It's all about teaching pilots generic techniques that they can use no matter what type of aircraft they are flying. I learned to fly in a PA28 so setting the brakes was not relevant, but I didn't have to learn a different check when converting to the Chipmunk. PPL students are also taught to point the controls into the wind, which makes no real difference unless the wind is really strong; in the Chipmunk, it's very difficult to taxi unless the stick in pointing into the wind.