I was also a student of Wally... but have to tell you.. long before Cha was devised.. Guajira and Triple Mambo( the template for Cha ) were being danced, and, is STILL being recorded today ( the last CD by Cachao,the inventor of mambo rhythm ) has a Guajira on it, using a 3 and 4 syncop.

Whatever people decide to use is personal choice .. that does NOT make it correct if the music dictates otherwise. In otherwords, knowing the difference between the 2, that to the untrained ear, will probably sound the same .
Add to this, they are 2 different dances .

And yes, there are multi songs that are written with a 4 and 1 syncop... but .. NOT all.

As to motion, the current usage is not remotely close to a natural action... as with most things in B/room Latin, its way over the top !.
If you want to really understand " latin " concepts, you need to study the history of the music and its message .In addition, spend copious amounts of time in their " world ".. only then will you really get to feel what the genre is about .

As I said, the ballroom world is a caricature of the " real " thing .

heres a phrase the latinos use about what the majority of ballroom people dance..

"No alma y corazon "..// their words, not mine .