I've had a discussion on slashdot about sword versus stave fighting. It was in a poll for best hand-to-hand combat weapon. When reading a certain series of fantasy books (recluce, by LE Modesitt) I was always surprised that wooden sticks (read: 1.80meter) were so effective against swords. (From my slashdot post)

A sentiment, also reflected in the discussion, was that "real" martial arts is to be found in the East, with Europe being little better than barbarians. But apparently European medieval stuff was as good . This link is a nice one for a bit of perspective.