepare for a future that may have more interaction with the public than you are accustomed to already

How to Properly Train and Prepare for Increased Protest Activity:

Train Often:

You can’t be properly prepared for something you have never practiced. You and your team need to set yearly trainings to build and maintain a knowledge base that will keep them and protesters safe during these altercations.
- A properly trained unit will be able to achieve the following:
  - Manage peaceful crowds effectively
  - Recognize the difference between an unlawful assembly and a constitutionally protected gathering of people
  - Apply defensible arrest tactics when facing active resistance or passive resistance and be prepared to recognize the difference
  - Demonstrate defensible subject control and wooden baton techniques
  - Make tactically sound arrests, which are prosecutable
  - Perform classic crowd control formations, cross bow movements, and operate as an effective field force under stress
  - Have some grenadiers available trained in the deployment of chemical munitions and impact munitions
  - Recognize the type of crowd they are facing
  - Identify dangerous behaviors in a crowd
  - Implement their role in the department’s plan
  - Be a presence, not just present, when working a crowd
- Equipment:
  
  Buying the right gear is costly no doubt BUT if quality products are purchased and maintained properly, they can help save lives and money for your unit. Officers should all possess at the very least a helmet, a wooden baton and ring, and a fit-tested gas mask and carrier. The best protection that can be had would be fully outfitted riot suites, they cover workers from head to toe in full protection. Take a look at them here.
- Plan:
  
  Pre-event planning should consist of:
  - Delegating responsibility and authority to commanders on scene
  - A callout protocol for additional personnel
  - A pre-set detour plan for anticipated hot spots
  - A communication plan
  - A staging plan for vehicles
  - Additional vehicle and radio acquisition plan
  - Protective response plan for gun stores and drug stores
  - Field force activation protocol
  - Street clearance plan
  - Mutual aid agreements in place
- Update:
  
  After initial crowd control training, agency members can receive training update as a 3- to 4-hour block at in-services on a yearly basis. Updates should be scheduled just prior to known events. Team arrest, rescue and movement skills can be re-enforced. After re-enforcing old skills, specific tactics for the upcoming event can be practiced.
- Repeat:
  
  After all the officers in your agency have been trained, train all new hires. Agency-wide skills can be totally lost over time through attrition. New officers should be trained and equipped to ensure department-wide capability.

Now that you team has proper planning strategies it is equally important to consider the proper equipment your team will need.

EDI-USA Specializes in Riot Gear!

Take a look at our catalog and please never hesitate to contact us, we enjoy helping our costumers select the best gear for their specific needs.

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The Tonfa Baton: An Ancient Tool Updated for Modern Times