Tattoos and competition

[Cobalt]

Fairly straight forward question. If one were to get tattoos, is competitive body building out of the picture?

[longBallLima]

Fairly straight forward question. If one were to get tattoos, is competitive body building out of the picture?

i know BB'ers who do well having smaller pieces. full sleeves and such, i'd advise against. oddly enough, a friend's been told by a judge that he'd been marked down (by other judges according to her) because of his long braided beard.

edit - i have a fairly large piece on my arm and i dont think it played a factor in my physique competition. im crossing over in november and i can let you know lol

[burlyman30]

As an enthusiast of physique contests and having seen tats onstage, I'm not a fan, as it definitely blurs definition and is a distraction. Something on the forearm or lower leg wouldn't be too distracting, though. I think these days, tats are a foregone conclusion, though, so if you really must have one then get it and put it where you want. I'd keep career (and future careers) in mind over a BBing contest, though, as far as placement goes.

[Sperwer]

I have a large dragon with its tail encircling a yin-yang symbol tattooed on the inside of my right forearm. At the Mr. Seoul contest a few weeks back, I got a big disapproving look from one of the officials during the check-in process when he saw it. This was not unexpected. Because of its Confucian heritage and the tradition of filial piety, Korea looks askance at tattoos or any other form of body modification, since they are considered a violation of the precious gift of the body given to you by your parents. Until the late 19th century, e.g., no one ever cut their hair, except Buddhist monks (who were considered pariahs anyway during the 500 year political hegemony of the neo-Confucians). When I first got here 20 years ago, and still occasionally these days, I have been refused admittance to public bath houses and spas because of it. It doesn't help that tattoos also are associated in modern times with various groups of social outcasts, especially "gang-pae", the Korean version of yakuza; when my brother-in-law, who ia a colonel in the National Police found out I had one, it took my wife a lot of effort to convince him that I wasn't some sort of mob lawyer on the lam in Korea. Although conventions are changing - some kids these days get temporary tattoos and there are a small number of actual tattoo shops that have emerged from the shadows of the demi-monde - it's still considered negatively and as marking you out as someone who isn't prepared to play by the (social) rules - which is a big no-no in Korea, which is very collectivist (suffocatingly so when one first gets immersed in the culture) in its attitudes and behaviours (e.g. I no longer speak of "my" daughter but "our" daughter when talking to other Koreans, and my daughter refers to me as "our" honorable father). At the contest, I half-expected to get a lecture from the disapproving official, but my status as a foreigner - plus the fact that I was at least 20 years older than him - apparently made him reticent to speak up - the amount of respect you get here if you are a foreigner (at least a seemingly "respectable one", i.e., not just a callow young English teacher), especially if you know Korean, AND if you are older - it just is not dome to speak anything but highly politely (there are even special verb tenses and, in some cases, different forms of words, to be used to those older or socially superior to oneself) - is really astonishing. In the end , it made no difference at all in the judging.

I also second the last point made by Burly. I got my tattoo while on R&R in Bangkok in 1970 before my second "tour" of the Vietnamese Central Highlands. Needless to say, I was less than completely sober and otherwise full of piss and vinegar. I don't regret it - regret is a waste of time and energy - but I have found it tiresome sometimes to have to put in the extra effort to get past the issues it sometimes causes for other people with whom I have had or wanted to interact. Unless you are part of a group that simply accepts it and/or are willing to make the extra effort needed sometimes to convince others that you don't have the attitudes and demeanor that some people associate with tattoos, then don't. I understand that these days, political correctness also has driven even the military to enforce restrictions on tattoos.

[longBallLima]

honestly, i got tats, but as i get older, i wouldnt get another one. just bit of a waste of time and only hipsters get it now lol i liked it when it was a "leave me alone" statement and i had some aspiration of being a bad ass kid or something lol

[Cobalt]

I've always had the idea of getting a tattoo, but my wife was against it.
But after she decided to get one yesterday, she is almost wanting me to get one too.

I don't know if I'll want to compete in bb'ing, but if a tattoo was an instant DQ, i'd put off thinking about getting one.

I was considering doing something on my delt/upper arm so it was easily covered when out in the open. As burly said, thinking more about a negative impact on a career.

Thanks for the replies.

[h2s]

I have always wanted sleeves. Unfortunately, the corporate life hinders my creativity lol.

[burlyman30]

I have always wanted sleeves. Unfortunately, the corporate life hinders my creativity lol.

There's always those nylon pull-on tat sleeves...

[Cobalt]

There's always those nylon pull-on tat sleeves...

I actually had one of those back in highschool and it matched my skin perfectly. I wore it to school one day and I was in the principals office before they realized it was fake.
Good times.

[longBallLima]

I actually had one of those back in highschool and it matched my skin perfectly. I wore it to school one day and I was in the principals office before they realized it was fake.
Good times.

couldnt have tattoos in school? would they take it from you and give it back at the end of the year?? lol