My Cheng Hsin-by Lennie Kaipara

Free Training part 2: Win Gold without Training? I don’t think so

2010-03-10T01:56:00.001-08:00

Win Gold without Training? I don’t think so!
Can you imagine what it would be like if the world as we know it said, if you could have or be anything you wanted to be, all you have to do is think it! Wow that would be cool.
Think about it, no effort required, no training necessary, [...] http://bit.ly/9NDWey

Free Training: Does it Get Any Better Than This?

2010-03-08T16:17:00.001-08:00

The value of network marketing training is incredibly under rated, at least from my perspective when I decided to start my own home based business. Going from a zero understanding of online marketing to being exposed to top of the line marketing training and support has made a huge difference to my business and to me personally. Free training is without doubt a potent attraction for any would be online marketer. http://bit.ly/anjDhd

Don’t Quit Your Day Job Just Yet Says Norbert Orlewicz!

2010-03-07T17:41:00.001-08:00

Every internet marketer shares the same dreams and hopes that are specific to them and their current way of life. I know myself how important it is to want a better life, a life of abundance, a life that is of my choosing.
And I also know first hand what it’s like to seek opportunistic possibilities [...] http://bit.ly/bC5V1L

My Cheng Hsin-Back to the Future part 3

2009-07-29T00:33:00.000-07:00

In October of '81 Doug Chalmers recorded a fascinating interview he conducted with Peter Ralston. While quite literally on the run he managed to secure precious insights into the thoughts and experiences Ralston could share with him on The Art of Cheng Hsin. Here is that interview.

The following interview was conducted in Ralston's office while one person was shaving, one reviewing the school's books, one vacuuming, and several others passing through the room on their way to various destinations. In the midst of this uproar, Ralston and I established a contact through which were transmitted some fundamental truths about self-presentation, self-improvement and the presentation of one's experience.

ID: What are you doing when you lead a set in class?

Ralston: Three things occur, the most superficial of which is considering that the students' observation of me is part of their learning process. I'm demonstrating something to them. Often what I'm demonstrating to them is not just the movement; although I am demonstrating that, I'm demonstrating something about the sense of it, the feel of it, the energy of it. Another thing that occurs much more frequently is I am training myself. It's also my time to practice. When I'm running through the sets, what is also occurring simultaneously is that I'm practicing. I'm not experimenting at that time usually; sometimes I do, but most of the time I don't experiment simply because of the first consideration; I'm teaching, I'm not there to experiment.
Mostly it's a demonstration of what's to happen. The third thing, and what I think you were referring to because, when you first asked me this question on the floor, I was doing something very specific and that was probably from whence the question arose - then I was doing the movement for me, reproducing an experience of what it is like to be total, integral, manifesting in that way and I was not defining myself by others. When you asked me the question at that time, for example, I realized that one of the fundamental things that was going on there was that I wasn't defining myself by other beings. That's why you said, "Where did you go?" You know?

ID: Yes.

Ralston: I didn't go anywhere; I wasn't defining myself by the other individuals in the room, so that shift made a difference in the appearance of things through your observation. Rather than doing that, I was creating an experience of Being, through the manifestation of doing the art; enjoying the movement and the power. Creating the movement and the power without consideration about "Is the movement good?" or "Is this movement gonna be good for them?" Just, "Ah, this is what's happening, I'm gonna do this (gestures) woosh!"

ID: That sounds like what I saw. In teaching, is it best to demonstrate physical forms and energy forms, or to shoot for recreating an experience fresh each time? From my exposure as an apprentice instructor, I realize the latter to be much more difficult.

Ralston: I prefer the latter. I have time to demonstrate things individually while I'm teaching individually. Sometimes my main motivation for doing it for myself is as a demonstration. If I don't experience the power and joy of, say, T'ai Chi, for example, then I'm not going to create that in my experience to communicate to them. By creating an experience I'm actually teaching better, or preparing myself to teach better, because I'm producing the experience of the art that I'm going to teach, so that when I start to teach I have that in me. I'm coming from present experience rather than from memory.

ID: It sounds like more of an effortless way to teach, if nothing else.

Ralston: More real.

ID: It also sounds like a valuable skill for students to learn to create experience.
Ralston: People see different things, and people learn in different ways. Some people learn through feeling, some people learn through visual observation, and some people through hearing. Sometimes I'll address their intellect, sometimes I'll address their body, sometimes their feeling or their sense of something. I'll hit all those areas so that people have a better chance of learning.

