Kung Fu (and other Martial Arts) Tattoos

[Eggman]

Hello, everyone. This is my second posting.

I am considering getting a tattoo that will represent my love and committment to the aspects of Kung Fu (and martial arts in general), and to concepts and life-principles in general. I did a search, but could not find any relevant posts. My top pick is a rather striking pose of General Kwan with a kanji phrase below it. I would rather not reveal the phrase itself at this time. If I go ahead with it, I am considering it on my right upper-shoulder.

Anyhow, a few questions:
Can you post pictures of your Kung Fu or martial arts tattoo?
Did you have any problems immediately after getting it since, after working out, we sweat so much? Plus rubbing of cloth to skin?
Anything else you would like to add to the discussion, feel free.

Thanks for your comments and opinions.

Eggman.

[MasterKiller]

Q. Can you post pictures of your Kung Fu or martial arts tattoo?

A. Yes. I posted pics of my Celtic tats a couple of months ago.

Q. Did you have any problems immediately after getting it since, after working out, we sweat so much? Plus rubbing of cloth to skin?

A. It'll bother you for about a week, itching and whatnot when you sweat, but you should be fine as long as you keep it clean and keep a nice layer of A&D ointment on it. You can't go swimming for a couple of weeks after, but showers are no problem.

You getting them done at Deep Ellum?

[SaekSan]

Make sure the person putting the characters on understands how the character looks... I've seen my share of people with characters upside-down and sideways because neither them or the artist knew enough about characters.

Know your characters!

Good luck

:)

[PangQuan]

DO NOT SCRATCH IT. Smack it if it itches. I like bag balm on my new tats.

[Eggman]

You getting them done at Deep Ellum?

Thanks for your comments. I am thinking about getting them done at Cat Tattoo off of Beltline in/near Addison.

Eggman.

[David Jamieson]

don't use kanji, use traditional chinese calligraphy.

I mean c'mon, it's kungfu!

[PangQuan]

I think he might be using chinese characters.

Most people call them kanji even though they are not. There is no popular name for them.

[Eggman]

don't use kanji, use traditional chinese calligraphy.

I mean c'mon, it's kungfu!

Heh. I should have been more specific. It will indeed be traditional chinese calligraphy. I suppose I made the error in being too general....or japanese specific. :)

Eggman.

[PangQuan]

So do you really like your Kwan Dao forms or are you just a fan of the Patron God of War?

[Oso]

I have............................................wa it for it................................................ ....











































a bear.

But, my next one will be a mantis.

[ewallace]

Thanks for your comments. I am thinking about getting them done at Cat Tattoo off of Beltline in/near Addison.

Eggman.
Just make sure that they will do free touch up work for up to a month afterwords. I have a tribal/zodiac in between shoulderblades that needed to be touched up twice. It's nice and black now but I would have been PO'd if I had to pay for the two extra visits.

[Eggman]

So do you really like your Kwan Dao forms or are you just a fan of the Patron God of War?

Well, Kwan Dao forms are cool and he certainly is the Patron God of War.....but that really doesn't have anything to do directly with my choice, interestingly enough. I like some of the ideals he represents:

Strength
Integrity
Honor
Perseverence
Patron of Martial Arts
to name a few.

Thanks,
Eggman.

[PangQuan]

good answer.

I just wanted to see what your shoulder was worth.

[shirkers1]

The only pics I can find on this pc at work of my tattoos are these two on my right arm.... The dragon head I drew up and to tell you the truth I wish I wouldn't have gotten it where I did... Being I'm really into iron arm training and took pride in how hard my arms were, that spot on the boney part of the arm is super sensitive now. Direct hits are fine but slaps feel like slapping sun burn all the time. :( The mantis is fine on the wrist side, but that outside one is a tough one to deal with... I'll put up the pics of my other mantis stuff when I get home tonight and can pull it off of that pc. The legs and upper arms I didn't have a problem with while training. Accept for the right leg that goes up to the knee on the outside was having a hard time healing because the skin was wrinkling from bending the leg. So after I had it touched up I had to walk around stiff legged as much as possible. So think about that when getting anything around bendy parts that the skin wrinkles up.

okay found a pick with some of the others.

[GeneChing]

We ran an article on Kung Fu Tattoos way back in our July 2000 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=119) issue. In a sidebar at the end, we asked for readers to send us pics of their martial tattoos. We were hoping to get enough to do some sort of artsy layout thing but not enough were sent (and the ones that were, were ugly). We're still open to the idea. Maybe it could happen now from the web. Are you interested?

[shirkers1]

gene,


sure, I like looking at tattoos no matter what they are, good or bad so I'd be down.

[fiercest tiger]

I was told recently before i got a sleeve and shoulder tattoo of a Japanese Yakuza Looking dragon holding onto the pearl. I added the character for Dao inside pearl. The dragon is the keeper of the dao and im a daoist so i like the tattoo i got, also dragon represents alot of other spirital things for me.

Anyway i was told by an old chinese guy that people shouldnt get dragon or dieties on the body because they will be cursed and will walk the earth as a wandering ghost after u die.

FT

[Oso]

here's a pic of mine.

while it doesn't exactly have a traditional kung fu meaning (well, maybe for bagua) it is totally MY kung fu tattoo.

Gene, if you decide to do this I'll get someone else to take a pic so it's more square in the frame.

[Becca]

... but it is a "marial arts" tat. Sort of...

[IronFist]

I read an article on the internet years ago about getting kanji or Chinese character tattoos. It said to get someone who is familiar with how the character looks, and made special mention of the "white space" or something in the character, like the little streaks of white that are left in the character from the brush. I don't remember exactly.

And then there were the articles about the girls who asked for the kanji for "girl power" or something and instead got "I'm a wh0re" in kanji from a disgruntled Japanese tattoo artist who was sick of white people getting kanji tattoos.

But see if you can find that article about the white space. I think it gave the Japanese name for that term but I can't recall it off the top of my head. Sorry.

[GeneChing]

Here's one of my favorites - an oldy but a goody - The Chinese tattoo prank (http://www.zug.com/pranks/tattoo/)

[ngokfei]

I've heard some pretty interesting stories regarding tattoos since my uncles are all cops.

