What is it that Zhaobao has which Chen doesn't?

[leifeng]

In one of the recent threads there was a video of a Zhaobao guy doing PH and it claimed that Zhaobao was the only Taiji style doing the real stuff. I don't care about their political fight over who created Taiji first but I'm interested to know if they have any special techniques. So I started reading more about it and it seems they say Zhaobao has Beisikou （背丝扣）and Chen doesn't. However all the explanations that I saw were exactly about the movement of the Kua or arms according to Yin Yang similar to what the Chens teach to their indoor students. Does anyone know how Beisikou is supposed to be different from Chen style's Shenfa?

[yeniseri]

Zhaobao is still Chen style for me despite the 'other' styles orientation. Zhaobao seems more of "old school" training that moved to the nearby village (same name) that incorporated "shuai" (broad meaning here) with lowered stances (bad on my knees) and the pace is somewhat faster than what is termed 'normal' It is a refreshing changes, to say the least!

[Doc Stier]

It has been my observation that Chen Style Tai-Chi Chuan comes in four basic flavors, namely assorted interpretations of Old Frame, New Frame, Small Frame and Zhaobao, all of which share more similarities than differences as generational variations of essentially the same style.

[C.J.W.]

IMO, once you understand the mechanics and principles behind silk-reeling energy, it doesn't really matter what style of Chen you practice.

[charles]

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[taiwandeutscher]

Modern Zhaobao is more or less He-style, and please do not forget Hulei Taijiquan (Chen Xinchuang is the village).
Both have Beisikou 背絲口, and roughly said, whilst Dantian rotation is normally done circular, Beisikou is going s-shaped ways, what I find much more difficult. There are also very strong differences in footwork and shenfa, therefore Hulei is not Chen anymore.

[leifeng]

So is beisikou the S shape rotations like the yin yang symbol? In that case Chen is also like that although they don't teach it to beginners that way and Zhaobao's S movements are particularly similar to Chen small frame to my eyes. So why do they say Chen doesn't have it?