ID: Yes, I have noticed that.

Ralston: Sometimes somebody is ready to observe energy, so I'll demonstrate the energy because they can get more of the communication of what I'm doing when they observe energy rather than when they just observe the body moving. So I have to do the energy for those who will see it, to see it. And sometimes someone who's been hung up in the body, just learning the movements, learning the mechanics, which is a very valuable thing to do, all of a sudden starts to notice that there's something different about the way, say, I do the mechanics versus the way a beginner does the mechanics. Even if they can't notice any difference in the movement itself, they may notice a difference in the way it feels to them. Noticing these differences may come as a sense of things. "That person's doing something different; I can't identify it. It feels different to me, but I don't know why." That's their first sense of energy, see?

ID: Yes.

Ralston: You notice something about the look of it, the feel of it to you. It might come as an animated quality, a sense of wholeness, sense of power, or you might notice that something else is going on for that person other than simply moving through the air the way most people move through the air. People notice different things. I really appreciate when someone notices things that I truly enjoy and am very close to. The other day someone was relating to me her experience of watching me do the T'ai Chi set. She was talking about watching energy, but she talked about it in her own way. One thing she said was, "Oh, is that what it's like for a person to actually go into the planet?" She's a student of body movement.

ID: A kinesiologist?

Ralston: No, more in the neighborhood of observing and defining through physics the way bodies move.

ID: Does she use computers in her work?

Ralston: I think that's an interest of hers.

ID: Computers are one of the newest tools to be used in sports medicine. By filming an athlete with markers attached to parts of his body and logging these into a computer as various locations in space, a very specific model of how this person moves can be generated. Such models are invaluable for correcting a golf swing or a running form or retraining an injured limb.

Ralston: That's beautiful. There's so much stuff to be done with the body, it's incredible. If they wanted to and had the time and interest, we could get everybody on this planet moving with absolute grace and beauty. Which is to say a lot more than just having the enjoyment of watching people move that way or the enjoyment of being able to move that way. Like Feldenkrais said, it changes one's self concept very, very much. When you change the way someone moves their body, you change the way they think about themselves, the way they feel about themselves, and the way they feel about the world. When you change people's thoughts and feelings about the world you change the way they are. It increases their power and their ability to relate openly.
Someone said that several times she had to keep from crying out of joy of watching that energy move. Now that to me is an extremely wonderful acknowledgment, that somebody actually feels the joy, that someone actually feels the wonder that I feel when I do that sometimes. Sometimes not. (Laughs) Sometimes it's absolutely incredible to me, it's so splendid. Now that's noticing energy. So I must demonstrate that, at least from time to time, so people can get a better hit on it and to encourage them to do it themselves.

In January 2010 Peter Ralston will present his Auckland Summer Seminar, his third successful seminar to date. Call Alan Roberts to secure your place NOW!

My Cheng Hsin-Back to the Future part 2

2009-07-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

When asked to describe what Cheng Hsin is I've often struggled with an adequate explanation.

Such is the complex nature of the art, or so I think. Probably because I've not been able to call it something I can relate it to. It has always been difficult to share it with others but the more I work on my own experiences of it the easier, well at least easier than it was before to give something of a label to what I think it is.

However in the 'Internal Dialogue' I found an article written by Peter Ralston on this very same thing. I can relate to it and it is written in a way that can be understood with some contemplation.

Ralston writes "At Cheng Hsin we have to communicate to you about something that is impossible to symbolize. What I mean by that is we can talk about it, we can communicate how great we think it is, we can represent it, but we cannot actually say or even show what "it" is. I cannot symbolize it for you and have that symbol be "it." So when all is said and done - even before all is said and done - you will have to make a leap. You will have to go beyond anything you've seen or heard and simply realize the outstanding value and magnificent opportunity that the words Cheng Hsin represent."

"Imagine you are a Tahitian and you've never been off the warm, tropical island that "is" the world to you. Now say I start talking to you about snow. No matter what I say, you will not have an experience of snow - unless you do the improbable by experiencing snow beyond anything I've said to you. So imagine an experience such as that for Cheng Hsin, which is not as easily represented as snow."

"So you see, one of the essential components of Cheng Hsin is inquiry. Many of us don't truly know how to powerfully use our facility to inquire, to question. Asking the right question and truly wanting to know requires first an openness and an allowance for not knowing, and most of us are too busy trying to know or pretend we know, to actually inquire! To ask the right question is more valuable than receiving a thousand answers. But this has to be done with your being, not just with your mouth or mind."

