View Full Version : the painted man
monsieurjohn
06-02-2005, 02:53 AM
so on saturday i'm all lined up to get my black belt.
this is super exciting, and it's something that the last 4 years of my life have been leading up to.
jujutsu is something i've devoted almost 20% of my life to, and something which has unquestionably changed me for the rest of my life. if there's any single thing i've done in my life which will have a lifetime-lasting impact, it's this.
as a result, to commemorate my black belt i'm planning on getting a tattoo as a visible mark of the impact it's had on my life. this isn't something i take lightly - i've never had a tattoo and i largely assumed i would never get one, but i've been thinking about this for a couple years and it's always seemed like a great, meaningful thing.
the tattoo i'm planning to get is our club's kanji symbol meaning "bushido", or "the way of the warrior", with a red circle around it. kanji is so cliché that i felt like the circle was necessary to help it stand apart from the rest, plus it's part of our club patch.
i'll get it on the back of my left shoulder - photoshopped picture below for a test.
what do you think? i'm very open to advice as to design, location, size, color, etc. if you've had a tattoo is there anything i should know?
I myself have one on left shoulder. It hurt so much because they ran it over shoulder blade. It's so small it looks like a birthmark even. My advice is to get it a little smaller than pictured there. Not too small you can not make out character but smaller like between dime-size to quarter-size. I think half dollar-size is to large. It's not really to show but to entice when you have it on shoulder. And because you choose to have it on back shows you are prepared for the real world. It is good to choose a spot that isn't seen often because most work places disregard visible tattoos.
Picking a symbol/character is the way to go!!!! It represents who/what you represent itself. It defines you! Just so you know my tattoo is of rain which I love. It's little in size and about as big as this smilie-->:embarass: Mine is number 15 on the chart of this webpage --> Weather Symbols (http://grads.iges.org/pix/symbolwx.html) (would picture mine literally but it stands out clearer on a chart). I really think dime-size is the way to go.
monsieurjohn
06-02-2005, 10:51 AM
oh, i definitely think that'd be too small for me.... for yours i think it's really cool, and i'd likely get something that small on the inside of my forearm or something, but this symbol is more complicated and i do want it to be more visible than a birthmark. i think about 2 inches in diameter
That looks cool right there in that spot. That's a great idea- good luck with the rest of the journey to the black belt!
Well it does take more time to make a larger tattoo, obviously, especially of detail. Just a thought but it doesn't really hurt except when they have to press real hard to get color in. When they press against bone that's when it hurts. I would however recommend getting after your belt exam. I say this because of position they'll have you in either laying on stomach or sitting with back to artist you'll get a cramp by being in that position for so long. I don't think that will have you feeling great walking into a martial art test. Anyways like MO says good luck on your upcoming test. Show them what you're made of!!!!! Give that evil grunt look Van Damme does after he punches someone!!! That's the look I picture you as!!!! Grrrrrrrr
monsieurjohn
06-02-2005, 09:00 PM
i printed out a couple sizes and stuck them on my back (i know, i'm ridiculous), and i've settled on a 2" diameter circle, a bit lower than it's pictured there, so the top of the circle approximately lines up with the top of my shoulder (before the trapezius heads up to the neck)
i'm not worried about pain or discomfort, it's all in the name of something i really believe in so i don't mind at all.
it'll definitely be after my test - my test is this coming saturday, so we'll probably go on sunday.
(as you may remember, the word "test" is used loosely here - the real test was two weekends ago, when i nearly died. this is just a brief presentation of new techniques and a ceremony)
That's cool. Like a gift for making it eh?
So you're going with the same character in all one color? Or are you going to get it with different colors?
monsieurjohn
06-03-2005, 10:39 PM
the character will be one color, and the circle around it will be a nice dark red
meezercat
06-04-2005, 01:29 PM
Good luck with both :)
monsieurjohn
06-06-2005, 11:48 PM
it is done! it hurt a LOT! i'll post some pics soon
monsieurjohn
06-07-2005, 10:35 PM
here it is! this is what it looked like right when i took the dressing off last night
Sweet . . . so when are you gettin your next tat?
After seeing MTH's and seeing yours I got to admit they both look good. MJ that pose you have in picture with the tattoo looks like a background picture to an action film. Just need to print some lettering across ---- something like "Kung Fu You Two".... :tongue:
monsieurjohn
07-18-2005, 09:36 PM
:lol: i'll keep that in mind.
i think i'll be done with tattoos for a while, prox. i'm definitely glad i did it, but it'll be a while before i have something that valuable to me to commemorate, i think.
my mother doesn't even want to look at it, or be reminded of its existence :lol:
Just to freak her out you should walk around the house with out a shirt on . . . then she won't have a choice . . . that is if you want to be a pain in the arse.
monsieurjohn
07-18-2005, 11:03 PM
heheh
i'm not eager to press the matter
mthrlangl
07-19-2005, 06:45 AM
I think my parents have given up. If they were going to complain (more) at any point, it prolly would've been at my wedding. I had a strapless dress, so the tattoos on my back were definitely not hidden.
Well you probably put it there day you got tattoo, but I just noticed it on your avatar. Very slick!!! Looks good there too! :lol:
Nostalgia
07-19-2005, 01:56 PM
My friend just got his Karate black belt. It was very exciting for him - and I encourage you to get that tatoo.
mthrlangl
07-19-2005, 01:57 PM
My friend just got his Karate black belt. It was very exciting for him - and I encourage you to get that tatoo.
He already did.
He already did.
:lol: You tell it like it is! :lol:
monsieurjohn
07-19-2005, 09:53 PM
He already did.
Nostalgia's just being nostalgic.... badump-ching!
yeah psi, i added it to my avatar that day or the day after, i forget. i think it's due for a change though, not sure what