Chang Naizhou
苌乃周
Chinese scholar and martial artist from Henan province (1724-1783), author of writings on internal martial arts and the theory of six harmonies and central energy.
Quick Facts
ChinaBiography
Chang Naizhou (1724-1783) was a Chinese scholar who also practiced martial arts; sources therefore call him a "scholar boxer". He came from the village of Sishui in Henan province, south of the Yellow River.
We have not found anything in the sources about his teachers or training.
He became known as a theorist. He wrote works on internal martial arts, drawing on the Book of Changes and the Confucian Four Books. He developed the theory of "six harmonies", used by various Chinese martial arts, and elaborated the teaching of "central energy" (zhongqi). We have not found any specific named style that he founded.
According to legend, he is said to have met an ancestor of the later master Chen Xin. Historically, this link has not been verified.