I was not aware of that. It's illegal to carry a stick in your vehicle? Interesting.flintknapper wrote: The same principle holds true for my "escrima" sticks. It is lawful to have them with me as long as I am traveling to or from the Dojo or am engaged in some other (lawful) activity where I need them. But, if left in my vehicle the rest of the week, some over zealous LEO could cite me for possessing a "club".
I've been a martial artist all of my adult life, practicing mainly Aikido, Judo, and Jodo. The principles of Aikido and Jodo translate well to sticks of varying lengths, so I tend to carry some with me, though they don't have that "martial arts weapon" look to them. They are equally effective.
Regarding a knife for defense, I much prefer a stick. It's much easier to make a non-lethal choice with it.