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Even though I wanted my first tattoo to be a traditional Thai Sak Yant, this wasn’t the case. In December of the same year in which I got my first tattoo from Sean Parry, I managed to arrange with Paeng at Bangkok Ink to visit one of their resident Sak Yant masters (or Ajarn in Thai, which also means teacher) named Ajarn Ohr Borthong. Bangkok Ink itself is a well renowned tattoo studio and their service included being picked up from my hotel and transported to Ajarn Ohr’s house 2 hours outside of Bangkok. Ajarn Ohr’s home was bustling with other tattoo devotees and after a short wait it was my turn.

Ajarn Ohr is so skilled that he doesn’t need to use a stencil for his tattoos, he just marks off the boundaries of the area the Sak Yant will cover and tattoos from memory. He is also incredibly fast and all the ink done in this session was completed in 4 hours. In terms of the pain, well a tattoo does involve a needle pushing ink under your skin so at the least it will be uncomfortable. But with that said it is bearable for the most part, with my lower back being the area which I struggled with the most especially directly on my spine. Pain will vary from individual to individual though, regardless of the tattoo technique or area being inked. The main difference between being inked with a machine versus being hand-poked is that with hand poking the ink is only pushed under the skin whereas with a machine it’s still being pushed under but the skin is also being torn as the needle is dragged. This means that machine tattoos are a notch higher in pain levels and the healing time is also longer. Many people think that being hand poked is more painful but it only looks that way in application. The less trauma to the skin from hand poking means that the tattoo heals in about half the time of a machine based tattoo. Hand poking is a significantly longer process though, so it comes down to being able to endure less trauma for a longer time versus more trauma over a shorter time period for machine tattoos.

Bangkok Ink is still around but Paeng has moved on to open her own tattoo business, Thai Tattoo Cafe.

The Sak Yants I received:

Hah Taew: The 5 line yant, with each line representing a magical spell. Each spell is determined by the tattoo master and examples are: reversing bad horoscope predictions, protection from evil, enhancing charisma, and bringing good fortune. The origin of this tattoo dates back to over 700 years ago.

Hanuman: A Hindu monkey god whose Sak Yant bestows the bearer with protection from danger, becoming fearless in the face of adversity, increased confidence, and mental focus, among others.

Kwai Tanu: A buffalo whose greatest power is to ward off black magic.

Paetch Payatorn: A boar which grants the bearer strong charisma and business skills.

Many of the regions within South East Asia have a rich historical tattoo culture. In today’s world the younger ink enthusiasts tend to prefer more contemporary tattoo styles and trends, and most tattoo studios cater to this. Some artists, however, are dedicating their talents to the preservation of the ancient ways and one such tattooist is Albar Tikam of Suku Suku Tatau in Bali. Albar started out as a machine tattoo and body modification artist but soon went back to his ancestral roots by studying the traditional tattoo styles of that region.

Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world (with over 500 languages and dialects, and over 17 000 islands) and has the largest Muslim population of any country. The traditional tattoos stem from the tribal regions with the most dominant styles coming from the Mentawai and Iban people. As with most traditional tattoos, their ink represents a much deeper meaning than just the designs. They signify family lineage, wisdom, and social status, among other things such as the transition into adulthood. There are designs for both males and females and the placement of these on the body are very specific. These designs are inked onto the body using a thorn or sharpened bone and the ink is made from fire smoke and sugar cane water. Over time all the tattoos on an individual become interconnected as that person reaches the various stages of their life, so these tattoos truly tell a story of each person. It is also believed that the oldest evidence of tattoos in the world may be from the people in this region.

The piece he did for me was placed around the first Sak Yant (of Hanuman, the semi-divine monkey like figure in Buddhism and Hinduism) and complements it with traditional patterns of protection.

Watsun has a unique style of art in that he creates sigils based off words chosen either by him or the receiver of the tattoo. His style resonated with me immediately but getting hold of him was not easy. In my case, without an appointment, I got on a plane from Cape Town to Maine, USA and just showed up at the tattoo studio he was working at. This proved to be successful and my session was secured.

I only intended to have the three sigils done on my abdomen, but inspiration struck Watsun and a second session was booked. This second session was the first time that any of my previous ink was bound together (the lightning branches he added coming out of Mirko’s snake and Sean’s wyrm) which set a trend for all my future pieces, in that my final goal was now to have a cohesive flow of tattoos from different artists.