In a nut shell they have had manyy incidents where people, (asian and not) beat the crap out of someone who either had on a tattoo similar to their organization or (especially in asian circles) it was insulting to them

:eek:

just food for thought, really enjoy the Chinese Character tattoos that make Asians laugh :D

[Shaolin101]

Just wondered if any one had any tattoos relating to martial arts. What are they of? What was the reason behind it – eg support for your club/looked nice/or more of a spiritual connection.

[EarthDragon]

I have my given generation name in caligraphy down my arm done by sik yi wong the old fashion with ink, bamboo and a mallet... hurt like hell and took 5 hours for each character

[Shaolin101]

5 hours each - thats heavy going!

Would love to try a traditional tattoo but would want somone really good to do it. I heard it hurts less than the machine and heals easier due to it not being a needle dragging across the skin but being tapped instead. Maybe they were wrong then!

[David Jamieson]

all my ink is done by me in the traditional way.

I sport 4 tattos that all have only personal meaning to me. I'll likely get them professionally redoe in the next year or so. They're fading after more than 25 years!

[Wei Wei Wu]

Had mine done the traditional way, took days. Pain was minimal and worth the result.

[TenTigers]

anyone have Tiger and Dragon on their forearms? And if you do, which is on which arm?

[hskwarrior]

all my tattoo's are martial arts related.

on my left forearm is hung sing choy lee fut in chinese. on both insides of my forerams are the hung sing branches couplets, on my chest is my branches name in chinese, i have a dragon on my right forearm, the monkey king on my right shoulder, and a tiger on my left one.

all of these are connected to my gung fu style and that's my one true love.
while most like to watch football and baseball, i like martial arts related shows like ufc and the like.

[hskwarrior]

ten,

left shoulder is my tiger, right forearm is my dragon. wathching both is my monkey king who all surround the hung sing name on my chest.

[SevenStar]

one of my training buddies has a symbol of every oart he's trained in tatted on his body somewhere. I am planning to get one - a big one - across my back, but it'll be expensive, and likely painful. I talked about it on a thread a few months back, but it will be a capoeirista fighting a thai boxer in a roda of fire. (I train thai boxing, my kid does capoeira and I do classes with him) In the background a judoka and a kung fu guy will be watching the match, representing two other styles I've trained in. I considered putting a karate guy in the background as well, but it will be hard to tell him from the judoka, as would a bjj guy.

I talked to a guy about it and he really wants to do it. either that or he wants to do one of goku fighting majin buu (he knows I'm an anime fan)

[Shaolinlueb]

I have a naked ninja lady on my back with only her mask on and some nacho chips covering her special parts. and next to her is a can of cheese.

[Minghequan]

I have the Chinese characters for "Crane-Fist" on my righ forearm and the characters for "Martial Arts" on my left forearm. I wanted them for years and feel they give me a "connection" to my art.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

im thinking of getting adora tattooed on me somewheres.

nothing makes you train harder than having a daughter.

[Shaolin101]

More than i thought!

I am planning on getting the hung kuen 5 animals in a sumi-e style grey shading on my back soon.

Hopefully it will look good. Not too concerened about the pain as i have to already and one was on my stomach - my first - which hurt like hell - especially when it hit my ribs and belly button.

[5Animals1Path]

Lookin at gettin a full piece from the knee to the ankle of the 5 animals, a tiger lashing out at a retreating crane on the outer side, a snake wrapped around a leopard that's biting deep into the snake on the inner side, and a dragon wrapped allthroughout as the background to the whole thing, with it's head ending at the tip of the knee and the tail at the back of the ankle.



Gonna be expensive as crap with all the lines and color I'm gonna need. The last artist I talked to estimated 15 hours chair time for the whole shebang.




Nothing like a pain over a long period of time for something you love. ;) :D

[Jingwu Man]

I have a tiger on my right shoulder and a dragon on my left shoulder, but they're big and move down my arm 'til their claws stretch out on my forearms. Very painful on the back of the arm. Make a friend who is a tattoo artist, you get deals!

[woodendumby]

I got a tat last night after Mr Quervo convinced me it would be a good idea...

Turns out he was right... I'll post it when I find my invisible usb cable.

Let's see'em !

[Scott Meneely]

no tats here, but looking forward to seeing the work you got!

[GreenCloudCLF]

I commissioned an incredible piece. I paid a very famous comic book artist, Tim Sale, to do a 10 animal mural for me (cost me $3500). It ended up being a full back piece, with the dragon and the snake running down either arm. I brought the extremely intricate work to a NYC tatoo artist. He worked it up and told me the work would take 60 hours black and white, and another 100 hours if i wanted color, since it was so detailed. It was to cost me $3K, half up front, half upon completion. We set the appointment to start, and I dropped $1500. The day comes, he rubs my back with alcohol, and starts...a minute later he stops and says "something wrong with the needle, hold ont". He changes the needle and begins again..turns out my iron body is so advanced, the needle could not penetrate my skin. I was out $5K!

[NJM]

I commissioned an incredible piece. I paid a very famous comic book artist, Tim Sale, to do a 10 animal mural for me (cost me $3500). It ended up being a full back piece, with the dragon and the snake running down either arm. I brought the extremely intricate work to a NYC tatoo artist. He worked it up and told me the work would take 60 hours black and white, and another 100 hours if i wanted color, since it was so detailed. It was to cost me $3K, half up front, half upon completion. We set the appointment to start, and I dropped $1500. The day comes, he rubs my back with alcohol, and starts...a minute later he stops and says "something wrong with the needle, hold ont". He changes the needle and begins again..turns out my iron body is so advanced, the needle could not penetrate my skin. I was out $5K!

I can't tell for sure if you're joking or not.

[ngokfei]

What constitutes a Martial Arts Tattoo?

[IronWeasel]

I commissioned an incredible piece.




Here's how his tattoo turned out...

[Ronin maximus]

Good thing the spelling was easy.................

And his right arm was upside down:D

[Shaolin Wookie]

Here's how his tattoo turned out...

It's a tad redundant, doncha think? LOL......in case you didn't see it on either shoulder, forearm, at the navel, or between his pecs, they call him "Mr. Cool Ice."

