I know how to use a baseball bat to fight with without swinging it, that's something you learn if you train in stick fighting, you learn how to thrust, jab, poke, etc. using a stick. Stick fighting isn't just swinging.
That's why I train in unarmed fighting first and foremost. But if Im able to access a weapon that would certainly help and sticks are usually one of the easiest weapons to access.
Did the bar have pool tables as some bars do? If so you could grab a pool stick.
Maybe in the parking lot and street where you've been attacked there was no stick like objects to use, aside from the tire iron you mentioned, but the point is that sticks are easier to find than most weapons. You're more likely to find a stick or something that can be used as a stick than a katana or naginata. You should of course be prepared to fight when you don't have any sticks or weapons around which is why I emphasize unarmed fighting as being the most important, but if we're talking about learning weapons I think the stick is a good weapon to learn because its easier to find than most other weapons.
Well if you're Canadian that's all the more reason why, in my opinion, you should take up martial arts.
I've been to Canada, I didn't see hockey sticks all over the streets.
You're from Australia, that's to be expected.
Even a rolled up newspaper can be used as a stick.
Sure, newspapers are everywhere in the Forrest.
back in the day, news papers were a favoured weapon of the football hooligan, folded and folded till you can fold no more they make an extremly effective weapon, less stick more a brick made out of paper
