Why so serious?

According to Doc Fai Wong (http://plumblossom.net/ChoyLiFut/formslist.html) here is the list of "Two Persons Combat Weapon Forms 兵器對拆" for Choy Lay Fut:

• Empty Hands vs. Double Daggers (Hung Sau Yup Seung Pei Sau) 空手入双匕首
  
• Single & Double-Ended Staff Two Man Form (Seung Gup Dahn Gwun Dwei Chuck) 双夾单棍對拆
  
• Eighteen Yin and Yang Staff Two Man Form (Sup Bot Yum Yeung Gwun Dwei Chuck) 十八陰陽棍對拆
  
• Chau-Sot Staff vs Twining Dragon Staff ( Chau-Sot Gwun Dwei Chuck Chin Lung Gwun) 抽摋棍對拆纒龍棍
  
• Double-Ended Staff Two Man Form (Seung Tau Gwun Dwei Chuck) 双頭棍對拆
  
• Single-Ended Staff Two Man Form (Dahn Tau Gwun Dwei Chuck) 单頭棍對拆
  
• Umbrella vs. Double-Ended Staff (Yu San Dwei Chuck Seung Tau Gwun) 雨傘對拆双頭棍
  
• Double-Ended Staff vs. Horse Bench (Seung Tau Gwun Dwei Chuck Kiu Dahng) 双頭棍對拆橋櫈
  
• Broadsword vs. Red Tassel Spear ( Dahn Do Dwei Chuck Hung Ying Cheong) 单刀對拆红纓槍
  
• Double Broadswords vs. Red Tassel Spear (Seung Do Dwei Chuck Hung Ying Cheong) 双刀對拆红纓槍
  
• Red Tassel Spear vs. Red Tassel Spear (Hung Ying Cheong Dwei Chuck) 红纓槍對拆
  
• Commander Sword vs. Monkey King Staff (Ji Fai Do Dwei Chuck Hang Jeh Pang) 指挥刀對拆行者棒
  
• Commander Sword vs. Broadsword ( Ji Fai Do Dwei Chuck Dahn Do) 指挥刀對拆单刀
  
• Three-Section Staff vs. Red Tassel Spear (Sam Jit Gwun Dwei Chuck Hung Ying Cheung) 三節棍對拆红纓槍
  
• Red Tassel Spear vs. Kwan-Do (Hung Ying Cheung Dwei Chuck Kwan-Do) 红纓槍對拆関刀
  
• Double Broadswords vs. Horse Bench (Seung Do Dwei Chuck Kiu Dahng) 双刀對拆橋櫈
  
• Double Broadswords vs. Nine-Ringed Long-Handled Broadsword (Seung Do Dwei Chuck Gau Wan Do) 双刀對拆九環大刀
  
• Seven Star Long-Handled Knive vs Rattan Shield and Broadsword (Chat Sing Tiu Dwei Chuck Dahn Do Dip) 七星銚對拆单刀碟
  
• Rattan Shield and Broadsword vs. Trident (Dahn Do Tahn Pai Dip Dwei Chuck Dai Pah) 单刀籐牌碟對拆大耙
  
• Double Copper Cudgels vs. Trident (Seung Tung Gan Dwei Chuck Dai Pah) 双銅鐧對拆大耙
  
• Tiger's Head Shield and Broadsword vs. Kwan-Do (Dahn Do Fu Tau Pai Dwei Chuck Kwan-Do) 单刀虎頭牌對拆関刀
  
• Long-Handled Two-Section Staff vs. Rattan Shield and Tonfa (Dai So Ji Gwun Dwei Chuck Tahng Pai Gwai) 大梢子棍對拆籐牌枴
  
• Farmer's Hoe vs. Horse Bench (Chor Tau Dwei Chuck Cheung Kiu Dahng) 鋤頭對拆橋櫈

(And that's just the two person weapon forms, there are far more one person weapon forms. This is just one style of kung fu, there are hundreds of others. Obviously there are also hundreds of weapon arts outside of kung fu.)

Notice that "Rattan Shield" is mentioned multiple times. The reason why we spar with a wide range of weapons is because there ARE a wide range of weapons. This is not just about a Katana, or just about a knife, or just about a staff. If you have to take out someone who has a hand to hand weapon, you may not have a huge choice of weapons to choose from to take them out with, and you should be proficient in a variety of weapons if that is what you are training to do. "Janitor's broom vs. balisong" is a possible situation security professionals can run into these days.