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Cheng Hsin: The Principles of Effortless Power
Every once in a while you find a high impact book. Something that awakens something deep within and lasts forever. This is the one. It is a book that you can pick up time and time again and always gets something new out of it, or something deeper than you. Cheng Hsin is the best introduction for beginners to the internal practice of fighting. It is a seminal work that draws on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Aikido, and Pa Kua Chang and was written by the first Westerner ever to win the world championship in a full-contact martial arts tournament.
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1989
About the author
Peter Ralston
34 books70 followersPeter Ralston works with people to authentically expand and deepen their “consciousness,” and to become more real, honest, and effective human beings. He facilitates people in understanding their own selves and minds, and in becoming increasingly conscious of the nature of perception, experience, and existence, and the nature of “being.” He also does this through teaching people about their bodies and how to be most effective in its use, as well as teaching them the Art of Effortless Power — a large scope internal martial art using an effortless power to “play” with others, deepening an understanding of effective interaction using such principles as joining, complementing, leading, and so forth to create masterful interactive skills.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 25, 2026
This is an excellent book I have really enjoyed. I have 3rd kyu in aikido, and have practiced it (alonside other martial and fighting arts) for quite some years. This is not an aikido book, yet it has IMO everything to do with aikido. Ralston did an extensive study of multiple martial arts, and then transcended them and went for the principles that underlie them - the same principles we study and leverage. This was certainly a factor in him becoming the first non-Asian to win the World Championship full-contact martial arts tournament in China.
A lot of things I have heard over the years from our top teachers fit right into what the book explores. But it is more wide and deep and well-rounded exploration of the subject of physical skill and interaction than I have encountered anywhere else. Moreover, the language is clearer and free of a belief system, contrary to what is common in this domain.
It starts with the very basics of being calm, grounded, relaxed, and moving purely from the center, and devotes some time to exploring what that actually means, and how to practice this. But it quickly gets into deeper stuff, that I can only comprehend to some extent thanks to having practiced aikido for a while. Stuff such as using "feeling-attention" (which I find a more relatable term than life force, or the "ki" we often use), delivering the power of gravity from my foot, through my hips, all the way to my well connected hand, and sinking down as my arm (or another body part) is rising up.
Eventually, the focus shifts from one person to a physical interaction. During a recent training camp, the head teacher described how he simply stands ready, and a technique emerges itself from the encounter with the attacker. The book describes this as well, and how to get there. Though at this point this is still only a fairy tale to me.
A bonus for sword nerds: there is also an appendix with an original translation of Chozan Shissai's Discourse on the art of swordsmanship.
Closing note: some 25 years later he wrote with his wife also "Zen Body-Being", with even clearer and simpler language. The extra 1/4 century of practicing communicating about these things and the influence of another person make it more approachable to people that do not have a foundation in aikido (or similar) practice and principles. If this is you then perhaps start with that one.
A lot of things I have heard over the years from our top teachers fit right into what the book explores. But it is more wide and deep and well-rounded exploration of the subject of physical skill and interaction than I have encountered anywhere else. Moreover, the language is clearer and free of a belief system, contrary to what is common in this domain.
It starts with the very basics of being calm, grounded, relaxed, and moving purely from the center, and devotes some time to exploring what that actually means, and how to practice this. But it quickly gets into deeper stuff, that I can only comprehend to some extent thanks to having practiced aikido for a while. Stuff such as using "feeling-attention" (which I find a more relatable term than life force, or the "ki" we often use), delivering the power of gravity from my foot, through my hips, all the way to my well connected hand, and sinking down as my arm (or another body part) is rising up.
Eventually, the focus shifts from one person to a physical interaction. During a recent training camp, the head teacher described how he simply stands ready, and a technique emerges itself from the encounter with the attacker. The book describes this as well, and how to get there. Though at this point this is still only a fairy tale to me.
A bonus for sword nerds: there is also an appendix with an original translation of Chozan Shissai's Discourse on the art of swordsmanship.
Closing note: some 25 years later he wrote with his wife also "Zen Body-Being", with even clearer and simpler language. The extra 1/4 century of practicing communicating about these things and the influence of another person make it more approachable to people that do not have a foundation in aikido (or similar) practice and principles. If this is you then perhaps start with that one.
February 27, 2023
The author starts this book discussing he background in Judo and external martial arts, which he seems to have mastered rather early and perhaps got board of them. This book covers "internal" martial arts and power generation. As part of a martial art discussion group, we read this book and discussed it in detail. I'll give it 4 stars because it sparked good conversation and dialog, but I think that 3 stars would be appropriate for reading it by oneself.
The book is difficult to read. The author uses terminology that differs from what many internal artists may be used to. My discussion group came to the conclusion that the author speaks from his own experiences and discoveries and describes things based on his own vocabulary. While it is clear that Peter Ralston has a grasp of Chinese or asian languages, I found the terminology to be non-standard. I myself speak some Chinese, practice Chinese Medicine, and have practices both internal and external martial arts for over 30 years. I understand what is meant by xin (heart), xing (form), qi, Taiji, Yi (mind/intent), etc. but the author seems to use both the older Wade-Giles spellings of Mandarin terms and often redefines them in English without reference to the Chinese. This makes the complex subject even harder to read in my opinion.
As far as the content goes, some chapters are really good and others could be just skipped by some readers. I think I would recommend to the reader to start with the appendix interview first, then skim the chapters before doing a deeper dive. I don't think you can read this book without some exposure to internal martial arts, but no form or particular style is required. You can't follow this book if you only have an external martial arts background. The author's final chapters discuss what many might related to the "Dao/Tao" and not necessarily "Power" generation. This is that philosophy of True Heart (Cheng Xin) but maybe not what the readers are looking for.
The book is difficult to read. The author uses terminology that differs from what many internal artists may be used to. My discussion group came to the conclusion that the author speaks from his own experiences and discoveries and describes things based on his own vocabulary. While it is clear that Peter Ralston has a grasp of Chinese or asian languages, I found the terminology to be non-standard. I myself speak some Chinese, practice Chinese Medicine, and have practices both internal and external martial arts for over 30 years. I understand what is meant by xin (heart), xing (form), qi, Taiji, Yi (mind/intent), etc. but the author seems to use both the older Wade-Giles spellings of Mandarin terms and often redefines them in English without reference to the Chinese. This makes the complex subject even harder to read in my opinion.
As far as the content goes, some chapters are really good and others could be just skipped by some readers. I think I would recommend to the reader to start with the appendix interview first, then skim the chapters before doing a deeper dive. I don't think you can read this book without some exposure to internal martial arts, but no form or particular style is required. You can't follow this book if you only have an external martial arts background. The author's final chapters discuss what many might related to the "Dao/Tao" and not necessarily "Power" generation. This is that philosophy of True Heart (Cheng Xin) but maybe not what the readers are looking for.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews