The Stick was my first longbow, and it kicked like a mule. I know now (I didn't then) that the way you hold a longbow will effect how much handshock you feel, so it could have been the way I was shooting it. But, I also know having shot many more bows since, that sometimes it really is that the bow is just shocky.
I've heard some people say their Stick was not shocky at all, others have had the same experience I did. So perhaps it varies bow to bow. But for me it was bad. I was shooting about an hour a day, and I had to wear one of those tennis strap things on my left arm to ease the pain in my elbow. The pain got so bad to where my arm ached all the time, not just while shooting. So I sold the Stick and haven't had a problem since.
Martin does make quality bows and heck, maybe their newer Sticks are not as shocky. It is almost ten years ago now when I bought mine. Just something to be mindful of. Go shoot one before buying if you can.