"So lets exercise that ability: I want you to actually question why you came here, and the way I'd like you to do that is by telling yourself whatever comes to mind right off. Whatever is the case for you. Then I'd like you to pause and take another look. Why would you come to something like this?"

"Beyond that, I want you to ask yourself what you want. Not just here, but what do you want that would motivate you to go out and investigate something? Start inquiring into your motivations and into what you want in relationship to yourself - dig a little deeper into that. What do you want for yourself? Are you willing to get it? Are you committed to openly and honestly asking that question, and then putting in the time and discipline and intelligence to pursue what you need to pursue? To practice and learn and deeply move your own being, so that you actually become what you want to be?"

"Consider this: Freedom is a cornerstone principle and goal of Cheng Hsin, and perhaps even its purpose for being."

Peter Ralston
February, 1985

Peter Ralston will be in Auckland, New Zealand in January 2010. Book NOW with Alan Roberts and secure your place.

My Cheng Hsin-Back to the Future part 1

2009-07-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

I've enjoyed reading and contemplating many of the articles written in the 'Internal Dialogue Anthology'. They're a wonderful collection of articles written over a five year period from January 1981. I would like to share some of my favourites and to encourage you to look into what has been historically written about the Art of Cheng Hsin. I found it to be fascinating, thought provoking and informative.

Here's what Doug Chalmer's, one of Ralston's students, wrote back in 1981. I find it incredibly interesting to read another students thoughts when it comes to Cheng Hsin. I'm sure you will too.

Doug wrote this in March of '81 'A Brief History Of Cheng Hsin'

Cheng Hsin is a teaching sourced by Peter Ralston. This teaching is what we are constantly attempting to penetrate through the vehicle of martial arts, consciousness studies, and the Apprentice Instructor training program.

Cheng Hsin is the direct experiencing of the True Nature of all things. What is it that changes the focus of one man's career in the martial arts from gaining total mastery of an already existing system to creating a different study incorporating not only many martial arts, but other disciplines as well?

For the answer I spent half an afternoon with Peter Ralston. From 10:00 a.m. in his office sipping hot beverage and answering telephones through tagging along on a College Avenue errand to 2:30 p.m., we talked. I emerged from this session with several pages of notes, new insights on subjects ranging from handguns to waking up in the morning, and a resolve to use a tape recorder the next time I interview Peter.

His first answer when questioned about the history of Cheng Hsin still stays with me: "There's no history to the truth." The facts behind the founding of this Way are, however, quite interesting.

Well before his teen years, Peter began the study of martial arts with Judo. He then continued through Jujitsu, Karate, western fencing, Kung Fu, western boxing, T'ai Chi, Aikido and several others. Some he found satisfying, others were disappointing to him, but no art offered the whole of what Peter was looking for.

When he found a teacher with something worthwhile to share, he "juiced" him for as long as he could and then moved on. Such as with his teachers Wong Chia Man and Chen Chi Cheng. Peter studied with them for many years, doing some teaching, which he continued to do with their encouragement after leaving their formal instruction. As much as Peter enjoyed practicing and teaching these systems (Jing Mo and T'ai Chi), he also realized this was not "it."

So, in 1973 he started advertising the instruction of Natural Boxing (a term applied to free form martial study coined many years ago.) A quote from the Natural Boxing promotional poster reads: "Emphasis of this Path is outwardly devoted to the understanding of relative relationships through the practice of physical encounter (Martial Arts), but with primary concern for the understanding of "Mind" and the superior method of 'boxing' and living that comes from the "Natural" approach that this teacher emphasizes." The name Cheng Hsin came a year later, but this poster was the beginning of the communication of Cheng Hsin.

"Before that time," says Peter, "my experience of Cheng Hsin was incomplete. I was aware that something was missing, but I didn't know what. In 1974, I realized unity (integrity) to be the fourth ingredient, and it all fell into place." This was a gratifying realization for Peter because no one before or since has put forth these qualities in this form.

The principle of unity or inclusion is largely what sets this Way apart. No matter how profoundly we adhere to one principle, that adherence does not cause us to exclude any of the others.

The Cheng Hsin School of Internal Martial Arts opened at 6601 Telegraph Avenue in March of 1977, adding at that time the study of Pa Kua Chang to its existing curriculum of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Hsing I Ch'uan and Northern Sil Lum Kung Fu. One year later, Peter won the World Martial Arts Tournament in Taiwan.

