Never Forget Your Beginning

In Japanese there is a proverb read 初心を忘れるべからず, (shoshin wo wasureru bekarazu) which reminds one to never forget the spirit and gumption they had when embarking on learning a new skill, career etc. This is for a Martial Artist who is giving to a student that achieved the dan ranking. We wrote slightly differently to have all characters, but the meaning is essentially the same.

This was a reminder to me that in my Hyousou arts, I should rekindle that inner spark.

If you would like a custom scroll for a gift, please email to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

2nd Dojo Wallscroll Pair

This is a pair of the other wallscroll. It reads Jinsei Gyoudo Wo Erabu, which was reverse translated from the phrase, Choose Your Own Path.

Dimensions are the same as the previous post. If you would like a custom scroll made for you please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com

New Aikido Kakejiku

This scroll was commissioned for a new Aikido dojo. If you are interested in having a custom scroll made please view www.sales.customjapanesecalligraphy.com or email to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com.

The top portion contains an Enso, and the bottom vertical writing says Nihon Goshin Aikidou. It is written in the semi-cursive, gyousho, japanese calligraphy style by Yoshimi "Ryugyoku" Maples. The customer requested a Fukuro Hyougu style scroll with a black cloth and red suji. It has an Ebony Enshu wood jikusaki (Kokutan Enshu) and light gold (usukin) hanging string.





Dimensions as follows:

Name in Kanji	Name in English	Size in Bun	Size in Inches
天	Ten	127	15.15
天	Partition Top	92	10.97
筋	Suji	0.5	0.00
天	Partition Bottom	35	4.18
紙本の幅さ	Artwork Width	55	6.56
紙本の長さ	Artwork Length	218	26.01
柱	Pillars	20	2.39
地	Chi Top	12	1.43
筋	Suji	0.5	0.00
地	Chi Middle	15	1.79
筋	Suji	0.5	0.00
地	Chi Bottom	40	4.77
掛け軸の幅さ	Scroll Width	95	11.33
掛け軸の長さ	Scroll Length	413.5	49.33

 

Fierce Grace & Dream Chaser

 

 These scrolls were made as companion pieces. They are beautiful, done is a Sandan Hyougu (三段表具）style with some good contrasting elements for a very soothing feel. They are both written in a semi-cursive style, but the second was translated by Yoshimi. The first character is fierceness 猛（もう）or mou can be greatly energetic, fierce or ferocious and 優美（ゆうび）or yuubi can be read as grace or refinement. Fierce Grace.

The Ichimonji is a white on gold, and the purple Chuumawashi cloth has a simple pattern. The Bone colored cloth is a strong contrast with the purple and the Deep Brown stained wood jikusaki. The kakejiku is finished with the Takuboku hanging string.

Dimensions as Follows:

Name in Kanji Name in English Size in Bun (Inches)


天 Ten 132 (15.75)

上中廻し Ue Chuumawashi 49 (5.85)

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 7 (0.84)

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 41 (4.89)

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 128 (15.27)

柱 Pillars 10 (1.19)

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 4 (0.48)

下中廻し Shita Chuumawashi 38 (4.53)

地 Chi 63 (7.52)

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 61 (7.28)

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 414 (49.39)


 

Jiko Ryu Karate Wallscroll

This custom scroll will be going to the United Kingdom. It turned out very nicely. I especially love the deep gold on gold Ichimonji of this scroll. It provides a mellow, yet distinct and royal contrast. It has a beautiful and simple navy silk cloth with plastic ivory jikusaki and a Gold Brown Hanging String.  The writing is in a Kaisho style written by Yoshimi Maples. (Ryugyoku) If you are interested in having a custom scroll designed and made for you please contact to sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com Dimensions of the scroll below.          Name in Kanji Name in English Size in Bun (Inches)

天 Ten 86 (10.26)

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 8 (0.95)

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 54 (6.44)

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 218 (26.01)

柱 Pillars 18 (2.15)

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 5 (0.60)

地 Chi 58 (6.92)

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 90 (10.74)

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 375 (44.73)

Dojo Scroll for Black Belt Advancement

This scroll was ordered by a Student for the Dojo Sensei.

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

There were several students that passed their black belt exam and went in for a gift to the Dojo. The design was done very well and the wallscroll turned out very beautiful in the Navy cloth with the Cream and Large Karakusa (arabesque) pattern for the Ichimonji. The black wood lacquer jikusaki with the Aqua/Silver fleck just seems to let it go in a pattern from lightest to lighter to darker to darkest...I was very happy with the way the scroll turned out and was pleased with the end result.

The words are written in a Gyousho style by Ryugyoku Yamada and the meaning is Honor, Discipline and Adaptation are kind of the motto or Dojo Kun. We used more esoteric meaning with one character to represent the words because we thought that would be the better fit for the dojo, which has roots in Japanese/Okinawan based karate but also adapts with different styles.

I hope the Sensei likes the time and thought that the students put into designing the scroll.

Dimensions in traditional Japanese bun measurement are as follows:
Ten 121
Ue Ichimonji 7.5
Honshi no Habasa 54
Honshi no Nagas 194
Hashira 20
Shita Ichimonji 5
Chi 83
Total Scroll Width (About 12 Inches)
Total Scroll Length (About 49 Inches)

2 Dojo Scrolls with Dragon Cloths

The following scrolls were made for a Dojo just south of where I went to Graduate School (University of Memphis).