3 things you didn't know about Mr. Ice:

When he's working out and generates a good sweat, he is constantly annoyed by people asking him if he's melting.

He once passed off/on a case of herpes by claiming it was "freezer burn".

He created the persona Mr. Ice, only becuase he couldn't afford the lettering (for some reason, N's are really expensive) to become "Mr. Nice." But he's still a nice guy, with a warm and cheerful disposition. He still can't figure out why he can't get laid with his cool fresh ink.

[GreenCloudCLF]

I can't tell for sure if you're joking or not.

You doubt my iron shirt?

[The Willow Sword]

It took me a long time to make the decision to do it and i had to search for the right image to etch on my body for all time. I am not into flash art by any means( i just feel if you are going to mark your body that it be something that really speaks to you from within. At its very core a tattoo is a reflection of the inner self brought forth. anyway here is a pic of my ink. its not a martial art one really. but there it is nonetheless.
Peace, TWS


Note: the image is from a painting done by a now deceased Zia Pueblo indian. i have loved his art work since i was a child. The picture was taken about a week after the tattoo was done so it is still in its healing process. Looks great still and i take care of it pretty good.

[Shaolin Wookie]

A friend of mine (who doesn't do martial arts) recently got some tats on his forearms of a dragon and tiger. Although I don't want that image, it looked pretty cool, and got me thinking of getting something on me arms, laddy.

I'm debating "Great Sage, Equal of heaven" on one, in Chinese.

Not sure about the other. Maybe mr. Wukong himself.

My mother used to tell me when I was a kid that she found me in an egg under a rock, cuz I was a strange, rebellious kid. When I was in my early teens and read some abridged Journey to the West for the first time, I laughed, showed it to her, and she commented on how she just knew I was a monkey.

Then of course, I encountered Darwin, and that was another thing altogether.

[hskwarrior]

Yeah I got the Monkey King on my right shoulder and under it it says "one equal to heaven"

it was done by a famous tattoo artist named Pinky Yun or yuen....idk.......hell, all my tatts are done by him except for the draon on my forearm.


hsk

[hskwarrior]

here are a couple of the monkey king i like

[hskwarrior]

these are some of the General Kwan pics i'd use for a tattoo also.....

[Shaolin Wookie]

Cool, and by cool I mean sweet.

[Yao Sing]

You didn't mention you have the Hung Sing couplets on your forearms. Definitely some MA related tats.

I recently got the wu character on my chest but it was done my someone unfamiliar with chinese characters so I need to get it adjusted just a bit. It lost a little when making a stencil.

My buddy got wu shu on his back after I left so I'll need to see if he made it the same as mine.

I'll snap a pic when I get a chance but I have an asian dragon on my inside forearm. It has 4 claws so it's bad luck. I call it the death dragon. Nothing on the other arm yet.

[boshea]

It took me a long time to make the decision to do it and i had to search for the right image to etch on my body for all time. I am not into flash art by any means( i just feel if you are going to mark your body that it be something that really speaks to you from within.


I've thought a lot about getting a tattoo also, but haven't made up my mind yet what I would want and where. It's interesting how different people's thoughts differ on deciding what to get. I have a friend who has basically the opposite opinion of you, TWS. She is trying to think of something that appeals to her, but which has as little meaning to her as possible so that it will not lose any relevance to her as she changes through life. I disagree with this for myself personally, but thought it was an interesting twist on the usual way of thinking about it.

[hskwarrior]

well, to break it down, i got the hung sing couplets on inside of my forearms, hung sing choy lee fut in chinese on my other forearm, a dragon with our school fist logo in it, and on my chest are the chinese words Hung Sing.

im a monkey and since the monkey king is a martial artist, i got him.

on my left shoulder is a tiger.

[TenTigers]

I make it a point, whenever I see someone at a tournament wearing dragon and tiger tats on his forearms, to tell him with a totally straight face,"Naw man, the tiger goes on the left arm, the dragon goes on the right!"
After he freaks, I tell him I was fuking with him.

maybe.

[Yao Sing]

No Tiger but I've thought about getting a Phoenix on my other arm. Also considered a Mantis on my chest but I don't really want any style specific tats. I went with Wu instead.

Been wanting to get Wen Wu Xing down the back of one arm and would like another 3 characters for the other but haven't found anything yet.

Any ideas?

[htowndragon]

i want a white crane tatted on my back, anyone know any good designs or artists?

[TenTigers]

Been wanting to get Wen Wu Xing down the back of one arm and would like another 3 characters for the other but haven't found anything yet.

Any ideas?

yan yee do duk

[Eddie]

mine's also pretty cliché I guess

Wu on my left leg. Got this one recently.
My buddy want to go for new tattoos next week before we go to HK, but Im still deciding if i want to do it or not

[Eddie]

Been wanting to get Wen Wu Xing down the back of one arm and would like another 3 characters for the other but haven't found anything yet.

Any ideas?

how about 同性戀 :cool:

and if you live in San Francisco or Brazil, it would make perfect sense ;)

[mkriii]

I'm going tonight to get a tatto. It's my own design. It's a yin/yang symbol with a broadsword and spear going through it, kind of like a skull and crossbones type. The spear has the red hair around the spear tip. Right above the yin/yang I have the words Sil Lum and then under the yin/yang I have the word Kung Fu. It looks pretty cool. It's going to be color. Later I might add some other things like a snake wrapping around the spear and braodsword or something like that. Eventually maybe adding all five animals to it somehow. Any ideas on how to add to the yin/yang and the two weapons tattoo?

[TenTigers]

I am planning on a backpiece-it will be my sun-toi. Guan Yum on top,standing on a lotus flower, the water fading down into sky with Guan Gung below riding on a steed. Haven't figured out what I want the sides to have,possibly dragons,carp,tiger,crane,phoenix,big bird,Bert&Ernie, and maybe Elvis-in his Gi.

[bodhitree]

how about 同性戀 :cool:

and if you live in San Francisco or Brazil, it would make perfect sense ;)


I've read some pretty messed up tatoos. one guy in pittsburgh has gangmen (anus) tatooed on his neck

[banditshaw]

The Elvis in his Gi is a great idea....just make sure the patches on the Gi are accurate.
I want to brand my forearms with the Dragon and Tiger when I complete my training. Anyone got the massive bronze urns laying around that I could borrow? Oh they have to have the carvings on em of course.