My own impression of Cheng Hsin is as of a tree that, now complete with its leaves, branches, roots and trunk, will continue to grow, but will always remain a tree.

Doug Chambers
March, 1981

I will over the next few weeks share a number of facinating articles that I found extremely helpful in my quest for a better understanding in the Art of Cheng Hsin. Spend time looking into each article and work on establishing and experiencing the concept being discussed.

And once again for those who can Peter Ralston is back in Auckland, New Zealand for his annual Summer seminar in January 2010. I thoroughly recommend booking your place with Alan Roberts for this incredible training experience. He will challenge you and provide you with an experience of being uncomfortable with what you think you already know. Book NOW!

Peter Ralston,Founder

2009-07-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

Peter Ralston was raised in Asia and began studying martial arts at the age of 9. By the age of 19 he was a black belt in Judo and Jujitsu (Nidan), black belt in Karate (Shodan), had been Sumo champion at his high school in Japan, Judo and fencing champion at UC Berkeley, and had demonstrated proficiency in Kempo, Ch'uan Fa and Northern Sil Lum Kung Fu. At age 19, a growing interest in the "internal" martial arts lead him to study T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Hsing I Ch'uan, and Pa Kua Chang.

Ralston has pursued this endeavor with a passionate determination for more than 35 years. He sought out and studied with the world's most demonstrably skilled teachers, broadening his study with such arts as Aikido, Japanese and Chinese fencing, western boxing, Muay Thai (Thai boxing), and new levels of his own investigations into all of these arts.
Exceptional commitment (often practicing for more than eight hours a day) and depth of study, intense meditation and open inquiry led to profound levels of skill and understanding.

Consistent with Zen studies, his investigation into martial arts also came to include a questioning of reality. Long periods of intense contemplation resulted in many enlightenment experiences regarding the nature of self and reality, which greatly influenced his study.

To communicate his understanding, Ralston founded the Cheng Hsin School in 1975. In 1977 he opened a center called "The Cheng Hsin School of Internal Martial Arts and Center for Ontological Research" in Oakland, California.

Intent on revealing the depth and power of this work, in 1978 he became the first non-Asian ever to win the World Championship full-contact martial arts tournament held in the Republic of China.

Ralston's main focus in his teaching has been to uncover and communicate the principles behind any subject matter; frequently it is about being effortlessly effective.
His main focus in his facilitation work is to uncover the truth of things, to break through assumptions and beliefs, and to assist others in having a direct, authentic, and experiential increase in Consciousness.

He has trained staff or conducted workshops for numerous groups, including various t'ai chi, aikido, and other martial arts associations, as well as human transformation organizations such as Lifesprings, Institute of Self Actualization (ISA), Robbins Research Institute (NLP), Actualizations, and the Institute for Empowerment.

He is a highly trained and insightful facilitator, openly teaching what he has learned from decades of training, insight and direct experience.

For those who can you must experience Peter Ralston who is once again heading down under for his annual January 2010 Summer Seminar in Auckland, New Zealand. Book your place now!

What Level III Apprentices have Discovered part 3

2009-07-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Principles of Effective Interaction

Once again I have taken the following from articles from Level III Apprentices.

What is effortlessly effective interaction?

Exploring the body-being we find principles that support using the body more effectively and with less effort. So it is with interaction. The Principle of Effective Interaction is at the core of interactions that regularly turn out well. Although simple in design, the principle takes some work to dissect and understand in relation to everyday matters; therefore instead of presenting this principle directly, we offer four dynamics that are by their very nature aligned with it.

Related to martial interaction, the following four dynamics prove very helpful:

Listening: A genius of being arises from the capacity to be with this event as it is occurring now. This capacity is found in authentically hearing the "communication" given by this condition and present circumstance.

Outreaching: Having a true connection with the condition of life is to fully embrace, lend ourselves over to, and be in relationship with the event as it occurs. All that is perceived through our listening is actually touched, and so a connection is made.

Joining: The power of joining begins by following the present force or activity. By allowing the occuring activity to be completely as it is, we accomodate and include it as we are being molded by it. We "join" with what is and can then relate to it more effectively.

"By learning to yield and follow, joining activity without resistance, we form a real union with that activity. We then have the power to be in control without leaving the grace of this union."
Ralston

Joining is allowing results to be created within the context of following. It is necessary for achieving an effortless power

Neutralising: The energies and forces that could disrupt our condition of integrity are neutralized. They are allowed to reach their conclusion of disharmony so that the interaction naturally returns to a condition of balance.

