Cheng Hsin

Cheng Hsin is an exploration into consciousness and skill through the study of internal martial arts, self, body and mind. For further information on Cheng Hsin and it’s founder Peter Ralston see the Cheng Hsin Homepage.

Cheng Hsin T’ui Shou - the Art of Effortless Power

As an internal martial art Cheng Hsin T’ui Shou is mainly rooted in the arts of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Pa Kua Ch’ang and Aikido. In Cheng Hsin T’ui Shou we want to blend effortlessly with forces. This study includes the development and use of “Effortless Power” in a variety of pushing, pulling, spiraling, throwing, and joint techniques. It also leads into the exploration of interactive skills as leading, following, yielding, outreaching, neutralising and joining in both techniques and free play.  In Cheng Hsin T’ui Shou we work with the body, emotions, thinking, intention and will of both ourselves and another. It offers an opportunity to investigate relational interaction on many levels.

Zen Body Being

Zen Body Being is about consciousness and transformation of our body structure, movement and use. We want to develop an effortless effective body being using five principles: Being Calm, Relaxing , Centering, Grounding/Sinking, Being whole and total.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan

We use different sets of movement to deepen our development of an effortlessly effective Body Being.

“When I began putting together Cheng Hsin T’ui Shou, I wanted to create an art based on fundamental observations of physics, perception, intent, impulse, and energy -- an art that gears itself to meet any situation because it is founded on understanding the principles in which interaction takes place. I wanted an art that is adaptable and well-designed, forged through training and techniques but designed to teach something beyond the form. Cheng Hsin T’ui Shou is such an art.”

Peter Ralston

I never learned anything I already knew.

Peter Ralston

Read a 1995 interview with Peter Ralston:
part 1 (PDF)
part 2 (PDF)