[TenTigers]

I have a dragon entwining an orchid on my chest-it was representative of my ex (pre-ex status) as her name in Chinese was Jade Orchid, and her Nickname among her friends in Chinatown was "Dragon Lady"(possibly not complementary!)with her name underneath. (It's fading-never,never do this) I designed this and drew it out, brought it to the tattoo artist who made a mimeograph transfer.
I was (and occaisionally still am) an illustrator, and I design alot of tats for my students. One was Guan Gung standing on a mountaintop,bracing his Guandao, with the student creed on either side. Another was Wong Fei-Hung standing in side horse, with single kiu-sao, with a huge traingle sawtooth banner behind him with the character"Hung" on itflapping in the wind. Another was the characters for scholar warrior on a plaque, with a gim behind it diagonally. And of course, various dragons and tigers.

[TenTigers]

The Elvis in his Gi is a great idea....just make sure the patches on the Gi are accurate.
I want to brand my forearms with the Dragon and Tiger when I complete my training. Anyone got the massive bronze urns laying around that I could borrow? Oh they have to have the carvings on em of course.
You can borrow my rice cooker-but it the handles say panasonic on it.

[GeneChing]

We ran an article on Martial Tattoos back in our 2000 July issue (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=119) - A Tattoo Odyssey-Tai Chi Snakes, Dragons and the Tao By Frank Allen with Sally Kealy. Chinese calligraphy was becoming all the rage for tats around then. Calligraphy is still pretty popular. With that article, we asked people to 'show us your tats' and maybe we'd run them. We only got a few responses, so we never did.

Speaking of Shaolin burns, our new issue (Nov/Dec 2007) has a piece The First American Branded at Shaolin Temple by Melissa Leon-Guerrero Do. There's already some discussion on it on the Shaolin forum (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48245).

[Lucas]

Not so sure if its exactly martial related, but for me it is in a way.

I have a full sleeve from colar bone to wrist of a Non Emperial Chinese dragon, done with Japanese style art, by a Swiss man, in the US.

to me the dragon respresents so many things, first and formost to me the dragon symbolizes the unatainable, that which we strive for yet will never reach.

Wisdom, strength, power of will, a serene and likewise tempestuous nature, are a few of the mental qualities I assossiate with the dragon.

these things are in consideration regarding my whole life though, martial arts of course being a large part of my life has, i am sure, had an effect on my choosing to get this piece.

i had thought for a time of complimenting this with a snake on my left arm, a tiger cascading down my right pec, a leopard on my left pec, and a crane across my back. but im not so sure if that is somthing i will actually do, or just think about from time to time.

if you go to my i-martial, you can kind of see it. otherwise i am not taking any more pictures of it until its done.

Its a year running in the process, i just had a 2.5 hour long session done yesterday, and color starts next session.

money well spent IMO

edit: there is a giant pearl surrounded by smoke/mist that is the focus of the dragons intent, i plan on most likely putting the symbol for 'WU' in the pearl, so i guess that would be the definate martial outlet .

[hskwarrior]

its good to hear folks make good comments about their tattoo's because i was hatin everone getting "trust No Man" or worman, love and all the other touristy types of chinese tattoos.

my sifu always encouraged us to choose wisely, and make sure they have some form of meaning to them.

for me, everyone knows how proud i am to be hung sing, so i have our name, our couplets, and school logo tatted.........my dragon.....is because i know i have a dragon spirit guide............my tiger is because is feel its the best to describe my essence, and the monkey king because im born in the year of the monkey.

regardless, they all have purpose, and meaning.......

[Shaolinlueb]

Here's how his tattoo turned out...

holy **** i saw this i was like. that guys was a member of the arian brotherhood in prison.

[TenTigers]

I always wonder when I see certain tats, what the guy/girl is gonna think when they are fifty. I see people my age (50) with the Rolling Stones tongue or a pot leaf on their arm, and think,"Yeah, that looks real great." People don't realize that things they think are cool now, will be stupid to them in a few years. When I was 13,Iron Butterfly did "Innagoddadavidda" and we thought that was the heaviest thing. I recently listened to it again, and thought,'Boy, this music sux!" Good thing I didn't get a tat then.
One word-
forever.
get it?

[Mr Punch]

I always wonder when I see certain tats, what the guy/girl is gonna think when they are fifty. I see people my age (50) with the Rolling Stones tongue or a pot leaf on their arm, and think,"Yeah, that looks real great." People don't realize that things they think are cool now, will be stupid to them in a few years. When I was 13,Iron Butterfly did "Innagoddadavidda" and we thought that was the heaviest thing. I recently listened to it again, and thought,'Boy, this music sux!" Good thing I didn't get a tat then.
One word-
forever.
get it?Ha, you're so naive! Don't you know anything?! The only thing to do is to get a tattoo that sucks from the start... blurry, indistinct, looks like a vaguely indelible marker pen... that way when you get older it won't make any difference!

That's what I did and I'm proud of it: that part of my life was kind of blurry, indistinct, so it fits perfectly!

:D :D :D

I do actually want a full back piece of a Green Man/Ygdrassil/crucified Odin in striking, simple, ages-gracefully shades... I really want it, but there's no way I'd get it...

Why?

1) Because at least for now I live in Japan... and young punk rebel as I once was, I don't agree with rubbing my decorations in the faces of who are essentially my hosts... and
2) Because in the end, it's vanity and I don't agree with spending so much money on vanity... If I had enough money to make a good job of it, I'd prefer to give it to charity or to my wife and kid.

[Shaolin101]

my hung kuen tattoo.

my borther also has one but his animals are more agressive looking.

[Lucas]

my hung kuen tattoo.

my borther also has one but his animals are more agressive looking.

nice tat man

[1bad65]

I have the Renzo Gracie logo on my shoulder blade. I'll try and upload a pic of it later on.

[Lucas]

nice.

ill be getting color started on my sleeve next session. im so stoked.

ill get a pic up in this thread as soon as its finished for sure.

