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Martial Arts Tattoos?
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Martial Arts Tattoos?
Mike Salway
Member
December 22, 2009 06:39
Hi guys

How many of you have a martial arts related tattoo?

I have no tattoos, but I've been thinking of getting one when I get my black belt. Probably a Japanese symbol of sorts.

I haven't really given much thought into what it should say, what the symbol should be, etc. I'm open to ideas :)

Do you have any? What does it say and where on your body is it?
Mike Salway
mikesalway.com.au : Astronomy | Photography | Karate
IceInSpace: Australian Amateur Astronomy
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Mike Salway
Member
December 22, 2009 06:46
Mike Salway
mikesalway.com.au : Astronomy | Photography | Karate
IceInSpace: Australian Amateur Astronomy
[Reply]
Mike Salway
Member
December 22, 2009 06:56
Some good inspiration here too:
http://www.stockkanji.com/Motivational.htm
Mike Salway
mikesalway.com.au : Astronomy | Photography | Karate
IceInSpace: Australian Amateur Astronomy
[Reply]
Jeremy Kerwin
Member
December 22, 2009 08:20
I dont have any tattoos, mainly because I'd probably get sick of it in 6 months and would want it gone.

I did have the idea of getting the symbol for Dao (Tao)
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Michael Little
Administrator
December 22, 2009 08:35
I do have one and am keen to get more but the kind of work that I'm looking for will be very expensive - it will either involve going to Japan or visiting some of the best Japanese artists in Australia for many hours @ around $200 an hour.

My advice would be to come up with an idea of what you want and then go about finding the design/characters for it. That way you won't end up with a stock standard stencil tattoo that 14,000 other people will have. Also if you are getting characters make sure the tattooist you select is familiar with the particular script....
Now slightly more bruised than before.
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Michael Little
Administrator
December 22, 2009 08:36
also be aware that once you've got one you will want more...
Now slightly more bruised than before.
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Jeremy Kerwin
Member
December 22, 2009 09:01
I'd also recommend that if you are going to get some form of asian script that you make double and triple sure that what you want actually means what you think it means. I think we've all heard those stories about some naieve young girl goes and get the Kanji for 'Love, beauty, etc' only to find out that it means skanky whore.

If you not sure about a particular item and would want to know what it looks like before you get it, I've become quite handy at being able to photoshop tattoo's onto people's photos and they look rather convincing. Just another steps to making sure you are sure before you get the permanent marker out.
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Panda
Member
December 23, 2009 00:11
I've been thinking of a few. Since wing chun I've been thinking of having an equilateral triangle on the back of my neck (the triangle representing perfection of form and the strongest structural position), though that clashes with my idea of having some vampire glyph put there at some point :P

For years I've wanted a yin yang but I don't need to tell anyone who's gone outside how "new age" and "hippy" it is, popularised to a cliche degree by people who like how it looks but don't know what it means. I almost envy religious people who can have the same symbols tattood and never be taken down for having the same design as everyone else. Though they have to live with having it stuck on them if their faith changes. But I digress.

Last year I was gonna get a tattoo of a pagua with animals representing my family inside but chickened out. I'm thinking of something more simple like a circle (as in the Zen thing "The mind must be like a circle, empty but complete.")

I want to avoid kanji et al because if and when I go to Japan I think it'd look kinda lame. A comedian once said "I wonder if young people in Japan walk around with "water" or "dragon" written in English on their arms." When I think of that I think it must look very lame to the Japanese when Westerners have kanji on them :S
When the student is ready, the master will appear
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Matthew O'Neil
Member
December 24, 2009 23:35
I have "hwa rang do" in Korean tattooed on my right arm. It means "way of the flowering manhood",I believe in the idea and of course is at the core of of martial arts
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Carl Ashton
Member
October 07, 2010 02:03
Hi everybody, my name is Carl Ashton and I have been a professional martial instructor for 6 years. I noticed that a lot of parents have many concerns before bringing their kids to a martial art/karate class. I am trying very hard to put together a report to address any issues or questions that parents have about getting there kids involved in martial arts. If you would like to help me, please fill out this one question survey http://tinyurl.com/karate4kids . I would be very grateful for your help. Thank you!!


Carl Ashton
http://members.flycatchergenerator.com
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