This next book is different, and I will admit it may not be to everyone’s liking. It is the opposite to a book on techniques clearly described and illustrated, it is a book with no techniques and a book that the first read may not seem to be clearly described or illustrated. And that makes this a real shift from my last recommendation or in the words of a great British comedy – And now for something completely different.
I can’t recall the first time I read this book but it had to be close to when it was first published and I think about half way through I put it down not sure if the author didn’t know what he was talking about or if I didn’t know what the author was talking about. Turns out it was me.
The book is: “Cheng Hsin: The Principles of Effortless Power” by Peter Ralston.
The book is one of principles and not application. It begins with the five principles of Cheng Hsin – the five principles of an effortlessly effective body being. The book goes into detail on body being, body awareness and many other things.
Ralston is not the clearest of writers so you have to work at understanding what he means and for some that may put them off but I feel deep contemplation is where deep learning takes place and this book always put me into deep contemplation. I have read the book numerous times since I first got it and each time, I find new things or a new awareness.
As I said reading it takes work. In fact, some found it difficult enough to comprehend that Peter Ralston and his wife Laura Ralston created a simpler version to try and get much of the body being information across: “Zen Body- Being: An Enlightened Approach to Physical Skill, Grace and Power.” Not the same but in essence very similar, in fact Laura Ralston in the foreword refers to that book as “a simple, pared-down version of his body-being work. A useful little book.” Now his body-being work encompasses more than Cheng Hsin but you can get the drift that at times his written communication can take work. That book is also excellent but oddly I prefer Cheng Hsin and I believe it is because it makes me think more. I don’t want it handed to me I want to earn it.
Isn’t that a real recommendation – this book will take a great deal of work. Well, yes because like all things that take a great deal of work – they are worth it. Now I don’t know where you are on your martial journey so perhaps you are coming in when I first picked up this book or at the second time or fifth or tenth or twentieth and that will determine your experience reading this book.
Some may get a great deal their first read through, others may end up asking themselves if I was nuts to recommend it. In either case finish the book and then pick it up and read it again in a year or two and see if there is a different grasping of what he is telling us.
It was this book that confirmed for me decades ago that the focused tension at the end of a strike that I was taught in Karate was wrong. Tension stops power so why would we want to stop our power from coming out in a strike? As my Buddy Rick Bottomley said – no where in the force equation does it say stop.
The bottom-line is I have read this book so many times and I keep getting more each time. I really love it. You may or may not or may in a year or two depending on if you like to learn through contemplation.
I highly recommend this book, but you may have to give it time.