Peter Ralston is once again coming to Auckland,New Zealand for his annual Summer Seminar 2010. Book Now!

What Level III Apprentices have Discovered part 2

2009-07-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

Some Cheng Hsin Discoveries: Once again this written work was taken from the articles on the Peter Ralston Cheng Hsin.com website.

Peter Ralston is a key contributor to the Cheng Hsin work. In simple, he holds an experience of what Cheng Hsin is, and has created the possibility of doing this particular work. Following are just a few of Ralston's contributions to the work of Cheng Hsin. What has been discovered may be useful in your own pursuit. These are not to be taken as truths, but as directions to be explored for yourself.

Principles of an Effortlessly Effective Body-Being.

What is an effortlessly effective body-being?

The human body has a particular design, and can be utilized in alignment with that design or not. In this exploration, it appears that there are certain principles governing the function of the body-being, and as we align with these principles we become more effective with less effort. One way to talk about these principles is with five distinctions.

Being Calm and Present: Consider that naturally we are simply in the presence of "what is" at this moment, and thus in a state of calmness. This is the base condition from which we experience the arising of thought, emotion, desire, repulsion, upset, and anything that we call uncalm or not present.
Centering: Anything appearing in form, as an object, has a center. The greatest integrity in moving the mass is when this movement is governed by the center of the mass. When alluding to a function of mind, centering usually refers to being present, calm, emotionally balanced, and aware of the body.
Relaxing: The tissues and muscles are naturally relaxed. Tension is an activity of "doing" whereby something is held in place. Relaxing is a function of letting go of control and allowing the unbound and natural condition of the body to be present.
Grounding: We are drawn to the planet through the force of gravity. A fact of our living on the planet is the constant presence of this force. Our willingness to surrender our body-self to this power is our first blend. It is a "lending" of our claim to things, to this flow, this force.
Being Whole and Total: We appear as a complete, whole, and unified body-self. Everything is connected and belongs together as one form. Without ignoring any part or aspect of the body-being, we can perceive the entire scope and presence of what is so for us right now.

The body-self expressed through adherence to the above principles is capable of having incredibly open, receptive, and appropriate psycho-physical relationship.

Peter Ralston is once again back in New Zealand for his annual summer Seminar, make your place a certainty book now!

What Level III Apprentices have Discovered part 1

2009-07-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

I want to share the following exerts from articles written by Peter Ralston's Level III Apprentice-Instructors. It's a compilation of their experiences of Cheng Hsin. As a student of Cheng Hsin I found their discoveries instructional and valuable.

These articles can be found on http://www.chenghsin.com/

What is the experience of Cheng Hsin? Consider the possibility of experiencing something directly -- this event, that person, yourself, "Being" -- in a way that is different from what we usually think of as "knowing" something. Perhaps an "experience" that is so fundamental, so absolute, that there is nothing to change, make different, or have happen in it. There would be no need to make it other than it is. It would be complete.

You can see that there would be no place or use for believing in something, following a dogma, having faith, or being right or wrong. Also, notice that we don't usually work towards an experience like this, we hold it as weird, abstract, "spiritual" or impossible. This is, however, the experience that is Cheng Hsin.

The Cheng Hsin "work" is to continually move towards a more "real", more direct, more present experience of something. An experience of Cheng Hsin could be spoken of as experiencing everything as it is, simply and directly; getting what is so. We must consider that probably this is other than what we currently think it is.

At the Cheng Hsin school we approach much of the work through various forms, structures, or sets of movements. A form is a symbol of an experience, and not the experience itself. Those who attain a high degree of skill, grasp the experience that is only symbolized by the form. This is done through, or sometimes in spite of, the form -- since the form is not the experience itself. For the most part, people think the form is the experience itself. The difference here is recognizing that there is an experience to grasp, thus encouraging us not to stop at the form, belief, dogma, or ritual.

Standard procedure in most martial arts schools is to teach a collection of techniques. In the Cheng Hsin schools, these are augmented with courses applicable to all martial arts, and to life. The Principles of an Effortlessly Effective Body-Being, the Mind course, and the Principles of Effective Interaction are all courses that include no techniques, but explore the essential elements and dynamics that make up body-design, thinking and emotion, or any interaction.

The demand at Cheng Hsin is to investigate for ourselves -- to actually study body mechanics, energy, interaction, and ontology for the purpose of going beyond the form. We question the way we currently see the world, even what we "know" to be true. This demand for authenticity makes the work more confrontive, and our study continuous. What is needed is an experience, not just a collection of facts, ideas, beliefs, and forms.