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

This pair of scrolls is beautifully written in a Gyoushou style. Both scrolls say 雷電 道場 Raiden Dojo, or Thunder & Lightning Dojo. It is very appropriate considering the last name of the Sensei which I will not reveal. One is a Joufuku size scroll and the other is a Yatsugiri size scroll.

The cloths were chosen to blend with the colors of the dojo, which are black, gray and red. The Red Ichimonji particularly stands out and I think provides power to the effect of the scroll.

Two other things you will notice is that the Ten on the Joufuku scroll is particularly long. I did that on purpose so that a full dragon could be on that portion of the scroll. The second relates to the writing. Both Rai and Den have the identical radical. However, Yoshimi chose to write them differently. I asked her why and she said it would be boring to have both in the same gyousho style. There are variations within the Gyousho style, but that is a separate topic.

Dimensions of the scrolls as follows:

Joufuku

Name in Kanji Name in English Size in Bun Size in Centimeters Size in Inches


天 Ten 195 590.85 23.26

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 11 33.33 1.31

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 115 348.45 13.72

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 435 1318.05 51.89

柱 Pillars 18 54.54 2.15

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 7 21.21 0.84

地 Chi 85 257.55 10.14

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 151 457.53 18.01

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 733 2220.99 87.44



Yatsugiri Size Scroll
Name in Kanji Name in English Size in Bun Size in Centimeters Size in Inches


天 Ten 134 406.02 15.99

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 8 24.24 0.95

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 55 166.65 6.56

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 175 530.25 20.88

柱 Pillars 13 39.39 1.55

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 5 15.15 0.60

地 Chi 80 242.4 9.54

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 81 245.43 9.66

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 402 1218.06 47.96

Bushido Scroll with Cherry Blossoms

This scroll was sold to the Western United States. This is a repeat customer.

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

The scroll concept was designed earlier in the year but due to some extenuating circumstances it was not able to be completed until now. In designing the scroll, I wanted to have a more Japanese style scroll. So we utilized a Navy cloth with a Navy hanging string 掛け紐. The gold on red Ichimonji 一文字provides a strong transition between the artwork and the Navy cloth 裂地. The other point you notice on this scroll is a black lacquer wood jikusaki 軸先 that has a red ring around it to provide a continuation of the theme expressed in the Ichimonji.

The monochrome cherry blossoms were drawn by Ren Adams. You can see here artwork at www.renadamsart.com. The Calligraphy and the English writing of Bushido was written by Ryugyoku 龍玉. Both are talented artists and really work to provide beautiful centerpieces for customers.

Dimensions of the scroll are given in the traditional Bun 分measurement as follows. One Bun is approximately equal to 3.03 millimeters.

天 Ten 95

上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 10

紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 77

紙本の長さ Artwork Length 108

柱 Pillars 30

下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 6

地 Chi 61

掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 137

掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 280

Two Martial Arts Dojo Scrolls

琉球本拳法



沖縄白鶴拳法

This customer sent an order directly online via my shopping site at http://ww.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com/  I think these turned out beautifully for him.

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com 

The first scroll on the left (if facing away from the scrolls) reads Ryukyu Hon Kenpo, which means the True Kenpo of the Ryukyu islands. The scroll on the right reads Okinawa Shirodzuru Kenpo. This could be translated as Okinawan White Crane Kenpo.

The scrolls are written in the Sousho or full cursive style which provides a very beautiful flowing ideal to the work. I must respect Yoshimi for being able to take one phrase that contains 5 characters and one phrase that contains 6 characters and write them very symmetrically on the same size of paper. I used a red-orange Ichimonji to provide the imagery of a sunset on the backdrop of a green Okinawan island set in the Pacific.

The katana and wakizashi may not be the most authentic accent to put in a display with scrolls conveying an Okinawan theme. A better weapon choice may have been an Eiku, Tonfa or Nunchaku, but we must make do with what we have. I thank Sylvan and Hiromi Pickett for allowing me to borrow these for this display picture.

This is the basic Maru Hyougu style and dimensions in the traditional Bun分 measurement set forth with other dimensions as approximations.

• 天　Ten                          　 83
• 上一文字 Ue Ichimonji   14
• 紙本幅 Shihon Habasa    50
• 紙本長 Shihon Nagasa  226
• 柱 Hashira                       12.5
• 下一文字 Shita Ichimonji  9
• 地 Chi                             　　42
• 掛け軸幅さ　Total Scroll Width            75
• 掛け軸長さ　Total Scroll Length         377

Joufuku Size Dojo Scrolls!

I don't think I even have to explain these pics....Customer's words..."Thank you! They are awesome!"
I have to say THANK YOU RYUGYOKU AND REN for your beautiful work.

 

If you would like to order a custom scroll there are three ways to get started: 1. Go to my shopping site at www.shop.customjapanesecalligraphy.com 2. Download my scroll design workbook from my website at www.customjapanesecalligraphy.com to read about the concepts behind kakejiku or wallscroll design. 3. E-mail to me directly at sales@customjapanesecalligraphy.com