Seems to me styles are just abstract names given to some very loose set of training methods that occasionally or often are grouped together. Accross the board I see very wide dispersement of training methods and how they are grouped together.
Bullshlt.

A style is a fighting philosophy. Different schools have different philosophies, which emphasize different combat techniques. Someone who properly trains in Taijiquan is easily discerned from someone training in Tanglang in a combat situation, even though both are "hitting their opponent with your hands, arms, legs, whatever."

If one school emphasizes using elbows, while another school emphasizes using high kicks, you have two distinctly different fighting philosophies...i.e. STYLES.