The DHC Chipmunk had no differential brake unless the park brake was partly set. Used for Xwind take-off and landing.
Brakes Off was a pre-spinning check, as the partly set brake prevented the full rudder movement needed for recovery.
My Piper, Cessna, and Jodel downwind checks have all included “Brakes Off”.
PS regarding tie-down blocks, a Pa28 made a successful forced landing in France after encountering a yaw, which the rudder could not counteract, on climbout. One of the tie-down blocks had not been properly secured, and had fallen off. Pilot, (Belgian Astronaut??) lost his licence.
A few years ago I lined up the C172 Rocket (210hp) on the wet grass runway, engaged the hand brake (some I hardly ever do), did my power checks with my feet on the brakes as always, released my feet and took off.
The ground roll was a bit longer than usual but not much.
The landing roll was very short, I was already chuffed with my short field technique until I realized that taxing at normal power was very slow.
I had taken off and landed with the hand brake on. 
