Cute characters are a hugely popular cultural phenomenon in the Far East, especially in Japan. I decided to bring this aesthetic with a couple of new tee designs as part of a continuing ‘Kawaii Grapplers’ series of artworks.
The project first began with a series of four designs which I presented over on Instagram and I asked my followers which ones they liked the best. The top two most popular are these designs:-
The Kawaii Kesa Gatame tee (above) features two Shina Ibu dogs grappling on the mats. The headline text reads Kesa Gatame (the scarf hold technique that the top dog is using). The smaller text beneath the title reads Osaekomi-Waza (pinning techniques). At the base of the design, the Japanese text reads Burajirian ju jitsu (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and Katame Waza (grappling techniques).
Puss’s Revenge is a sequel to the sold-out ‘Armbar Artworks’ t-shirt, originally released in 2019, which featured a mean rabbit armbarring a kitten. In the new 2021 version, the cat gets her revenge! The headline text reads Mae Hadaka Jime (front head choke, the technique illustrated). The subheading text reads Furontochoku (front choke). The vertical text reads: judo, jiujitsu, resuringu (wrestling).
Both tees are a unisex regular fit. The designs are screen-printed using the discharge printing technique which ensures the surface is soft and less likely to crack over time. The blanks used are soft style ringspun cotton, which ensures a high-quality feel and minimal shrinkage.
