Martial Art inspired Tattoos...

[Gfreak]

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!

 

[CB Jones]

Fire represented by a dragon

Earth represented by a Stone Lion (Foo Dog)

 

[Gfreak]

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.

 

[drop bear]

 

[CB Jones]

Representing Wind with a representation of Fujin could be cool

 

[CB Jones]

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.

 

[CB Jones]

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.

 

[Gfreak]

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.

 

[CB Jones]

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.

 

[Ironbear24]

What art style do you want them in?

 

[Buka]

That is the coolest tat I've ever seen.


Welcome to MT Gfreak.

 

[Gfreak]

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.

 

[CB Jones]

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

And I just like Japanese style tattoos.

 

[Gfreak]

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

 

[CB Jones]

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.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

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!

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.

 

[KangTsai]

You could Yakuza it up a bit with a dragon.

 

[Tez3]

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.

 

[Dylan9d]

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!!!

 

[Bill Mattocks]

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