» Maori Hand Tattoo , August 25th, 2005

I’ve had two simple lifetime tattoo desires… 1. to get tattooed in Tahiti, the birthplace of tattooing. and 2. an original Maori piece in New Zealand. So while lecturing in Hamilton, New Zealand… nothing was going to stop me from fulfilling my desire to get a traditional Maori tattoo.

My right arm represents the CHAOS in my life, and my left arm represents the CALM in my life. My left arm is sobriety, my family, my mana. In Chinese I have “Addiction is a Parasite”, which for me is my daily reminder of my long battle with drugs and alcohol. Now in my 12th year (2006) of sobriety my left arm has become everything I’m able to be for myself, my career, and my family. I’ve been with my wife for 8 years (married for 6) and my daughter is 3 - so my left arm in many ways is a symbol of the new josh… the josh my wife and daughter have always known.

my right arm… that’s another story.

So while in Barcelona, I got my wedding band tattooed on my ring finger… and 3 skulls… 1 on my pinky, 1 on my middle, and 1 on my index. The skulls represent my family, Melissa, Kelly and me.

I met Dan Gordon in Hamilton and word got around quickly that I had intentions to get a traditional Maori Tattoo - an authentic Moko. Dan got me on the Phone with Inia Hohua - a truly gifted designer of traditional Maori Moko. He wanted to know about my life and my family over the course of a few days… and finally a few drawings emerged. I was immediately pulled towards one that had symbols and meanings about myself, my wife, my daughter, my energy, and strength. I knew it was meant to be a part of my left arm forever. The design was traditionally blessed and I got the tattoo just a mere few hours before my flight back to the United States.

Moko
Moko
Moko
Moko
Moko
Moko

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11 Responses to “ Maori Hand Tattoo ”
  1. mizjax said, on June 4th, 2007 at 9:56 am

    tats should have meaning too… I have two. One is who I am - I drew it when I was 14 and kept it in my wallet till I was 18 - scanned it, reworked it and got it done. The second one is a lotus flower and it symbolises my lifes new beginning. I got out of a bad place and changed my life for the better - that tat reminds me of where I have been and where I should not go back to.

  2. Skull tattoos said, on June 2nd, 2007 at 11:46 am

    Nice work keep it up

  3. Joshua Davis said, on February 15th, 2007 at 1:17 pm

    well eric - I was 25 when I got my first tat. and I’m glad I waited !!! I see so many people get covers up because they make bad choices when they’re younger.

    I was older and knew what I wanted to get into - my mother hates my tats - still to this day - she says things like she brought me into this world and she did it without me having any tattoos. but eventually I moved out, started my career, followed my own path and both me and my mom understand that they’re choices that I make - because I’m my own person.

    at the end of the day - my parents still love me… even if they hate my tats.

  4. eric said, on February 15th, 2007 at 12:38 pm

    so im 20 years old. i still live with my parents. they are 100 % against body art, tattoos, piercing etc… I am dieing to get some tattoos, i had designed some of my own but i am told , NO! I think of tattoos as a spiritual item, when you die your body remains, so why not while your alive, allow tattoos to express who you are. I am not sure on how to influence my parents into accepting tattoos, i am told that i am allowed to what ever i want when i am out of the house, but they still wont ‘approve’. I found a quote that is very interesting and was what other people, or josh, feel about tattoos; “So get the tattoo, and become what you have always been.” Ideas? Sorry for the big long post.

    eric

  5. precision techconet said, on January 18th, 2007 at 2:07 am

    Thanks a lot for sharing…

  6. YoungDoo said, on November 19th, 2006 at 7:23 pm

    Wow, beautiful! Thanks for sharing the story.

  7. Rory Breaker said, on October 17th, 2006 at 5:01 am

    I really like that hand tattoo man.Fucking lovely

  8. _dan.gordon » Blog Archive » Joshua Davis said, on October 10th, 2006 at 4:04 pm

    [...] Joshua Davis talks about me, Inia, and his NZ tattoo experience in his online diary. Thanks Josh. [...]

  9. Dan Gordon said, on October 10th, 2006 at 3:50 pm

    Yo,

    Thanks for the shout. Come back anytime. Inia is the Mantis.

    Dan

  10. Ron Domingue said, on September 30th, 2006 at 2:54 pm

    Not much of a tattoo person, but I must say you do have a cool lifestyle with all your traveling and speaking.

    Please continue to share.

  11. Jerry said, on September 30th, 2006 at 9:54 am

    Fucking Sweet!!