On my second trip to Prague I met up with Stanislav Gromov (originally from Russia) who has a style which is reminiscent of urban graffiti although it has evolved into a much darker form of script which leans more towards the style of logos used for black metal bands. The latter style is what got my attention on Instagram and this would be another of my aesthetically based tattoos. What I asked of him was something I have also done with most of my other artists, give them free reign of the design. Unless there is a specific concept I want from them, my approach is to let them come up with the final piece with only the necessary amount of input from me for them to understand what I’m seeking. I am collecting their art on my skin, so it is more about a unique piece from a world-renowned tattoo artist rather than just a copy of something else (although I have also had tattoos which were from pre-existing designs by the artists themselves). I have been fortunate enough to have been with artists who not only provided this but who have also looked at how their work would tie in with any existing pieces I already had.

The lesson I learnt from this piece was not to assume that any specific area on your body will hurt more or less than any other part. The general rule is that the closer the area is to the bone the more painful it will be. For the most part that is true, and I thought that the calf being a very meaty area would not be too painful, but I was very much mistaken. It was a brutal session, and it took a long time for the swelling and pain to dissipate. Again though, pain levels for any tattoo will vary between individuals.

My lesson to you is this: if you want a tattoo in a specific area, then get it there. The caveat to this is to know how your job prospects would be affected by any visible ink. But do not concern yourself over the pain. Tattoos hurt wherever you get them, but it may just be an uncomfortable hurt that is mostly bearable. Or it could be a hurt that is taking you to the point of passing out. But, if there is a specific tattoo which you want in a specific place, you will be mentally strong enough to handle and overcome whatever pain that area throws at you.

While attending the London tattoo convention I met a married Ajarn (teacher/master in Thai) couple who both did traditional Thai Sak Yants. Ajarn Matthieu is originally from Réunion Island (fun fact: as Réunion is part of France but is located off the east coast of Africa, the flight from there to France is considered the longest domestic flight in the world) but moved to Thailand where he met and married Ajarn Rung. After speaking with them and seeing their work I decided that I would like them to complete the sleeve of my left arm. This would be the start of multiple travels to see them which included the Belgium Tattoo Convention shortly afterwards and then a few visits to their home in Hua Hin, Thailand for more Sak Yants on various other areas of my body.

The piece completed in this session was that of a Naga, a semi-divine river beast with supernatural powers which is considered part human and part cobra, and who’s demeanour can vary between malevolent and benevolent. In Sak Yant form it represents kindness, popularity, luck, good fortune and wealth.

There is some controversy here though, specifically regarding Ajarn Rung being a female Sak Yant practitioner. I was told that the magical properties of Sak Yants are invalid if applied by a woman, but I was assured by Ajarn Matthieu that this is not the case. It is not my place to pass judgement on this tradition and I respect the tattoos which were given to me and will honour them and Ajarn Rung accordingly.

Sean is one of the artists who I have visited on multiple occasions. I have seen him in Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester and in his hometown of Llandudno, Wales where he has opened up Sacred Knot Shop for both his tattoo business as well as his related clothing (Northern Fire) and art sales. This visit to him was to complete my right sleeve and it was to be done with Nordic themes and symbolism as per his original work on me. I gave Sean free reign over the design with minimal input and once again he astounded me with his creative flow.

In his own words: “Here you see the spear head of Gungnir, the magical spear made by the maggots of the earth, the Dwarfs. These dwarfs in particular were the Sons of Ivaldi, and lead by the master blacksmith Dvalin. In the old Norse stories the spear was a gift to Odin that never missed it’s mark.” – in reference to the design on the blade of my forearm.

The third time I saw Ajarns Matthieu and Rung was at their home in Hua Hin, Thailand. Hua Hin was the first beach resort town in Thailand and was especially popular with the Thai Royal Family and is seen as the place where the Thai’s take their holidays, as opposed to the more crowded popular tourist areas for foreigners.

This trip was to complete my left sleeve and the process of selecting which Sak Yants to be inked was overseen by Ajarn Matthieu. Receiving a Sak Yant goes beyond just selecting a design from a book as some of them, depending on your lifestyle, would not be deemed suitable for you. For example, there was a specific design which resonated with me and when I expressed interest in it, I was asked whether I drink alcohol. The reason for this is that for the magical powers of that specific tattoo to work, my body needs to be permanently free of any type of intoxication (this does not apply to all Sak Yants). I could of course have lied to get it but that defeats the purpose of Sak Yant tattoos.

