Growing

I just finished another Tai Chi class and still have the energized feeling I always get at the end of each class. It does not matter how I am feeling mentally or physically at the beginning of a class, I always feel great at the end. I have always been fortunate in having a great group of people attending the classes.

The questions asked, observing and understanding why someone's body moves the way it does really helps with improving your eye for detail and being more aware of your surroundings as a whole.

This took me on a journey down memory lane and I thought about the many people who have attended the classes over the years. For many years, Sifu Robertson was there each and every Saturday morning and I looked forward to the challenging conversations, questions and in his case, "non questions", that would undoubtedly come up during the class. They would cover anything from correct positioning of the body, movement, flow and the list goes on and on.

I realize the value in sharing knowledge and encourage students to ask questions as this is how one grows, especially in the beginning. I see each person as an individual and what works for one may not work for another and I find the challenge very exciting. That is one of the reasons why I truly appreciate each question that is asked or thought that is shared as this gives me an opportunity to continue to grow and I hope it gives others the opportunity to grow as well.

The UBBT

What has the UBBT done for me?

When I was approached about the UBBT, my initial reaction was WOW! this is really exciting. Then I went home and had time to think more about what would be involved, and what a commitment this was going to be. Thinking back, I feel the timing was perfect as I was really needing something new and challenging to focus on and the UBBT certainly has been that.

One of the biggest hurdles I have been faced with is public journaling. I am a very private person and to share myself publicly is a very uncomfortable and vulnerable position to be in. I have constantly struggled with this and although I have improved, I know I have more work ahead of me in this area.

The UBBT has been a blessing to me in simple ways that I have never really thought about until I had to put my thinking cap on and reflect on what is different from last year. For starters, it has helped me manage my time a little better as it has meant that I must factor into my schedule time for me. Although five minutes here and there may not seem like much, at the end of the day or week, it really did make a difference. It also made me realize that I was not being selfish to schedule some “me”. It has helped me to be less concerned about doing things because it is what others expected of me and now am happy with the outlook of “take me as I am”.

I have a whole new respect for vegetarians. The random acts of kindness made me become more aware of the little things that I was already doing and never thought about before, but also helped me to be more conscious about what was going on around me. I also become more aware of those instances when I am receiving an act of kindness from others.

I have also progressed to the stage where I no longer dread doing push-ups. I injured myself several years ago doing them incorrectly and after that even the thought of push-ups would make me cringe. I have had a couple of injuries this year, making it more challenging, but I must say I have tried not to use that as an excuse to stop doing them as that would only put me behind. I think the UBBT has shown me that one needs to be creative during an injury and that you don’t need to give up, you just need to adapt.

It seemed to give me a new focus, I was again excited to come to classes and was more engaged. I may not be where I hoped to be, but I have changed and that is definitely a step in the right direction and I plan to continue moving forward.

Eva Dennis
Silent River Kung Fu, Stony Plain, Alberta

Don't Assume

I read a brief article this morning that I really think sends a powerful message and wanted to share it. The article read as follows:

A brand-new Little League baseball coach called a friend for advice. The friend, who had coached everything from soccer to track with his kids, told him, “I always started by numbering the bases.”

The new coach was surprised. “What do you mean?”

The friend explained that the first year he coached Little League, he laid out the bases and had the kids line up. “To warm up, let’s have everybody jog around the base path. The first four kids too off towards third.”

“Ever since,” he said, “I’ve numbered the bases and explained that you have to run them in order. You’d be amazed at the number of kids who go from first to third by cutting across the pitcher’s mound.”

The moral: Never assume people know what’s obvious to you. Explain what they need to know.


This concept certainly is not relevant only to baseball, but to all aspects of our lives. It certainly has given me food for thought.


Sifu Dennis www.silentriverkungfu.com Stony Plain, Alberta

Summer Projects

I can’t believe that it is already September. What happened to our summer???

Our project for this year was to refinish the outside of our house and garage. In the past we have been able to put the stain on with a spray gun, but this year we bought a different type of stain and the sprayer did not work. As a result we have been applying the stain with a brush. It is taking a lot longer and a lot harder on the arms.

One coat did not do the trick so we have had to put on a second coat. Although I have been spending every spare moment on the weekend and after work painting (weather permitting), the house and deck are not quite finished yet. Hopefully that will get done this coming weekend.

Having a two storey house means that I get the pleasure of climbing way up to paint the top of the house and fireplace chimneys. I must admit that I really, really don’t like heights and in fact as I get older, it seems that my fear of heights gets worse with each passing year. I am having to deal with that issue this year as there has been no choice if I want the top half of the house painted.

The garage isn’t started yet, but I guess I should look at what we accomplished, not what we haven’t. I can only hope we have a very long fall. I am determined that it is getting done this year so who knows, I may be painting in the snow.

I will keep my fingers crossed.

Summer Project

I can’t believe that it is already September. What happened to our summer???

Our project for this year was to refinish the outside of our house and garage. In the past we have been able to put the stain on with a spray gun, but this year we bought a different type of stain and the sprayer did not work. As a result we have been applying the stain with a brush. It is taking a lot longer and a lot harder on the arms.

One coat did not do the trick so we have had to put on a second coat. Although I have been spending every spare moment on the weekend and after work painting (weather permitting), the house and deck are not quite finished yet. Hopefully that will get done this coming weekend.

Having a two storey house means that I get the pleasure of climbing way up to paint the top of the house and fireplace chimneys. I must admit that I really, really don’t like heights and in fact as I get older, it seems that my fear of heights gets worse with each passing year. I am having to deal with that issue this year as there has been no choice if I want the top half of the house painted.

The garage isn’t started yet, but I guess I should look at what we accomplished, not what we haven’t. I can only hope we have a very long fall. I am determined that it is getting done this year so who knows, I may be painting in the snow.

I will keep my fingers crossed.

Round Four

Am I lucky or what? On Sunday morning I was up early as I had a very busy day ahead. First on the agenda was to feed the dogs and what did I come across, but one of the dogs (Sasha) had gotten into a porcupine. Again!. This must be a real good year for them (or a real bad year, depending on how you look at it) as this is the fourth time, and I hope the last time, that we have had to deal with this. This is the third time for Sasha.

She is a big dog and it is a real challenge to keep her down if she doesn’t really want to be there, especially as she had a very good idea what was going to be happening. My husband took the first shift of keeping her still and when I took over holding her down, I knew from past experience it was going to be a challenge. At first, I didn’t really think about how I was able to keep her still, but after a while I noticed that I was in a half guard position and my arm was such that she could not move her head and we were able to get the job done quickly. Kung fu is absolutely amazing and does play a role in all aspects of our lives, whether we realize it or not.

Sifu Dennis www.silentriverkungfu.com Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada

Time Out

I have great admiration for those who have scheduled a "down time or time out" into their week. That is one thing I keep planning to do but it just doesn't seem to happen.

I work full time and don't get home during the week until quite late in the evening, the weekends are when I try to catch up on everything I missed during the week. As the time passes, my list of things to do keeps getting longer and longer, as I am sure many people can relate.

The only way I will get some down time is if I schedule it into my week and stick to it. If I don't, time will keep passing and each spare moment will continue to be filled with another task.

Recently two of my sisters have had some very serious health issues and I know this is something I really need and recognizing it is half the battle. Now I just need to take that next step.

Sifu Dennis www.silentriverkungfu.com Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada