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Martial Ink
Episode 1
Hello, I am X, the founder of Budo Ink, a
tattoo shop specialised on martial art motifs. Together with some
associates we create traditional and also unusual images. Much of
our work can be viewed in gymnasiums, showers, and locker
rooms.
In the past we practised different martial arts.
When the situation deteriorated more and more, we made public what's
going on. After some time it became clear that many people aren't
worth the effort to come through for them. However, there are
exceptions, and we hope that they won't go down. But as for me, I
will not waste any more time for those backing a contaminated
system and its
custodians.
From now on, I will do something else; I will rip
people off myself. That is, if they want to be taken for a fool by
all means, then it must not be left to some low-end
amateurs and their masters. There are many possibilities to
fleece people, and as of now we will claim a major share
in profits.
One way to put this into practice are our very
special martial art tattoos. Of course, we also deliver serious
work, but the most money and the most fun we have with the pseudoka,
the followers, the new generation idiots, and the offspring
of a consumer society who can be sold any crap. Through our
tattoos their cases are eternalized on their bodies.
We are very optimistic for our business, since the
market is
huge.
.
.
.
Today we expect A, a pretentious wimp who received one
undeserved rank after the
other.
.
.
Hello, guys
!
Hi, A.
How are you
?
Hi.
What can we do for you
?
I would like a tattoo
on my back, right in the middle. In everyday life at my job as
an executive manager, it will be covered. But
everyone can see it in locker rooms, in showers, and in
the S&M
studio.
Do you fancy a special motif
?
Not really. Well, I
intend to get my next higher rank soon, and I want to honor my
instructor and club president. Maybe something showing me and him
together.
OK, the antisensei - devotee connection is
one of the most popular themes. How many rank promotions have you
got
?
Five over the last
two years.
That is quite a close relationship to
your upgrader.
Yes, without him I
would probably still be in a beginner's
course.
Right, I will make some concept drawings, and we
can talk about it
tomorrow.
Yes, great,
thanks.
See
you.
.
.
.
The dialog with the customer is an essential part
of our work because finalized tattoos cannot be altered.
Sometimes we have to talk clients out
of their ideas and convince them to consider something
completely different.
One of those people
is B, the queen
of hypocrites. Originally she wanted a neck tattoo
displaying adulation for her anti-dojo, but now she will get
the web address of a computer virus. It finishes
off any system and then fills the screen with B's name and
address. So far B always claimed
that one has to adjust to new situations, and now she gets ample
time to
practise.
.
.
.
A is
arriving.
.
.
Hello, A.
Hi, have you made a layout
?
Yes sure. Have a look.
Awesome, a dream. This is dead
on.
The shading provides proper depth, so it can
be recognized from a
distance.
The symbolism is mind-blowing. Maybe a
belt should be included
?
Rather not. Your rank is continously changing, and
the finished tattoo cannot be modified any
more.
Yes, that's
true.
Therefore you are already completely colored in
black, in anticipation of your coming master
grades.
Well, but
first I've got to work real hard to earn the
graduation fees.
OK, then have a seat, and we will
begin.
.
.
Maybe I will
have my fingers completely tattooed with different belt
colors.
No
problem.
My wife
celebrates each new rank with a colored circle on her back.
Meanwhile she looks like a target. On the beach she is usually
pelted with all kind of
things.
Interesting. The tattoo you already have seems to
be somewhat
old.
Yes, I made it myself with a hot
highlighter to save
money.
What does it represent
?
It is a page from an
encyclopedia in order to express the intellectual part of my
life.
.
.
.
After having finished the new tattoo, we suggested
A to keep up with
modern technology by adding hyperlinks to his old dictionary tattoo
for making it internet compatible. He agreed enthusiastically, and
next week we will start off with the
project.
Indeed, we do bear responsibility for our clients,
but if some are not only used as canvas but have also got the
same mentality, it is something we cannot change. In such cases we
stick to the 3E philosophy: Exploit - Encash -
Enjoy.
.
.
While I worked
on A's bootlick
memorial, our colleague Y had
to serve another customer.
.
.
Today the infamous antisensei
C from a local club got an appointment.
Hi, I am C, the president and master of
the ***
dojo.
What can we do for you
?
I am deeply established in my club, and I
want to show it to the outside.
I've
got no idea what to do, but it is imperative that everybody sees
that I am the boss.
Understood, then
I will make a few sketches and we meet
again.
Yes, that's
fine.
.
.
.
In preliminary
talks the antisensei had already expressed some wishes. Initially he
wanted a clip frame tattoo for different occasions. After being
explained what a tattoo actually is, he refrained from that
idea.
.
.
.
The antisensei is
approaching.
Everything cool
?
Yes, here are some
templates.
Um, yes, that is very good. What is it
?
Those are weather vanes turning in
different directions depending on climatic conditions. This
symbolizes opportunism and brown-nosing. We will coat you with
it so that everybody sees immediately whom he is dealing with.
Of course, we did not tell him this,
but:
Those are white training suits with
black belts performing different techniques. This symbolizes
versatility and talent. Where do you want the tattoo
?
Exactly, my club is one of the biggest and most
beautiful ones. Everybody must see that. Therefore I should get
something at my head, preferably on a
cheek.
But then it can be seen from one side only.
Well, right, then I take one on each
cheek.
Ok. Here is
another design.
This is also good. What is it
?
This is a
Japanese koi fish with black belts. It symbolizes tradition and deep
insight.
Exactly, I take two of them, one for each
arm.
.
.
.
Then I made the illustrations, with lots of paint
and really thick so that they cannot be erased, and everybody can
make fun of it. And when the charlatan started boasting about
his new beginner's course, I enhanced the lines even
more.
.
.
.
Later on, we
continued planning our own martial arts association,
which is by far the most effective method to manipulate
members. Money, power, and fame, all in close reach and soon at our
disposal. It is one thing to unmask the
current window dressing dilettants, but their market share has
to be seized by us.
Consumers do have the right to be deceived by the best. As a
special service we tell people in advance that we are going to
exploit them. This increases the fun part and does not
change the success.
In
order to acquire some money in the short term, we send the rank
donees of recent times bills from the BSA, the
Belt-Supervision-Agency, reminding of the renewal of their
belt-color carry licence. Most people transferred the required fee
directly to our offshore
account.
.
.
.
In the
next episode of Martial Ink we will meet D, who suffers from being exploited but
nevertheless volunteers regularly as a helper. D would like a tattoo expressing her
personality. She will get a cow filleting itself with a chainsaw.
This symbolizes the "minion syndrome", that is the pathological
loyalty of a victim to its
tormentor.
Until then
....
© 2008
HAW +
TDI |
