“Zheng Manqing has said that during his taiji training, he passed through a stage where every joint, sinew and muscle in his whole body felt as though he had been cut with a knife. Nevertheless he clenched his teeth and persisted in practice.” Zheng Manqings Uncollected Writings on Taijiquan, Qigong and Health, with New Biographical Notes. Douglas Wile, Sweet Ch’I Press 2007 p34
“In the beginning, taijiquan consisted of just thirteen postures, and they were practiced individually. Today’s fixed forms have nothing to do with the original ideas of our forebears. Everything in the world, every kind of knowledge or form, is a negative side effect of progress.” Ibid. p.88