Peter Ralston
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“True innovators are, by definition, ahead of their time. How many of us wished we had met Bruce Lee, sat in a session with Carl Jung, or walked around Walden Park with Henry David Thoreau? Too late for that, but not too late to take notice of Peter Ralston. A superlative martial artist and caring teacher, his insights speak to us all.”
Peter Ralston is the founder of Cheng Hsin. He began studying martial arts at the age of 9 and by the age of 20 had black belts in Judo, Jujitsu, Karate and had been Sumo champion at his high school in Japan, as well as Judo and fencing champion at UC Berkeley. Peter’s investigations and questioning about effectiveness in real situations, led him to intensively study Kung Fu, Muay Thai, western boxing, Aikido and the internal martial arts of T'ai Chi, Hsing I and Pa Kua.
Along with martial training, Peter was spending periods of intense contemplation which resulted in having many enlightenment experiences regarding the nature of self and reality. These experiences greatly influenced his study and ability in martial arts. Already an accomplished martial artist with a reputation, there followed a period of two years when Peter’s martial ability doubled every month. It was a phenomenal period of growth and discovery as a direct result of insights brought through contemplation, study and the years of intensive training.
Unable to find an art that had the breadth and depth of his insights, Master Ralston started to teach what was later to be named Cheng Hsin. Along with the martial training, he created numerous ontological workshops to facilitate others towards Mastery.
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. When asked in a later interview why he had entered the world tournament, he replied:
"One of the fundamental reasons I fought in a world tournament is that I ask people to do "unconventional" things, to actually question and understand themselves. I want people to listen to me, to open up to what I am saying. Winning this world tournament was done so I could say "I did it. What I am teaching you is functional. It works." Now people listen to me who wouldn't before, yet I am saying the same things."
Peter is the author of five books:
- The Principles of Effortless Power
- The Art of Effortless Power
- Ancient Wisdom, New Spirit
- Reflections of Being
- Zen Body-Being
His book "The Principles of Effortless Power" has been described as "one of the most profound books ever written about the martial arts". Along with numerous acomplished martial artists, Peter has also taught body workers, dancers, musicians, athletes and many others how to become more effective by taking the Cheng Hsin principles into their own study or art.
Peter currently teaches at the Cheng Hsin center near San Antonio Texas. The center is open for residential martial camps, consciousness retreats and apprenticeships. With over 40 years of teaching experience, Master Ralston is a highly trained and insightful facilitator, freely and openly teaching what he has learned from years of insight and direct experience.