These tattoos are believed to be magical and bestow certain powers on the bearer, for example the crocodile tattoo (Yant Thaerawad Jorakae) protects the bearer from sharp objects, but if I were to be intoxicated in any way and I’m near a body of water then the crocodile spirit may take over my body and lead me to drowning.  The little gecko (Yant Jing Jok) is believed to attract friendship and love. Each Sak Yant is believed to have a very specific power but if one does not follow the rules for bearing it then its power would be diminished and even turned against you.

Cambodia is a country which suffered a devastating genocide by it’s own leader which resulted in almost a quarter of it’s population losing their lives between 1975 and 1979. The aim of the genocide was to push Cambodia into a Communist state and during this process many of the practitioners of the sacred tattoos in this region were lost as well. Sacred tattooing has been practised in Cambodia as far back as the 11^th century, before even Angkor Wat (the largest religious monument in the world) was built. There is a close resemblance in both the designs and the meanings of these tattoos to the Sak Yants of Thailand. This is no coincidence because of the proximity of these countries and the religious and spiritual practices between them. The difference though is that because of the genocide many of the original writings and teachings have been lost in Cambodia and very few links to the original people who had this knowledge remains.

This is where Federation Khmer in Siem Reap plays a crucial role in preserving the history of the traditional tattoos of Cambodia. They are a small group of individuals dedicated to not only documenting and teaching these arts, but also tirelessly tracking down any survivors of the genocide who could provide knowledge and artifacts towards their cause. Their cultural preservation also extends to the traditional martial art of Cambodia called Bokator, a combat and battlefield oriented fighting style rather than the ring sport of Muay Thai (which also evolved from the wartime combat art of Muay Boran).

Like the Thai Sak Yants, Cambodian tattoos are meant to imbue magical powers and blessings to the bearer. There is even a tattoo which can be placed on the instep of the foot to protect the bearer from the large amount of land mines still active in that country. In order to receive a tattoo an offering of flowers, fruit and money needs to be presented and once the tattoo is completed it is blessed by prayer and holy water, just like the Thai Sak Yant.

My next trip to Hua Hin was to get Sak Yants on other areas of my body now that my sleeve had been completed. As stated in another post, the location of Sak Yants are very specific. For example, the head is seen in Buddhism as the most sacred part of the body so to have a Sak Yant on the head entails that a few other pre-required Yants have already been received. Some of these pre-required Yants must also be done above the waist and in a centre-line area of the back or torso. The more a Sak Yant position deviates from its preferred area the less power it is believed to have. Sak Yants placed below the waist are allowed but only very specific ones such as animal spirits or Yants used for romantic powers. Deities (if they are allowed to be tattooed at all, tattoos of Buddha are prohibited in Thailand) are generally only allowed above the waist but not in areas considered “unclean” such as below the armpits or close to the groin.

The other factor here was that my tattoos were now beginning to be very visible and could no longer be covered up. Having tattoos in areas such as the hands and neck requires serious introspection as they can be career limiting as well as a social stigma in certain parts of the world (Japan being a notable example, tattoos are still very much frowned upon there as they are associated with organised crime and many establishments especially gyms and public bathing areas prohibit the entry of anyone tattooed). My original intention was to only have tattoos in areas which I could easily cover up. I was not even planning on doing full sleeves. But after each session I would look at the empty skin in the mirror and I knew that at some point I would want to fill that up. I had been fortunate enough to be in a career which did not require me to be client facing so I was able to make the decision to use as much of my available skin as possible. My own personal restriction though is my face. Facial tattoos just do not appeal to me as I feel that it has too much of an effect on how your features are perceived. The sides of my head and sideburn area are still fair game though 😉

Arne is a machine free tattoo artist who prefers to use the “stick and poke” method of tattooing. This involves using the same type of needles from electric tattoo machines but having him manually poke the ink under my skin with them. This is a very time-consuming process but results in a unique texture both in the shading and the lines, not to mention a quicker healing time. He is another artist who I have met up with in various countries (Germany, Thailand, Poland, UK) as his aesthetic style was very appealing to me and I really wanted to showcase it on my skin.  

I’ve been asked many times about how painful it is to have your ears tattooed. Both my ears were hand poked by Arne and they were probably the least painful of all the ink I’ve had done. It may just be a testament to acupuncture but for me the ear tattoo process was so soothing that I nearly fell asleep during it.

A fortunate side effect of my tattoo endeavours are the friendships which have been made. The tattoo community is like a family and whenever I spent time at tattoo conventions or festivals, I could feel the bond between the artists and the love they have for the work they do. Even though I am not a tattoo artist myself I was made to feel welcome within their ranks and I still keep in touch regularly with the people I’ve met over the last few years.