Tattoos and the martial arts ...

[Kenpo17]

I don't have any tattoos at all right now, but sometime soon I hope to get a tattoo of the WKKA symbol. It's a picture of the Warrior covering the Scholar in a semi-circle. On websites such as google, it is easy to find a picture of it. One of my instructors already has it on his arm and it is really cool looking, and it has alot of meaning behind it.

 

[TheArtofDave]

I don't have any MA related tatts. I've got 6 tatts, and all of them were inspired out of chaos. They all have meaning to me and so I'll never regret mine, and can be thankful for where I'm at in my life now.

I'll probably have something MA inspired in the next 2 to 3 years though. Everybody loves my coiled tribal dragon, and are always asking about it. Hurt like hell when I got it on the middle, center of my forearm. I have a big tatt on top of my forearm, and the tribal dragon on the bottom.

Also for people who have negative opinions on tattoos. A tattoo does not change who you are as a person. It's just an expression of who you are, or perhaps of your life's experiences.

 

[Nolerama]

I want sleeves.

 

[rosworms]

i have one tattoo, but it's not MA related at all... hehe, i guess it could be classified as self-defense related if you really stretch though.

 

[Hyper_Shadow]

I got carp(as yet unfinished) and a four winds tomoe on my torso

 

[Stonecold]

Actually that is probably the only reason that I do not have one.

Daniel

I'm a tattooed guy and it doesn't matter to me if your tattooed or not. I aiways try to take people as they come. Give them respect & and treat them as you would like to be treated.

 

[gardawamtu1]

I have two large tattoos. My chestpiece is loosely connected to martial arts -- a winged lion and griffin symbolizing protection:

 

[suicide]

yo bro ! your tattoo is sick on the real dude ...

 

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I've got 2, one of a katana wielding Oni and the other of a dancing Kali wielding blades from Japan, China, Rome and Egypt.

I like the concept of Kali with the different blades of different cultures.

I am thinking of having a Roman Standard bearer on one arm and a Samurai in Armour on the other arm.

 

[Jenny_in_Chico]

No ink yet, but in many many years, when I reach brown belt in EPAK, I'll get the kenpo covered fist salute patch as a tattoo. I'm not sure where on my body I'll have it placed, however...a guy in my dojo suggested I get it in a place where it could serve as a warning to proceed at your own risk...

 

[ralphmcpherson]

I am currently getting my wife to design my first tattoo , and it is martial arts related. When I started tkd I decided that if I got to black belt I would get one of the tennants of tkd as a tatttoo. I got my black belt 3 months ago and have decided to get "indommitable spirit" incorporated into my tattoo but written in a way that it isnt instantly obvious what it says. The design my wife is coming up with has the tennant written in flowing , celtic like writing that initially looks like a band around my bicep but on further inspection the words indommitable spirit can be seen.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I'm a tattooed guy and it doesn't matter to me if your tattooed or not. I aiways try to take people as they come. Give them respect & and treat them as you would like to be treated.

The prejudice seems to be one sided. Tattooed people are generally like yourself: they like their tatoos and think that it is cool for themselves and impose no value judgements on those who are un-inked. But the same cannot be said in reverse.

Those that have the strongest opinions about tatoos generally do not have any. Given that someone else's having a tatoo does absolutely nothing to anyone else, nobody should care, but some people do unfortunately.

Daniel

 

[gardawamtu1]

I had the privilege of training with Ajarn Chai Sirisute this past weekend. When my wife and I were called into the middle of the seminar to demonstrate, he warmly said "I like your tattoo" and asked how much it cost in front of the whole seminar (full leg sleeve). Taken aback, I finally said "too much." he then proceeded to tell a story about one of his Japanese students with a full body suit. He thinks his former student is now on prison. A surreal experience to say the least ...

 

[Steve]

I had the privilege of training with Ajarn Chai Sirisute this past weekend. When my wife and I were called into the middle of the seminar to demonstrate, he warmly said "I like your tattoo" and asked how much it cost in front of the whole seminar (full leg sleeve). Taken aback, I finally said "too much." he then proceeded to tell a story about one of his Japanese students with a full body suit. He thinks his former student is now on prison. A surreal experience to say the least ...

Maybe etiquette is different in different places, but it's extremely rude to ask how much a tattoo cost around here. You might get away with asking how many hours it took in the chair and do some math, but I wouldn't even do that if I didn't know the person pretty well.

I would also take offense at being associated, even anecdotally, to someone who is believed to be in prison.

 

[MSTCNC]

One tat in memory of those lost on 911... it's an Eagle and American flag in a In/Yo design with FDNY * NYPD above and 11-SEPT-01 below...

My next ink will be in the next few weeks. I'm getting my friend Joe's unit number tat'd in the shape of his County Police badge. Joe was killed LODD in DE last September when he was stabbed in the neck while trying to take a subject high on bath salts into custody...

After that, my next two WILL be Martial Arts related...

 

[ballen0351]

Maybe etiquette is different in different places, but it's extremely rude to ask how much a tattoo cost around here..

Ive never heard of that. I ask people all the time where they got a good tattoo and what it costs. I didnt know that was rude. Guess I should stop.

 

[Kinghercules]

This is my tat of the old school patch.
I do want another one but dont know what yet.

 

[Steve]

Ive never heard of that. I ask people all the time where they got a good tattoo and what it costs. I didnt know that was rude. Guess I should stop.

Asking for referrals is awesome. I'm sure the artists appreciate that.

As far as how much it cost, a better question would be to ask how many hours in the chair. Prices per hour vary, but that's typically how the artist gauges price. You can presume that a tattoo cost between $100 and $150 per hour. That'll get you close to how much it cost.

Think about it like this. You walk into a friend's house and see a beautiful, original painting on their wall. Would you ever say, "Hey, that's a beautiful painting. How much did you pay for it?"

 

[MSTCNC]

Interesting... I know a LOT of people with ink... from little tats, to full sleeves, to fully suited.... and I've never once had the experience of talking to somone about their ink, it's rendering, or cost... and had them get all bunched up about it... must be a thing local to you, Brother...

 

[Steve]

Interesting... I know a LOT of people with ink... from little tats, to full sleeves, to fully suited.... and I've never once had the experience of talking to somone about their ink, it's rendering, or cost... and had them get all bunched up about it... must be a thing local to you, Brother...

Could be. Could also be a generational thing. I know that I was brought up to believe that talking about salaries and money was rude, but I've been informed that Gen Y'ers have no problem at all discussing how much they're paid. Could be as tattoos become more mainstream, too, the culture around them is changing.

But, really, what's the point of asking? It's an original piece of art. As I asked before, would you go into a friend's house and say, "Hey, that's a killer, original painting. How much did you pay for it?" Why would the price matter to you? Are you curious about whether your friend got a good deal? Other than that, what are you hoping to learn?