External tai chi classes often place their emphasis upon form practice.
How the form looks is more important than any internal concerns.
This is essentially performance art.

These external forms are practiced with tension.
There is little or no understanding of the martial nature of tai chi chuan and no ability to use the art in realistic self defence.
When pressed, exponents resort to brute force and muscular tension.
And this is not tai chi chuan.

In order to promote health, the People's Republic of China created new, simplified forms of tai chi.
Lacking neigong and the martial component - they could be learned quickly and easily.

Many of these forms combine elements from Chen, Yang and Sun style tai chi chuan, but the forms are not martial.

The new forms were designed as performance art and are popular in competitions and exhibitions e.g. Peking 24 step.

Most tai chi chuan classes are not really teaching tai chi chuan.
They offer a health-only syllabus aimed at the non-martial student.
The combat curriculum (chuan) is missing.
Only a small fraction of the art is being taught. Over 90% of the material has been omitted.

In truth, such a class is teaching tai chi-style exercise.
It is not tai chi chuan.

Tai chi chuan is a martial art. A style of kung fu.
There is a world of difference between tai chi chuan and tai chi-style exercise.

Relaxation is not the same as rest. 

Rest means stopping, and doing nothing.
Watching TV does not qualify as rest.

Taken literally, rest means either lying on the ground and undertaking 'constructive rest', or actually going to bed and getting some sleep.

 It is quite common for students to neglect their fluid intake.
 Dehydration is very bad for you.

 Ideally, you should be drinking well over a litre of water during a training session.
 If you do not drink this much in class, be sure to re-hydrate when you get home.

In order to escape from danger,
one need only take the line of least resistance,
just as liquid spills from a vessel over the lowest point of its rim.
Concentrate only on escaping.

(I Ching)

TV, food, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, caffeine - these do not free you. They are addictive and harmful.
They are distractions. They dull our minds and use up our time.
Instead of living, we waste our lives 'killing time'.

People attend football matches and jeer as people race up and down the field.
Others are glued to reality TV shows.
Distractions come in all forms.

Some distractions can seem to be more academic or even spiritual:

1. Reading 'intelligent' newspapers
2. Gossiping
3. Politics
4. Further education
5. The news/current events
6. Religion
7. New Age interests: crystals, auras, chanting...

These may be further illusions, more convincing deceptions... Who can say? 

It is difficult to learn both tai chi and bagua - but absolutely worth the effort!! With time, I expect to be able to fully differentiate one art from the other without having to think about it and also not mix them up in practice. They are both so completely different, one teaching to yield, empty the centre and act - the other teaching to move your centre and act. Baguazhang is sneaky, like moving in a shadow. Tai chi teaches to yield to the incoming force as a tactic.

 It can be a lot to take in at times, however, when you 'get it', the feeling is fantastic. Applying an application on an opponent correctly is both exciting and surprising. The effect from so little work and being relaxed [or trying to be relaxed] is incredible. It is absolutely worth it, but it obviously requires more practice than learning one art alone. Reading, relaxing and practice are the key elements to be able to learn both in my opinion.
 
 (Barnaby Baron)