[htowndragon]

white crane

http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sctm/v130/120/104/1076340031/n1076340031_30027310_9099.jpg

[GeneChing]

Slightly OT but I just couldn't resist a decade-old bit of thread necromancy for the Kung Fu (and other Martial Arts) Tattoos (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?48235-Kung-Fu-(and-other-Martial-Arts)-Tattoos) thread. It'll sit well on the Tattoo... (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?58301-Tattoo)thread too.


In Pictures: Tattooed and proud – Chinese women peel away stigmas (https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/26/pictures-tattooed-proud-chinese-women-peel-away-stigmas/)
26 December 2017 08:00 AFP5 min read

Once the mark of criminals or sex workers, for centuries tattoos have been stigmatised in China but the growing influence of celebrity culture is changing all that — particularly for women.

Nowhere is the trend more evident than in Shanghai, China’s most cosmopolitan city and recently dubbed “China’s tattoo mecca” by the country’s state media.
https://www.hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/000_V348J.jpg
This photo taken on November 29, 2017 shows a tattoo displayed on the neck of a tattoo artist at a studio in Shanghai. Photo: AFP/Stringer.

Body art for women has long been frowned upon in socially conservative China, but studios are mushrooming throughout the city of 24 million.

Zhuo Danting, widely considered one of China’s top tattoo artists, has witnessed first-hand how the industry has exploded.

The 35-year-old has 70 percent of her body tattooed and has been operating her own Shanghai studio for 11 years.

Inspired by celebrities and sports stars, unprecedented numbers of mostly younger Chinese are getting inked, Zhuo said at her shop, Shanghai Tattoo.

“At the beginning, of course, they just give you a weird look, they’re freaking out,” Zhuo, who also has multiple piercings and dyed green hair, said of the reaction she gets on the street.

https://www.hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/000_V347Y.jpg
This photo taken on November 29, 2017 shows sketches of tattoo designs displayed on the wall at a tattoo studio in Shanghai. Photo: AFP/Stringer.

“But now there are a lot of people getting tattoos, it’s getting more and more popular. People see them everywhere so they don’t see it as a big deal,” she added.

Zhuo, who got her first tattoo at 16 and has inked both her parents, is originally from Harbin, a city in China’s far north.

There is a growing body art scene there too, she said.

A cool thing

“There is a lot of change. Before, not many people get tattoos. They thought that people with tattoos, that person must have been in jail or you are a bad person.

“Now it’s a cool thing, to represent yourself as different.”

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This photo taken on November 29, 2017 shows tattoo inks at a studio in Shanghai. Photo: AFP/Stringer.

In imperial times, convicts were sometimes tattooed as a lifelong reminder of their crimes, and tattoos later were used by Chinese triads to signify gang loyalties.

But Zhuo said attitudes towards women with tattoos have changed rapidly in the last three years, and the Chinese are increasingly experimenting with their body art.

“Before, when you saw a woman with a tattoo, it was usually just a small one,” she explained, adding: “But now you can see everywhere that they are having full sleeves, or chest, or full back.”

‘Pretty and artsy’

Wang Qi, a web designer, is about to have Zhuo tattoo her already heavily inked right leg.

https://www.hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/000_V348S.jpg
This photo taken on November 29, 2017 shows the English writing “Yes!!! Tattoos Hurt!!!” on the ceiling of a tattoo studio in Shanghai. Photo: AFP/Stringer.

The 29-year-old has several body designs, including an hourglass to remind her of the preciousness of time, and a sailboat and lighthouse inspired by her love of the sea, as wells as tattoos of a snake’s head and a crocodile’s eye.

Her latest inking: the Chinese characters for her grandmother’s name on the inside of her thigh.

“Ten years ago, only 10 percent of people could accept women doing this. But now at least 60 to 70 percent of people can,” Wang said, while adding that quality can vary widely.

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This photo taken on November 29, 2017 shows tattoos on the legs of Wang Qi, a web designer and tattoo enthusiast, at a studio in Shanghai. Photo: AFP/Stringer.

The trend has spawned extreme examples, including a couple in northeastern China who covered themselves in patriotic artwork, including a Chinese flag on the man’s face.

Reliable figures are elusive, but Hu Deliang, former head of the China Association of Tattoo Artists, estimates there are about 200,000 such artists in the country.

The Shanghai tattooist said women now account for at least 60 percent of his customers.

“Back in 2002, only about 20 percent were female and most of them worked as escorts in nightclubs or that kind of industry,” Hu said.

China’s increasing prosperity, meanwhile, means more women now can afford tattoos, which can cost thousands of yuan (hundreds of dollars) and previously would have been considered an unjustified splurge.

Peng Lin, who has the Italian phrase “La vita e bella” (Life is beautiful) among her three tattoos, is one of the few in her circle of women friends with a tattoo, but many are considering it, she said.

https://www.hongkongfp.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/000_V348A.jpg
This photo taken on November 29, 2017 shows Wang Qi (R), a web designer and tattoo enthusiast, taking photos as she gets new ink on her right thigh at a studio in Shanghai. Photo: AFP/Stringer.

“Before, people may think women getting tattoos is sort of off-the-mainstream behaviour, but now they all appreciate them when they found out that tattoos can be pretty and artsy,” said Peng, 31, who works in advertising in Shanghai.

Touch-ups

Tattoos are still frowned upon in government positions and at many companies, however, while some women complain that their husbands or partners object.

“Even now people are judging, they don’t think that people should get big tattoos, especially women,” said Zhuo, who has tattoos across both sides of her scalp.

“Still, people think it’s more acceptable for men to get a tattoo than women and some get smaller ones to hide it from older family members or work.”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsKBhay3CQk

Zhuo said lack of official oversight makes it “too easy” to open a parlour. She often sees customers who ask her to fix shoddy work done elsewhere.

“Sometimes I can see some good work, but not much. The percentage of good tattoos is quite low right now,” she said.

“Tattoo is still a new thing in China. A lot of new people become tattoo artists pretty soon, but there’s still a lot to learn.”

[MasterKiller]

I have the Renzo Gracie logo on my shoulder blade. I'll try and upload a pic of it later on.

