This was a calligraphy commission for a martial arts practitioner to use as a wall decoration and also as a tattoo design.
Students of Japanese will notice that it doesn’t exactly say “mind, body, spirit”. This is because although this phrase is common in English, it’s a little different in Japanese.
Happily there is a similar phrase in Japanese – 心技体 (shin-gi-tai) – which is often used in the context of martial arts:
心 = heart/mind/spirit
技 = skill
体 = body
In other words, to success in martial arts, one has to:
- have spirit
- develop one’s skill
- train one’s body
Calligraphy by Vicky 