One who annoys you with the truth shows you goodwill, while one who pleases you with falsehood debases you.

(Aristotle)

I cannot fault the self defence aspect of bagua. It is fast, decisive and unforgiving. Making a mistake will cost an opponent dearly. Applied correctly, the opponent will have no upper hand to begin with as the bagua student will have already acted without even thinking. Your examples of application are comprehensive and calmly executed. Anyone not impressed by the form would surprise me.

 (Barnaby Baron)

Sifu Waller introduced me to his tutor Peter Southwood who subsequently invited me to join his beginners Tai Chi class. The core of these classes being the Yang style long form. Well structured, Peter's classes always started with Tai Chi strength-building exercises centred around qigong movement and standing. Energised, the class moved into the form. Sifu Waller was the assistant instructor and helped Peter teach the lesson. The final half hour was dedicated to martial application of the form, pushing hands, small san sau and self defence. This was taught by Sifu Waller.

 I accompanied Sifu Waller, Peter and Shaun Ullah (Sifu Waller's student/training partner and another of Peter's senior students) on several Tai Chi excursions. The most notable being Chin Na tuition and the visit of Yang Jwing Ming. It is interesting to note that for a moment during a pushing hands demonstration, Dr Yang seemed uncomfortably wrong-footed by the subtleties of Sifu Waller's dynamic guile. Impressed, the Master insisted on using Sifu Waller as his on-stage practice partner for the remainder of the weekend.

 Peter was always eager to further his students and embraced Sifu Waller's rapid progress; maintaining an intensive 'indoor' Master/Student relationship until Peter's untimely death. With Peter's passing, we have lost a great conduit for the furtherance of Internal Kung Fu.

 (Michael Dutton)

If you chose to use a sword to defend yourself in the 21st Century, you will most likely go to prison.
This is a simple, unequivocal fact.

Yet, people spend hours training with swords, and many even practice cutting things with a sword, as though they may one day come to use the weapon in martial contest.

What is the point?
You could spend those same hours on some more relevant.
Training a sword may enhance your self defence skills in some fashion, but practicing shuai jiao, chin na and jing with a partner would do so much more.

Yang Lu-chan taught tai chi for self defence purposes.
Imperial palace guards had little time or interest in heritage and tradition.
They wanted serious, pragmatic, powerful self defence skills.
They sought rapid victory.

Tai chi was not intended as a museum exhibit.
It was designed to meet the needs of the time.
It was intended to be functional and contemporaneous.

Many tai chi classes are not teaching a martial art.
Consequently, the students are not encouraged to become fit.
They are more interested in coordinated movement, relaxation and feeling good.

Kung fu requires a lot more of the student.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVh9hzOXR5c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJZCXrgAbEQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP-09fuzU-A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2m6fket8AQ

Building up your strength takes time, practice, commitment and patience.
In truth, you may not even realise it is happening.
Internal arts training is not strenuous or stressful.
You undertake regular training and let the mild exercise build up layers of strength.

An hour of training every morning mounts up over time.
Pretty soon you have a level of strength you never expected.
This is not the strength required to lift a massive weight.
It is the strength to deliver a penetrating strike, snap a limb or flip an opponent without trying.

Be careful not to trust your own wisdom prematurely.

We all look back now and then, and find our former judgements lacking, and ill-informed.

Tai chi students smiling is a parody of the actual requirement.

Can you honestly picture Imperial Guards 150 years ago smiling gaily as they practiced the art?
Does such an image inspire confidence in their abilities?

This does not mean that you should look glum, not have fun or feel miserable.
Just do not be a phoney.

Value is relative to perspective and perception.

A beginner values what they think something is and what they believe it is worth.
An advanced practitioner may not see any value whatsoever in a commodity prized by a beginner.