Jesus, 1bad was such a douche

[GeneChing]

1bad was such a douche Dude hasn't been round here in seven years. In fact, the forum here has been astonishingly peaceful in these polarized times. Let's let sleeping douches lie, shall we? :p

[GeneChing]

If America banned vulgarity on TV now, we'd have nothing to watch. :o


ENTERTAINMENT CHINA
'Tasteless, Vulgar and Obscene.' China Just Banned Hip-Hop Culture and Tattoos From Television (http://time.com/5112061/china-hip-hop-ban-tattoos-television/)

https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftimedotcom.files.wordpress .com%2F2018%2F01%2Fgettyimages-901423590.jpg&w=800&q=85
This photo taken shows Chinese rapper PG One (2nd R) posing for a picture during the premiere of the movie "Wu Kong" in Beijing on July 9, 2017. AFP/Getty Images

By CASEY QUACKENBUSH and ARIA HANGYU CHEN 2:29 AM EST
China has banned hip-hop culture and actors with tattoos from appearing on television.

The country’s top media regulator — the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People’s Republic of China (SAPPRFT) — now “specifically requires that programs should not feature actors with tattoos [or depict] hip hop culture, sub-culture (non-mainstream culture) and dispirited culture (decadent culture),” Sina, a Chinese news outlet, reports.

Gao Changli, director of the administration’s publicity department, outlined four “Don’t” rules on Friday:


Absolutely do not use actors whose heart and morality are not aligned with the party and whose morality is not noble
Absolutely do not use actors who are tasteless, vulgar and obscene
Absolutely do not use actors whose ideological level is low and have no class
Absolutely do not use actors with stains, scandals and problematic moral integrity

The ban follows the removal of the prominent rapper GAI from Hunan TV’s Singer, a hit competition show. Clips of GAI, whose real name is Zhou Yan, were also removed from China Hunan TV’s official Youtube Channel, but no official explanation has been given. He does however appear in the show’s trailer:
ENTERTAINMENT CHINA
'Tasteless, Vulgar and Obscene.' China Just Banned Hip-Hop Culture and Tattoos From Television
This photo taken shows Chinese rapper PG One (2nd R) posing for a picture during the premiere of the movie "Wu Kong" in Beijing on July 9, 2017.
This photo taken shows Chinese rapper PG One (2nd R) posing for a picture during the premiere of the movie "Wu Kong" in Beijing on July 9, 2017. AFP/Getty Images
By CASEY QUACKENBUSH and ARIA HANGYU CHEN 2:29 AM EST
China has banned hip-hop culture and actors with tattoos from appearing on television.

The country’s top media regulator — the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People’s Republic of China (SAPPRFT) — now “specifically requires that programs should not feature actors with tattoos [or depict] hip hop culture, sub-culture (non-mainstream culture) and dispirited culture (decadent culture),” Sina, a Chinese news outlet, reports.

Gao Changli, director of the administration’s publicity department, outlined four “Don’t” rules on Friday:

Absolutely do not use actors whose heart and morality are not aligned with the party and whose morality is not noble
Absolutely do not use actors who are tasteless, vulgar and obscene
Absolutely do not use actors whose ideological level is low and have no class
Absolutely do not use actors with stains, scandals and problematic moral integrity

The ban follows the removal of the prominent rapper GAI from Hunan TV’s Singer, a hit competition show. Clips of GAI, whose real name is Zhou Yan, were also removed from China Hunan TV’s official Youtube Channel, but no official explanation has been given. He does however appear in the show’s trailer:
<iframe src='//players.brightcove.net/293884104/SJa0Thl7_default/index.html?videoId=5708867943001' allowfullscreen frameborder=0></iframe>

Wang Hao, aka PG One, another well-known rapper, was forced to apologize earlier this month after one of his songs, “Christmas Eve,” was criticized for promoting drug culture and insulting women.

Rapper Mao Yanqi, aka VaVa, was cut from the variety show Happy Camp, according to Tecent News. Music by Triple H, an influential underground rapper, has also been removed from major streaming sites. And a contestant on the show Super Brian, which is not hip-hop related, even had his hip-hop style necklace blurred out.

Chinese social media has responded angrily to the ban.

“SARPPFT is so trashy! They didn’t want to give Chinese hip pop singers any chance of survival! we can go back to ancient times,” wrote one user on Weibo — China’s equivalent of Twitter.

“How can a government with high culture have such childish logic?” asked another.

[GeneChing]

Sometimes the most obtuse things pop up on the Kung Fu newsfeeds.


https://www.idahostatesman.com/latest-news/8epe4k/picture213899344/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1140/curch1.jpg
Peter Vasquez runs Second Chance Grace, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to mentoring. Michael Katz

God and Country Festival is not just faith. It's about second chances, tattoos and kung fu. (https://www.idahostatesman.com/latest-news/article213897669.html)
BY MICHAEL KATZ Mkatz@idahostatesman.com

June 26, 2018 10:18 PM
Updated June 27, 2018 06:50 AM

A tattoo removal service isn't the first thing one would think of when walking into the God and Country Festival of the Treasure Valley. But there Peter Vasquez stood Tuesday, outside Nampa's Ford Idaho Center on a warm evening, letting anyone walking by know that his services were available.

Vasquez runs Second Chance Grace Inc., a nonprofit tattoo removal program that also specializes in mentoring and prison prevention. Vasquez said he spent several stints in prison, one of which included four years of solitary confinement. After finding faith, he has dedicated his life to making sure others don't make the same mistakes he did.

Of course, there were the sorts of booths you might expect at such a gathering: military sign-ups, church awareness, gun information, etc. Festival board member Kevin Harper believes an unfair, artificially created narrative of "militia" and "trying to overthrow the government" exists at such events, an idea he believes couldn't be ****her from the truth.

It's all about helping people, he said.

“We really care," said Vasquez, 47. "We really want people to know there’s hope, no matter what you’ve been through.”

The God and Country Festival is in its 52nd year. Thousands attend the nondenominational gathering. The event started as a way to put "a stake in the ground and (say) we have a right to express our faith in a public forum," according to Harper.

