Zhang Yi Zhong and the "Sage Arts"

I think that everyone who has ever studied the internal styles of Chinese martial arts has envisioned the martial arts "master" as a highly skilled, humble, wise, old sage-like individual who is intelligent, virtuous, and of high moral character. Unfortunately, in today's world, this ideal teacher is very much the exception instead of the rule. During the past six years, I have interviewed dozens of internal martial arts teachers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China and I have only met a few who would come close to having a character as described above. That is why it was so extremely refreshing for me to meet Zhang Yi Zhong (he romanizes his name as Chang I Chung). He is a man who emphasizes the development in sage-like qualities in his teaching and, more importantly, he embodies these qualities himself. Zhang is a highly skilled, intelligent, bright, humble, joyous, generous man who professes that through the study of internal martial arts one's aim should be becoming a sage, not a warrior. Being In his company is an absolute pleasurable and a completely positive experience.

I met Zhang Yi Zhong for the first time in January, 1996, however, I had heard about him for years. Every time I have ever interviewed any of Wang Shu Jin's early students, they have always pointed to Zhang as having been the "cream of the crop" (for more information about Wang Shu Jin, please see Pa Kua Chang Journal, Vol. 2 No. 2 and Vol. 5 No. 6). Whenever I tried to gain information as to his whereabouts, I would be told that he was somewhere in the United States, but I could never track him down. Luckily, last year I was put in contact with Joe Deisher, Zhang's student for the past 30 years, and was able to set up a meeting with Zhang. Although Zhang lives near Los Angeles, all of his teaching is done using Joe Deisher as his translator (they both speak fluent Japanese). Therefore, all of Zhang's teaching occurs in the Santa Cruz/San Jose area of California. Zhang has been teaching right in my backyard for years and I never even knew about it! Zhang Yi Zhong is a true treasure in the world of internal martial arts and it Is of great importance that a man of his skill, intelligence, and character is here in the United States teaching these arts. I hope that this article will help expose Zhang Yi Zhong and his teaching to more practitioners in the United States. He is a rare individual and what he has to teach needs to be preserved.