I'm not sure I'm entirely in favour of weapons training as an add-on to an existing empty hand practice. If weapons training involves alive drills that encourage an awareness of the possibilities of the weapon, that's one thing- but the compliant drills we used to do- every so often- usually involving some sort of kata application don't do any of that. All those drills did was to foster a false sense of confidence that could be very dangerous.
Weapon based systems (Systems that start with a weapon first) have ways of teaching it and showing it in singles and in box drills.
Note: The purpose of Box drills is not to go faster that everyone else, it is to break out of the box and do something random and then when you are lost go back to the box strikes and blocks.
Weapons training can be done in sequence for body and footwork. Those techniques might work against an untrained opponent.
Yet they do show how to create space and how to move the body.
Takes those lessons and apply them to the more advanced techniques which includes slips et al.
Blocking force to force works if you are there on time.
It you are early it gives the trained opponent a chance to move around it . Just like empty hands.
If one is late then they might still get the block Jsut not have optimal responses. And with weapons one learns deflection blocks.
The on time works well with force to force or deflection and it allows one to counter.
Learning to slip a stick makes hands easier (In my experience)
It also trains that two hands are always moving at the same time.
Sometimes in the beginning it can look like one and then two.
Yet it is more like one (1) and one point two-five (1.25) or or even quicker.
Some think 1 and 1 is best. With certain two handed blocks against a two handed strike it is required. Yet the off hand or non weapon hand starts to beat the weapon block and then the non weapon hand gets hit.
In JKD the Hubud four strike drill (Which I absolutely hate / dislike ) Forces the first to be a hard cross block(1) and then go into a pass(2), trap(3), and attack(4).
To me this trains poor habits.
Yes the four count has a valid place. Stop and reset and then do it over. So it always starts with your hands down.
Why, because a soon as one understands the three or two or one move counters this four point seems ridiculously slow.
It also forces the person the build reps with it.
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Blocking is slower.
It requires structure.
Structure requires body work, including footwork. Advanced people may not use as much footwork as their ankles, knees and hips are allowing them to lean and moving them more as the step may require more time to execute.
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I see your point where a system that adds on a weapon or two after black belt seems to have the issues you mentioned. Yet weapon training is not bad, if approached from the beginning. So pick up the weapon not as a black belt of the system. pick it up as a white belt of the weapon and study it and train with people who are experts with that weapon.