And that is a major part of the festival: Performers on the outdoor stage sang about faith as church brochures were handed out at certain booths.

But Harper believes there is a misconception about what the God and Country Festival is truly about.

"We’re passionate about our faith. (And) we’re loving towards people of other faiths. We just want to help people," he said. "Most (booths) are here for a mission."

Harper helped run the Fostering Idaho booth, a program dedicated to getting people involved in the foster parent program. Harper and his wife, who have been fostering children for nearly two decades, have a mission: to make sure every child has a parent in some capacity.

"That’s what these kids need, someone to get attached to," Harper said. “I’m just here to do good.”

Just a few steps away from Harper's booth was Vasquez's. His setup involved images of the jail cell he once called home and how the tattoo removal process works. Tattoo removal can help erase negative stigmas, he says, and can help people get jobs. It's a way for people to get a fresh start — and it's never too late to start over.

“We want to leave people with a sense of hope," Vasquez said. “I’m trying to show them we’re available, the secular side or the faith-based side.”

A few seconds away from Vasquez's booth there were a pair of cinder blocks on the ground, with boards atop them. In front of the boards were children of varying ages, on their knees, doing their best Bruce Lee impressions to chop through the boards. This was Cosmo Zimik's booth.

Zimik is the owner and lead instructor at Empty Hand Combat, a martial arts and self-defense studio in downtown Nampa. Zimik teaches his students martial arts, but the other purpose at his studio is mentoring.

Zimik is hoping to train the next generation of what he deems "warriors." But these are not warriors in the traditional sense. Instead of escalating conflict physically, Zimik's hope is to help prevent such interactions by teaching students respect.

“We talk a lot about ‘warrior’ these days, but there's a misconception about ‘warrior,’“ Zimik said. "Our idea of warrior is to respect parents, to respect women, to respect elders. We mentor a lot of children that have no mother or father figure.”

Zimik admitted that money doesn't flow through his business. But that isn't his chief concern. He said his faith helps him believe he's doing the right thing.

“A lot of my friends, they want airplanes and boats. All I want in my life is rice (and) hot sauce ... I don’t aspire to acquire a private swimming pool," he said with a laugh. "I found peace at life. I just want to help people.”

https://www.idahostatesman.com/latest-news/e0qjl7/picture213899349/alternates/FREE_768/3.jpg
The God and Country Festival of the Treasure Valley took place June 26, 2018 at the Ford Idaho Center. Michael Katz

[GeneChing]

Chinese parents sue tattoo parlour after son is suspended from school for covering half his body in ink (https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3014831/chinese-parents-win-law-suit-against-parlour-after-teenage-son)
Tattooists ordered to pay couple US$2,900 compensation after boy’s school suspended him over the body art
Mandy Zuo
Published: 4:30pm, 17 Jun, 2019

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The boy’s school told him he could not return to class until the tattoos had been removed. Photo: Weibo

A couple in eastern China have won a lawsuit against a tattoo parlour after their teenage son was suspended from school for having too many tattoos, Chinese media reported.
A court in Jiangshan, Zhejiang province, ordered the parlour to pay over 20,000 yuan (US$2,900) in compensation on the grounds that the student was only 13 when he got the tattoos and that his parents had opposed the step, the Qianjiang Evening News reported over the weekend.
Quoting the court’s judge, Xu Gencai, the report said the boy’s school asked him in September 2017 to remove the tattoos before he can return as he would have “a major impact on the appearance of the school”.
His parents sued the parlour, claiming that it had infringed the minor’s rights.
Revealing details of the case – which was heard in March last year – Xu urged lawmakers to include tattoo parlours in China’s Law on the Protection of Minors, which bans under-18s from drinking or smoking.
The boy, whose name was not disclosed, got his first tattoos in 2016, covering his upper body and arms with symbols including dragons and demon faces.

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The tattoo parlour was ordered to pay around US$2,900 in compensation. Photo: Weibo

His father, also surnamed Xu, beat him several times in the hope of preventing him from getting more, but the boy said “the more they beat me, the more tattoos I want”.
The school had ordered him to remove all of the tattoos, or if not technically possible, at least those that he could not be covered by clothing.
It cost the boy just 1,000 yuan to get all the tattoos but the cost to remove all of them may cost more than 1 million yuan.

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The authorities have described certain tattoos as “typical of black evil forces”. Photo: Weibo

The parlour was ordered to return the 1,000 yuan the boy paid for the tattoos, pay 5,000 yuan for his medical fees, and 15,000 yuan in compensation for mental “loss”.
Tattoos have remained a controversial issue in China, with some arguing that they are simply a personal hobby but others associate them with criminals and gangsters.
Last year a Communist Party drive to clean up society saw many police forces across the country being sent a list that warned them to look out for people with animal tattoos or “exaggerated” gold and silver jewellery, which were “typical of black evil forces”.
Members of the national soccer team were also reportedly ordered to cover their tattoos on the pitch.

These two quotes are the best:
“the more they beat me, the more tattoos I want”
“typical of black evil forces”

:rolleyes:

[David Jamieson]

I have a bagua on my left bicep.
It's the only tattoo I have that is somewhat related to martial arts.

[GeneChing]

The Takedown by Nicolas Atkin
Has China banned tattoos in MMA? Reports of crackdown on fighters but it’s complicated (https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3019422/has-china-banned-tattoos-mma-reports)
‘If you have tattoos, they don’t want you competing,’ says Thailand’s Phuket Top Team
The famed gym claims government has tightened rules for local promoters – but the issue appears to be muddy
Nicolas Atkin
Published: 10:12am, 20 Jul, 2019

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Song Yadong’s tattoo on his left leg. The fighter poses (right) before his win against Renato Moicano. Photos: Instagram/@songyadong

