# Martial Art inspired Tattoos...



## Gfreak (Mar 14, 2017)

Hey y'all. New to this forum but am looking to gather ideas for certain representations for tattoos in the future and would love any input or ideas y'all can give!

If this is in the wrong section, then please delete or move!

So, my Idea is to have a series of tattoos based around the 5 elements (Japanese), so: water/fire/wind/earth/void

I currently already have a water themed half sleeve on one arm (octopus). And would be looking at getting SOMETHING fire themed on my right arm as a half sleeve. With something spanning my upper back from shoulder to shoulder connecting the 2, that would represent wind/earth/void.

So what i'm looking for is ideas for imagery to represent these different elements.

Hopefully there's some creative ideas that can inspire me to figure this out. (This tattoo series is years away from me actually getting it, just gathering the ideas for now.) For reference, It took me about 5 years to hammer out the details for how I wanted my octopus sleeve haha.


Thanks in advance y'all!


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## CB Jones (Mar 14, 2017)

Fire represented by a dragon

Earth represented by a Stone Lion (Foo Dog)


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## Gfreak (Mar 14, 2017)

Yep, those were definitely 2 ideas that I had as well. Especially the dragon for fire, the fu dogs I'm more hesitant on because of their background coming primarily from Shintoism combined with my own personal religious biases. But still a good idea.


Also, the symbols for the elemtns don't necessarily have to be Japanese in nature, just that those 5 elements was the theme I was going for overall.


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## drop bear (Mar 14, 2017)




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## CB Jones (Mar 14, 2017)

Representing Wind with a representation of Fujin could be cool


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## CB Jones (Mar 14, 2017)

Gfreak said:


> Yep, those were definitely 2 ideas that I had as well. Especially the dragon for fire, the fu dogs I'm more hesitant on because of their background coming primarily from Shintoism combined with my own personal religious biases. But still a good idea.
> 
> 
> Also, the symbols for the elemtns don't necessarily have to be Japanese in nature, just that those 5 elements was the theme I was going for overall.



A back piece with a Foo Dog with A representation of Fujin flying overhead through the sky (void representation) with light and dark clouds making up a yin and yang in the background might be pretty cool.


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## CB Jones (Mar 14, 2017)

Back piece with the Sea to the side with the octopus with a japanese ship with its sails catching the wind and Tojinbo cliffs with the sky and clouds representing void overhead.

The cliffs could connect to the arm with the dragon climbing up it.


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## Gfreak (Mar 14, 2017)

Wow, those are both amazing Ideas. Thanks a ton for your input!! Again, hesitant on the Fuujin because of the Shintoism thing again.

But The mountain range is something I was thinking about to connect it... I really like your version on that. that's awesome! One of my ideas was to have just a mountain range with a night sky, with either a tiger for wind, or sakura blossoms blowing in the wind.

The ship scene with the mountains sound awesome though.


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## CB Jones (Mar 14, 2017)

I like your mountain idea with the blossoms blowing.

You could also instead of a night sky go with a rising sun but obscuring part of the mountain with clouds to represent the void.


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## Ironbear24 (Mar 14, 2017)

What art style do you want them in?


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## Buka (Mar 14, 2017)

drop bear said:


>



That is the coolest tat I've ever seen. 


Welcome to MT Gfreak.


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## Gfreak (Mar 14, 2017)

Art style is up in the air at  moment. Only art style I really DON'T want is new school. I tend to lean more towards traditional styles however.

My current half sleeve is in Japanese irezumi style.

And thanks Buka!

as a side note, cb jones. what kinda martial arts are you into? You seem more knowledgeable than most in terms of Japanese culture/legends. Though that also just might be because of the nature of this forum, more knowledgeable people would be on it haha.


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## CB Jones (Mar 14, 2017)

Lol...actually grew up boxing.  Son does Korean Karate.

And I just like Japanese style tattoos.


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## Gfreak (Mar 14, 2017)

Ahh I gotcha haha. Curious, by Korean karate do you mean Tang Soo Do?


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## CB Jones (Mar 14, 2017)

Its complicated.

The dojo he belongs to lineage goes back to Atlee Chittim who learned karate in Korea during the Korean War.

He returned to America and started teaching Korean Karate and sponsored Jhoon Rhee to come to America.  Jhoon Rhee would later start calling it TKD.

The style my son uses emphasizes more punching and lower kicks and not as many big kicks that TKD uses today and it still uses the name Korean Karate.


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Mar 15, 2017)

Gfreak said:


> Hey y'all. New to this forum but am looking to gather ideas for certain representations for tattoos in the future and would love any input or ideas y'all can give!
> 
> If this is in the wrong section, then please delete or move!
> 
> ...