Purpose and Benefits of Having a System for Measuring Progress

We must be vigilant in our practices to insure that we stay honest and on track. For example, our martial studies are grounded in and supported by an eight-level degree system, with a passed exam needed to graduate from one degree to the next. Cheng Hsin arts demand a transformation in the way the mind functions as well as in the way the body moves. There are many fantastic stories about masters and the abilities that can be acquired with much practice and understanding. All of this can inspire a student but also creates a danger of living in hope and fantasy. The degree system offers a definite path from the beginning all the way through advanced study, providing a means for students to verify and check their progress

I hope this was helpful as it provides an insightful perspective into how this study should be approached.

Peter Ralston will be here in New Zealand once again for his annual summer Seminar. Get in and book your place now!

Why Realxing is the key to Effortless Power

2009-07-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

Thinking about relaxing and being relaxed are two very different activities. So when I say, 'so you think you're relaxed' I'm certain from a Cheng Hsin perspective your experience or idea of it is vastly different from the principle of being relaxed.

And the cool thing about training Cheng Hsin is discovering through a series of specifically designed activities what relaxing is and how you relate to the experience of relaxing. One of the important aspects of Cheng Hsin is that where ever you are in your understanding is exactly where you begin from.

What I mean is, any expereince you have toward learning something is the first step toward knowing. But first you have to accept not knowing as the place to start from. When you truly and honestly accept you don't know you immediately open yourself up to any possibilty, and that is the place where true understanding begins.Letting go of the stuff you already have in your mind allows honest learning. The key is being ok with it, not seeing it as a weakness, feeling vulnerable, silly, stupid, awkward all the feelings that failing or failure brings with it.These things are with us all the time and hinder real learning.

I can recall an experience of this concept that suddenly open my eyes. An insight into how I saw things, interpreted what I saw. When I let myself not know, allowed myself to be open and vulnerable I began to notice things that I had not noticed before. I was able to experience the activity and learn. Learning how to relax allowing my mind to follow, to feel my body as a whole in relation to the ground, I noticed where I held tension in my body where I was holding my self up. I experienced the places where I was not relaxed in my body. I began to understand this was a good place to be. I then turned my attention to being open and truly worked on letting my body being naturally take care of itself according to specfic bodily functional principles

The seven posture points.
My learning improved, my understanding grew, I was able to experience the principle of relaxing. I could record the feeling of it in 'my documents' so to speak. I had a real reference point. Because I also learnt that just because I had this experience it did not mean that I had control over it. It comes and goes, in fact it goes more than it comes, and this is where the training is vital for development and greater understanding. The feeling of being relaxed is one worth aligning to even if it is just for a moment it's worth knowing how it allows you to be open and free.

Peter Ralston wrote and you can find this in his book, The Principles Of Effortless Power "To relax under fire means to stay calm and relaxed even in stressful situations. This reveals the true strength of your position, and thus the appropriate change.

As I grow in understanding I realise how important the pieces of the Cheng Hsin puzzle fit and I also understand how relaxing is crucial for Effortless Power.

As an enthusiastic student of Cheng Hsin I look to align to being relaxed as much as I can.

For those who can I urge you to consider studying with Peter Ralston on his next Summer Seminar in Auckland of January 2010.

Relaxing is more than just going to Fiji!

2009-06-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

I will begin again to explain what relaxing is NOT, as I find easier to work back from this point and to draw your attention to my experience of what relaxing is.

I thought I new how to relax.I considered myself a relaxed kind of guy. My idea of relaxing was to grab a couple of beers and chill out with my family, catch a game on TV or just hang out.

I also thought I could find relaxing in another place, like Fiji, Bali, the Gold Coast or somewhere tropical. Somewhere I wouldn't have to face my usual daily reality. I thought the illusion of somewhere else would relax me.

Well, guess what, this is not relaxing. I'm stunned to think that thats what I thought relaxing was. Cheng Hsin would change my point of view. I would learn and experience what it feels like to relax and be relaxed in a martial context and I would also learn that I don't have to go to Fiji to discover this!

My early life experiences of relaxing simply led me to believe that thats what it looked like. A place or a thing to do while I was not doing the other thing I was doing! Fascinating thought, here I was believing this was my idea of relaxing.

What I thought was confused with something else and this is not relaxing.