Chinese MMA took a huge step forward with the opening of the state-of-the-art UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai last month. But there were concerns this week it might have taken a strange step backwards.
Last year, China’s top media regulator, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, decreed that media programmes “should not feature actors with tattoos [or depict] hip hop culture, subculture and dispirited culture”, according to a report in Chinese news outlet Sina.
This later widened to televised sport, with footballers in China’s three professional leagues told by the Chinese Football Association to cover up tattoos with athletic tape – “no visible ink” was the word from the top.
The issue has also appeared to touch MMA and other combat sports with rules said to be in place across CCTV and other major state broadcasters.
“The new bosses of CCTV have introduced laws to stamp out crime, so there’s no bad officials, no bad police and no more bad influencers on society in the media. This includes people with tattoos,” a senior official who works closely with the government told Asian MMA website The Fight Nation.
Chinese fighters have been able to get away with covering up any tattoos with rash guards or tape, just like their footballing counterparts – but one of the top Muay Thai/MMA crossover gyms in Thailand claimed this week the rules have recently become even stricter.
“MMA in China has made another strange step … No tattoos allowed,” Phuket Top Team tweeted. “Fighters are having to wear rash guards or tape over tattoos. Promoters are getting bored of that and now just saying NO fighters with tattoos allowed. That sure does take out a large pool of pro fighters.”
Phuket Top Team claimed the no tattoos rule was “direct from the Chinese government” and combat sport representatives.
“If you have tattoos, they don’t want you competing in MMA/kick-boxing,Sanda/Muay Thai or boxing in China,” it said. “Combat sports have been BOOMING in China! Now the government has banned tattoos from being streamed or televised.”


Phuket Top Team
@PhuketTopTeam
#phukettopteam welcome @ufc No.5 Ranked featherweight@zabeast_mma 💪🏼
Sharpening his #muaythai in Thailand at PTT 🇹🇭

Riding a 13 fight win streak.
5-0 undefeated in the UFC

Zabit is a DANGEROUS man inside the Octagon@joerogan @TheFightNation @UFC_Asia @UFCRussia

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
32
12:38 AM - Jul 16, 2019 · Phuket Top Team
Twitter Ads info and privacy
See Phuket Top Team's other Tweets
Phuket Top Team has several UFC veterans and stars on its roster – featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov and welterweight Zelim Imadaev are both there right now sharpening their Muay Thai skills in camp – so their voice clearly carries some weight.
The gym claimed that in the past two weeks, every local promotion in China had contacted them asking if they had any tattoo-free fighters, while a few said fighters can have tattoos but only ones small enough to be covered up with patches or wraps. Many Chinese fight promotions are broadcast on state television or streamed within China, such as WLF, Kunlun and Glory of Heroes.
“This will rapidly decline the fight scene in China. A huge shame for all of the top fighters who were embracing the fight scene there,” Phuket Top Team added in a reply to another tweet. “UFC and One Championship are two major [organisations] that have been hitting the Chinese MMA market. Now they need tattoo-free athletes to fill cards.”

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Jessica Andrade and Zhang Weili (right) will compete in the main event of UFC Shenzhen. Photo: UFC

Of course, the UFC has a big Shenzhen show coming up on August 31, where Zhang Weili will be the first Chinese fighter to challenge for a UFC title when she takes on Brazilian straw weight champion (and heavily tattooed) Jessica Andrade. The UFC signed a five-year exclusive rights agreement in China with PPTV Sports, the nation’s leading online sports platform, in 2016.
None of the UFC’s nine other Chinese fighters have been announced for the card yet, though only Song Yadong has tattoos, on his left leg.
In the only other announced fight for the card, neither New Zealand’s Kai-Kara France nor American Mark De La Rosa have visible tattoos. The Post reached out to UFC China for clarification on the rules – and received no response.
One Championship told the Post there is no issue with foreign athletes who have tattoos competing on their fight cards in China.
For Chinese athletes with tattoos, One always asks the fighters to cover them up whenever they do promotional material such as interviews – but not for fights – on Chinese shows.
Officially, the Chinese government has not sanctioned a law on the matter, however, One said, adding that the rule applies more for football players and less so combat sports, with the reports of new changes to the rule just a rumour.

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Tattooed American fighter Troy Worthen fights against China’s Chen Rui. Photo: One Championship

China is not the only Asian country, though, that has a problem with tattoos. Japan will host two of the world’s biggest sporting events – the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics – in the next 14 months. World Rugby has warned players and fans to cover their ink later this year, in a bid not to offend their host where body art is associated with criminal gangs.
Rugby players and fans are one thing but MMA and its followers are a different beast. Tattoos and combat sports go hand in hand, and are a way of life.
“You can imagine how many of the world’s best fighters they have eliminated from being able to fight in China,” Phuket Top Team tweeted, presuming that the no tattoo rule would also apply to foreign fighters.
The issue is certainly unclear, and one to keep an eye on.

THREADS
China MMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?49870-China-MMA)
Kung Fu (and other Martial Arts) Tattoos (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?48235-Kung-Fu-(and-other-Martial-Arts)-Tattoos)
Song Yadong (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71380-Song-Yadong)

[GeneChing]

Such is Malaysia...


Malaysian minister criticises 'obscene, half naked' tattoo show in Kuala Lumpur (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50639544)
3 December 2019

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/18338/production/_109982199_hi058308734.jpgAFP
Pictures from the Tattoo Malaysia Expo have gone viral online

A Malaysian minister has called a tattoo exhibition "obscene" and ordered an investigation after pictures of half-naked men and women went viral.

The minister for tourism, arts and culture said that while a permit was issued, there was no green light for any form of nudity at the event.

Mohammadin Ketapi said the show "was not Malaysian culture...the majority of Malaysians are Muslim".

Recently, there has been more debate about Islamic conservatism in Malaysia.

The Tattoo Malaysia Expo drew participants from some 35 countries and was held over the weekend in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The show has taken place since 2015, but only this year drew criticism from the government, which announced "firm action" against the organisers.

"It is impossible for the ministry to approve of any programme that contains obscenity such as this," Mr Ketapi said in a statement.

Pictures showed heavily-tattooed participants in semi-nude poses. Malaysian media blurred some of the images.

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Mr Ketapi said: "We will wait for the full investigation report and will not hesitate to take legal action if they are found to have been in violation of set conditions."

Around 60% of Malaysia's 32 million people are Muslim, and critics say the country has been moving towards more religious conservatism.

A religious court this year sentenced five men to jail, caning and fines for attempting gay sex.

In 2018, two women were caned for lesbian sex in the conservative state of Terengganu.

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