Lost in place

               

                        I chose to read this because I felt the book was really speaking to me when I heard it was about Kung Fu. When I was in grade school my mom made me take some classes for tiquando or some kind of Chinese self-defense. At first I hated it, it thought it was so dumb and boring and I could be spending my time on doing fun things like playing outside or playing video games. Freshmen year I decided I was done with tiquando altogether.  After a few months of not doing anything after school and overall just being lazy, I decided maybe I needed that outlet. Sure, I may not have liked it, but I was doing something. Exercise is not only good for your body, but it also keeps your mind sharp and aware.            

                   There is a part in the book where the kid talks about how tired he was and how his back was hurting him, but he kept finding strength and power where he was weak. When reading this passage, I really connected to the book on a personal level because I remember nights after spending hours upon hours working out and training with other students in the dojo. He talked about the amazing feeling of getting into bed finally, after wanting it for so many hours. The satisfaction and relief of that is the same for any person who puts their body though so much work.

                 I do not do any form of tiquando or karate anymore as most of my time is spent playing guitar or something, but I do miss going to dojos with my friends and sparing for a few hours. I always felt more alive and awake after exercising like that, and I would always get a good night’s sleep afterward. Reading this book has been very easy for me, mostly because I can relate to what is actually going on, and based on what the author talks about, we felt the same way about our tiquando.