My Cheng Hsin experience of relaxing is I discovered a Principle, a condition or state of being that I must align with. An open or unused state allowing myself to fall open into the ground. Peter Ralston describes it as allowing things to 'sit on the floor' rather than 'holding them up', a natural position of rest or openness.

Here is an extract from a letter Peter Ralston wrote to one of his students describing how to..." Relax, let all your joints fall open and your tissues be supple and loose. Let everything go-down to the feet. Use the inherent binding force of your tissues, regardless of how relaxed they are, to connect to your body. Use gravity as your primary force and the earth as your prime principle and closest ally"

I have trained this idea and I have had an experience of what this feels like and it is an unusual feeling. Unusual in the sense that it is an unknown feeling. To completely let my body go and allow it to fall into the ground, and let the inherent binding forces in my tissues do what they naturally do "BIND" there by keeping me from loosing form or structure. A certain amount of courage and belief is important to let yourself go and experience this condition.

What is also important to this condition is the use of my mind. My mind must surrender to this principle of being relaxed, the mind leads the body and when this occurs the state of being relaxed is possible.

There is the obvious notion that they are one in this context.

Why would I want to be this relaxed? I want to experience the Art of Effortless Power, to experience the state of being relaxed in a martial interaction to connect and align myself with gravity and the ground-earth while using the inherent binding forces of my body's tissues to create Effortless Power.

I want to experience a better way of moving my body, I want to experience a looseness and freedom of movement, without loosing shape. I want to experience more speed, better balance, effortless power and more skill. I want my body to be supple and my mind to be calm.

My experience of this quality or condition has been rewarding and real, real enough for me to continue my study and investigation of this way of being. It's an incredible way of being, after many training sessions I've often felt a sense of peace, I can feel my body and the energy flowing through it, the absence of tension a complete freedom and calmness.

This is one of the many joys of Chengh Hsin I have experienced and it's one of my main reasons for studying Cheng Hsin.I enjoy how it makes me feel, I enjoy the physical feeling of well being, I enjoy being this way when I train and how good it feels to be able to move my body completely as described by Peter Ralston. As I keep saying this is a continuing work in progress.

Stay tuned for my next post when I will discuss the principle of Centering.

For a more comprehensive understanding of this Principle of Relaxing please refer to the book 'The Principles of Effortless Power' by Peter Ralston.

And for those who can, Peter Ralston is back in Auckland,New Zealand in January 2010 for his what could be called his annual Summer Seminar held once again at the Aikido of Auckland Dojo.

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What are The Five Principles of Effortless Power?

2009-06-16T01:49:00.000-07:00

Fighting someone requires skill and training, Peter Ralston studied the art of fighting by studying many forms of martial arts.The result of his study is his creation of the art of effortless power-Cheng Hsin, while in the realm of a phyiscal activity-fighting.

Let me try to to give you a sense of what The Art of Effortless Power isn't.
1. It isn't tension in the body. It isn't being relaxed.

2. It isn't being calm. It isn't using muscular strength.

3. It isn't using exertion. It isn't applying force to something.

It is completely without any muscular tension in the body while performing multi functional movements or while interacting with another, and while aligning to five specific functional principles.There are of course other important considerations vital for being Effortless but it is necessary for you to grasp that which is already present.- Effort!

It is easier to consider 'Effort' as a condition that we already engage in or something we already do naturally. I've found that from an early age this condition of 'Effort' has been adopted as the primary condition of standard interaction. We are human beings that are already experts at doing Effort or producing Effort.

So I suggest to you, from this understanding, you will be able to grasp the concept of 'Effortless' because it is the very opposite of the condition we seek.

It is the 'hidden source' of what Master Peter Ralston was searching for while studying and training in the basement of a China Town Kung Fu dojo in San Francisco nearly four decades ago.
The Five Principles of an Effortlessly Effective Body Being are.

1.Being Calm

2.Relaxing

3.Centering

4.Grounding

5.Being Whole and Total

Now, my intention is to discuss each principle individually. I will do this with the help of my studies and training experiences and I will use relevant insight from Peter Ralston's book, The Principles of Efforless Power.

Firstly I would like to begin by making this statement:When a person completely adheres to or aligns with the Five Principles of Effortless Power in total mind and body they will experience the condition of Effortless Power.

Please make note of what I've just said. It is very important that there is no confusion here, it is through studying and training that one can experience an effortlessly effective body being. An effortless way of interaction.

Ok...What is a principle? A principle is a naturally occuring universal law, that when adhered to one will experience it's true nature.

