Chinese martial arts - Topics

Did traditional Chinese martial arts ever get tested in real fights? What is the difference between internal and external styles? How is tai chi for health different from tai chi as a fighting art? Why do Chinese martial arts schools still hold a formal master-disciple ceremony? Is Shaolin kung fu still taught by actual monks? Why did China turn traditional martial arts into a competitive sport? Why does Olympic wushu look nothing like kung fu movies? What animals are the animal styles in kung fu based on? Is qigong a martial art or a health practice? How accurate are the martial arts in wuxia novels and films? How long does it take to learn one complete kung fu form? What is push hands actually training you to do? How do you pick a martial arts school in China without getting ripped off? How many styles of Chinese martial arts are there really? Why do young Chinese office workers take up tai chi? How did 1980s Hong Kong action cinema change what the world expects from kung fu films?