Peter Ralston is a founder of the consciousness movement in the San Francisco Bay area and the creator of the Art of Effortless Power, an internal martial art based on effortlessly effective interaction. Born in San Francisco but raised primarily in Asia, he began studying martial arts at the age of 9 in Singapore. By the age of 28 he had black belts or expertise in almost every martial art there is and was developing his own Art of Effortless Power. 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. The founder of the Cheng Hsin Center and the author of several books, including The Book of Not Knowing, he currently lives outside of San Antonio, Texas.
“Ralston provides both a real definition of mastery and a very detailed process to achieve it. The book highlights a path to mastery that applies to any chosen field. It provides specific principles and practices and points out potential pitfalls along the way. It is both encouraging and rigorous. There are no participation trophies in this book. One of its best features is guidance on how to benefit from the inevitable mistakes and failures along the path to mastering any activity. If you spend time and effort with this book, you will greatly benefit from the investment.” * Bob Noha, Aikido 6th dan and chief instructor at Aikido of Petaluma * “I so highly value the years I studied with Peter. In our work together, he immediately made me a better fighter and markedly so. Yet more importantly, he brought something else out: an internal energy, a state of being indescribable or undefinable, a power that I feel in every aspect of my life. He’s not only a master in his art but a master teacher. That generous creative flow of universal light that he has allowed and brought forth in his own experience sets fire to everyone who studies with him.” * Richard Moon, Aikido sensei/instructor 6th dan, facilitator in international peace-building, executi *