Never had an interest in staffs or spears, except for looking good while leaning on it (obviously). But I did a bit of spear work a few months ago and quite enjoyed it, it made a nice change. Going to a PTK spear workshop in a few weeks. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q7rY4a2DjI"]PTK Spear[/ame]
The discussion of long vs. short reminds me of how whenever I have a group of MA friends over and show them my seven-wave kris, which is about 28" long, it starts an argument about whether it's a small sword or a really big knife.
And to answer the original question, my favorite weapon in terms of using it often is the 28" rattan stick. My favorite weapon in terms of just thinking it's really cool is the sarong. And my favorite weapon in terms of actually carrying for self-defense is the folding knife, because it can be used as a palm stick or knife depending on the level of force required. Also handy for opening boxes at work, which is really the main reason I carry it.
Staff is very practical. You can take it places you can't take swords and such (like the grocery store) and pretend it's a walking stick. Then if someone accosts you, just take the SOB out. That's why I practice staff every friggin' day. (and it's good exercise...and a belt rank requirement)
I enjoy all manner of weapons having a background in SE Asian & Chinese arts. As of late, I have been contemplating the Kujang.
I've never done it myself, but I could if I really wanted. Walking sticks are somewhat popular here in the southwest, even in the cities.
Are you joking? (seriously, sometimes I can't tell when people are being smartass, serious, or ignorant on the internets with comments like the quoted above)
Yeah to be honest I forget myself sometimes. The Bo staff is roku shaku in length - basically 6ft. So if you were to take that to a store you would look like a weirdo, unless you were planning to fix up your wardrobe/cupboard. Hanbo is a totally different weapon - and would be more in line with a walking stick.
Gotcha. I use a 6 ft staff myself, and that's the sort I was thinking of previously. It's not that odd to see people using long walking sticks in my area. There are hiking trails in the mountains all over the place, and people use these walking sticks (typically 6 ft or longer) to hike. The mountain preserves are within walking distance of the suburbs. A short staff like Hanbo would suffice as well. It's usually older folks who use the walking sticks in the city, but you occasionally see younger folks with walking sticks.