I've got nothing to say on the tattoo front. BUT I noticed a very similar post made to reddit that I'm guessing is also you. Out of curiosity, I checked your other posts, and saw questions about experimenting with drugs.

If that's still something you're considering, please don't. There are so many people who experiment, then it takes them down a road they never wanted to go, and they're stuck dealing with the consequences for the rest of their lives.


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## KangTsai (Mar 15, 2017)

You could Yakuza it up a bit with a dragon.


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## Tez3 (Mar 15, 2017)

Gfreak said:


> Though that also just might be because of the nature of this forum, more knowledgeable people would be on it haha.



This place is full of knowledgeable people, many of whom don't do Japanese martial arts but those from other countries. Not all styles come from Japan.


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## Dylan9d (Mar 15, 2017)

Tez3 said:


> This place is full of knowledgeable people, many of whom don't do Japanese martial arts but those from other countries. Not all styles come from Japan.



Show them tats Tez!!!


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## Bill Mattocks (Mar 15, 2017)

I have several tattoos.  One says USMC.  One is an Irish Sun.

What I would like for a martial arts tattoo is this one:

Isshin Ryu Karate Tattoo by Tim Senecal : Tattoos


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## Tez3 (Mar 15, 2017)

Dylan9d said:


> Show them tats Tez!!!



Certainly not lol, mine are in  personal places!


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## CB Jones (Mar 15, 2017)

No disrespect, but I don't care for it.

The claws are weird where they are placed anatomically and the size of the claws compared to each other and the head seem off.

And the girl looks more Egyptian to me than Japanese


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## Dylan9d (Mar 15, 2017)

Tez3 said:


> Certainly not lol, mine are in  personal places!



Well it was worth a shot


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## Gfreak (Mar 15, 2017)

yes that was me on Reddit as well haha. As for the drug thing, I've thought about it a lot. And I haven't experimented with LSD or anything as of yet. I still plan on it one day, but I'm not in a place where I want to right now. That day might never come as well. Also, having done many hours of research and talking to experienced people, the "bad" effects of many many drugs are vastly overstated. and in many of the cases can be avoided completely, or come about because of an underlying psychological or physical problem before hand, that they exacerbate


That's interesting about the Korean karate. I"ve heard Tang Soo do referred to as "Korean karate" before. But haven't seen a style that someone simply called that. That's pretty cool.

I teach Kuk Sool and BJJ for what it's worth.

and yes, I know that not all styles come from Japan haha. But everything he was talkinga bout, was referencing Japanese culture. Which is why I asked him about it.


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## CB Jones (Mar 15, 2017)

I have a little bit of an art background and love the artwork involved in tattoos.

Japanese style tats is one of my favorites.


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## Gfreak (Mar 15, 2017)

same! which is why I wanted my first Tattoo to be a Japanese style. I got it shortly after I got my Purple belt in BJJ.

Half sleeve octopus 5 hours in. by Luar Martinez at Ancient Ink
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

That's mine if you wanna have a look, unfinished at the moment. going back next month to get color into it.
also the pictures were taken FRESH, so it's pretty swollen/bruised int hat pic.


also, your son looks SUPER sharp for an 11 year old man. And if he knows what all those moves do, man that's awesome. How long has he been training?


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## CB Jones (Mar 15, 2017)

That's gonna look sweet with color added to it.  Should really make it pop.

Thanks, he has been training for 7 years.


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## Gfreak (Mar 15, 2017)

Very cool man, wish I had been able to start so young. 

and yep! Can't wait to get that color filled in.


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## wingerjim (Mar 15, 2017)

Here are my two MA Tattoos


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## Gfreak (Mar 15, 2017)

Very cool man! I like the tiger a lot. Only thing I do want for mine is to be full color. I'm white as hell, so maybe that's why though ahha. color tends to show up well lol.


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## Dylan9d (Mar 16, 2017)

had an idea to have bootprint tattoo on my buttcheek........ because I had my *** kicked more than I liked too 

I do need to start thinking what I want to do with my right arm.....what style etc.

Not a MA tattoo but the date's and time of birth from my kids on my left lower arm on the side I have their names


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## CB Jones (Mar 16, 2017)

Dylan9d said:


> had an idea to have bootprint tattoo on my buttcheek........ because I had my *** kicked more than I liked too
> 
> I do need to start thinking what I want to do with my right arm.....what style etc.
> 
> Not a MA tattoo but the date's and time of birth from my kids on my left lower arm on the side I have their names



Man that is clean.  Looks good


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