Today we had the pleasure of seeing a demonstration of the Chen style Forms by Nabila who learnt it for three years when she was in the UK. Even though she has not been in regular practice for some time now, her movements were fluent. Her style was very different from our Yang style and yet undefineably familiar.
Rakesh pointed out how the sudden jerks and pounding of the fist into the palm were important for the overtly martial Chen style which might have seemed less soft and dance-like than the Form we practiced.
Nothing in a Tai Chi Form is irrelevant or without a grounded reason.