Tim, I realize there are many different factors involved in a question like this, but from your experience, which might generally be considered a more combat-oriented style, Hebei Hsing-Yi or Shangxi?
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Ain't all Xing-Yi oriented towards combat (equally)?

While sparring practice in either Xing-Yi sub-style would require rules which limit/prohibit movements/techniques, isn't all Xing-Yi taught with a self-defense/martial-art emphasis rather than with a sport or health-oriented-exercise emphasis?

Looking back over some of my posts, I see several instances where my choice of words conveyed a meaning totally different from what I wished to express. I have heard that Shanxi Hsing-Yi is closer to the original form, and that it has a wider scope of application. On the other hand, I have heard that Hebei is simpler, and therefore, more practical. Bearing in mind that both are meant for combat, I was wondering if Tim's experience validated one viewpoint over the other, as I am relatively unfamiliar with the actual differences between the 2 styles.

Ken,
I would agree with your analysis for the most part. All styles of Xingyiquan that I've seen are straightforward and practical. I found it interesting also that the best practitioners of both Hebei and Shanxi systems tended to end up looking very similar.