Some martial arts schools like to teach stick fighting because sticks are easy to come by and therefore its a good weapon to learn. Chances are you're not going to be carrying around a weapon such as a naginata or a pair of kamas nor are you likely to find such weapons lying around but with sticks its another story.
Some people here have disagreed with me about that, I've even been asked where I live, that I must live in an area where sticks are common such as the woods, but I have this to say, how would sticks be not hard to come by? You can find them just about everywhere. Baseball bats, umbrellas, chair legs, golf clubs, crowbars, canes, lamp stands, tire irons, fireplace pokers, the list goes on and on. I don't see how in most cases sticks would be hard to come by.
Some people here have disagreed with me about that, I've even been asked where I live, that I must live in an area where sticks are common such as the woods, but I have this to say, how would sticks be not hard to come by? You can find them just about everywhere. Baseball bats, umbrellas, chair legs, golf clubs, crowbars, canes, lamp stands, tire irons, fireplace pokers, the list goes on and on. I don't see how in most cases sticks would be hard to come by.