Trust me on this one, muscle mass, body weight and strength all have a huge effect on the outcome of a fight. Speed, timing and technique do as well, but a punch can only hit as hard as a person can throw it. Speed is a key ingredient too, but ultimately bigger people tend to win more fights. If you don't trust me do some research on Bruce Lee.

Also, swords the cut are made for cutting through flesh, but bone tends to muck things up a bit. In order to cut off someone's arm you have to strike hard enough to cut through bone, meaning you BETTER be a strong person!

Personally, I prefer escrima, but that's only because I've only trained with them and know them well enough that I can use them SOMEWHAT effectively. Swords make nice clean cuts while sticks break bones.