Rima ore

Design Story

This Polynesian band tattoo was designed for Jimmy to integrate an existing realistic karate belt he got to celebrate how his father and him received the Karate Hall of Fame award.

We surrounded the belt itself with a sun, a symbol of success, with dots for importance, ku pipi representing community, and a frigate bird for higher perspective.
We also added elements of prosperity (fish hook and bonito tail), harmony and balance (the Marquesan cross), and the ends of the belt continue into the rows of spearheads that tie everything together.

In the past, he starts the voyage (the row of birds) that takes him learning from several masters (each one with different aspects).
This path of knowledge, faced with tenacity and warrior spirit (the spearheads) leads to the belt and to the other side where two masters represent him and his father, joined by the same passion (the braid for union).

Below the belt, the path of Kamehameha (a path full of challenges) draws the border of a stylized tatami where two warriors face each other.
The mere between them is a strong symbol of leadership and respect, to symbolize the values shared by the opposing warriors.

Ancestors on top and the two tiki are symbols of protection and tradition, while shark teeth symbolize adaptability and protection.

The colored image below highlights the main elements within the tattoo:

Did you know? The name of this tattoo comes from the translation of the Japanese word karate, or "empty hand".