Chenghsin

Cheng Hsin Auckland is the first school in New Zealand to offer regular classes in the Cheng Hsin Martial Art of Effortless Power. We are very excited about our practice and have a lot of fun exploring the wide and varied aspects of Cheng Hsin together.

Cheng Hsin does not have the branding of more mainstream martial arts, think about how you came to hear about Cheng Hsin yourself. We want to change that. We are sure there are many people, like you, who would find Cheng Hsin as rewarding and enjoyable as we do.

If you would like to try the Cheng Hsin Martial Art of Effortless Power for yourself we offer FREE TRIAL CLASSES at the beginning of each month. Our next visitors class is Wednesday 3rd February 2010.

Why not pay us a visit?

Alan Roberts - Trainer, Cheng Hsin Auckland

Alan began practicing aikido in 1987 and from 1988 to 1994 he studied with Morihiro Saito, one of the art's leading teachers, in Iwama, Japan. During that time he came across Peter Ralston’s Principles of Effortless Power and was intrigued by its depth and apparent similarity with the expression of aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba. On leaving Iwama, Alan followed up on Peter only to find that he had closed his school in San Francisco and was not teaching.

Alan was coaxed into teaching aikido in Auckland but soon his enthusiasm took over and he had a thriving school to look after. He still thumbed through his copy of Principles and was surprised in 1996 to see a poster advertising Peter Ralston teaching in New Zealand. Of course, he signed up straight away. Alan was deeply affected by meeting Peter. He had trained with many highly respected teachers in Japan but here was someone altogether different, someone who was clearly a master, and also an accomplished teacher.

Alan’s perspective on aikido was completely changed. He didn’t meet Peter again until 2004 when he travelled to the new Cheng Hsin Centre in Texas for the Spring Retreat, returning to Auckland as a Cheng Hsin trainer, and Cheng Hsin Auckland was born. Alan has returned to Texas to train with Peter as well as training with him in New Zealand and Australia.

Alan holds a Degree Two in Cheng Hsin and a Fifth Dan in aikido. He is a practitioner of Hellerwork Structural Integration, a system of a bodywork and movement education designed to align and balance the body in gravity improving ease, fluidity, efficiency and grace of movement, which complements his martial arts practice. He is passionate about martial arts as a rewarding physical discipline that also provides an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and the world around us.