So let us look at the first principle-Being Calm.

My own experience of this principle is a work in progress, when I train I try to incorporate in my mind the state of the feeling of quietness. A feeling of peace or stillness. A place where I am not hurried or pressed. I look for a place that is already available to me where I can be without disturbance.

The activity of the mind is a constant condition, being aligned to the principle of calmness puts me into not doing something but rather into being present without judgement or opinion. Being present is allowing yourself to being open to what is already there without any pre thought or emotion, just being with what is, non judgemental.
My study of this principle is ongoing, it would be fair of me to say that I have not fully experienced being calm but rather little teaser bites of it. My tendancy is that I allow myself to drift back toward interfering and to getting in the way rather than allowing things to just 'be'. This of course is the training aspect of attaining the experience of being calm and as I said early, a work in progress.

Ralston says "it is from this principle of being calm that we can be responsive and clear." I train to experience this.

My experiences thus far have given me an insight into the world of Cheng Hsin, and to what I think Peter Ralston is saying. The more I see and experience the more I want to discover.

For a more in depth look into the principle of Being Calm please refer to the Book, The Principles of Effortless Power by Peter Ralston.

To experience the man himself, for those who can and are interested in learning from a Master Martial Artist, Peter Ralston will be conducting his 3rd Kiwi Seminar in January 2010.

Click on the link and find out more, then book your place as there are limited places available.

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The Master is coming, will you be there...?

2009-06-09T02:16:00.000-07:00

For the third time this coming January Master Peter Ralston, world reknown Martial Artist will again conduct his training seminar work shop in Auckland, New Zealand.

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read about a Martial Art I have been studying and practising. I would like to share my experiences and give you an insight into an art that has had a major influence on my life. I would like to share not only my thoughts but also those of my current teacher Alan Roberts Sensei.

I've had the pleasure of personally training with Master Ralston at the last two workshop seminars he's conducted in Auckland for the last two summers. They have been an incredible look into Cheng Hsin-The Art Of Effortless Power.

To find out more about Peter Ralston go to his website by clicking on his name.

Just briefly in 1975 Peter Ralston foundered the Cheng Hsin School of Internal Martial Arts and Center for Ontological research which operated for twenty years in Oakland, California. In 1978 Peter Ralston became the first non-Asian ever to win the world Championship full-contact martial arts tournament held in the Republic of China.

The rest of this story comes from my teacher Alan Roberts Sensei 5th Dan Aikido and Degree Two Cheng Hsin. This is an article written by him in which he outlines his views on this subject and to highlight Peter Ralston's up coming visit to Auckland, New Zealand January 2010.

Alan writes -"By now you will have heard me talking a lot about Peter Ralston's workshops here in January 2010. I highly recommend these workshops and if you're in a position to come to Auckland next January I urge you to come and study with Peter himself."

"My main personal practice is centered around Peter's work. I have known of Peter since the time I was training in Iwama, and since Saito Sensei's death Peter has been my main teacher."

"In my experience people who are keen on aikido are primarily interested in personal development.They enjoy the fluidity and expansiveness of aikido's movements and are inspired by its philosophy of non-resistance."

"Cheng Hsin shares much common ground with aikido;

The idea of power without muscular effort

The orientation of working with conditions, not against them fluid and graceful techniques for throwing, pinning (and striking)

An underlying philosophy of harmony with universal principles using martial arts as a means of developing full human beings."

"Some ways in which it differs from classical aikido practice are;

A practical method for producing effortless power as well as a defined system for training it

A Western cultural orientationClear concepts and exercises for developing new relational skills

Game playing with an opponent whose goals the reverse of your own, to develop free format martial skill

A founder who has demonstrated superlative fighting skill, and who is very capable and motivated in communicating it to others."

"Peter has designed Cheng Hsin to not only communicate his discoveries concerning fighting skill but as a format for encouraging students to make breakthroughs about themselves and the nature of reality, and to ground that in a physical activity, rather than let it evaporate into wishful thinking and day dreams."

"The workshops these past two years have been great successes, especially last years where everyone made remarkable progress. I hope you will be able to join us this year!"

As you can see Alan has a passion for teaching and sharing these principles to which he is dedicating to learning. Since my own study with Alan I have experienced a particular way of being that has given me an incredible insight into what Peter Ralston has been teaching for many years now. Although my training is at an early stage in my development I am committed to my study of me and to learning more about the Art Of Effortless Power.

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