千慮一得 means “1000 tries, one success,” or “[a] thousand tries [leads to] one success.”

This proverb is a humble way to express your success, ideas, or accomplishments. As if you are a fool who just got lucky in inventing or creating something.

Translations for this proverb include:
Even without any notable ability on my part, I may still get it right sometimes by good luck.
Even a fool may sometimes come up with a good idea.

Compare this to the English idiom, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

正思唯 is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism. Right Thought, along with the Right View, constitute the path to Wisdom.

In Buddhism, Right Thought, in simple terms, means to free yourself from having ill will towards anyone or anything. It also suggests that you remain harmless to other living creatures.

This can also be defined as “Resolve in favor of renunciation, goodwill, and non-harming of sentient beings.”

There is an ancient/alternate version of the third character for this selection. You can see that alternation third character to the right. If you want your selection to use that older character, just click on the character to the right, instead of the button above.

Note: This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also:  Buddhism | Enlightenment | Noble Eightfold Path

正命 (right living) is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism.

Right Living, along with Right Speech and Right Action, constitute the path to Virtue.

Right Living means that a Buddhist should only take a job or pursue a career in a field that does no harm. Buddhists should not work in the arms trade, as pimps or in the field of prostitution, as a butcher or in a shop that kills or sells meat, in a laboratory that does animal research, or in any other business that involves scheming or unethical behavior.

Another definition: Avoidance of professions that are harmful to sentient beings, such as slaughterer, hunter, dealer in weaponry or narcotics, etc.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.

See Also:  Buddhism | Enlightenment | Noble Eightfold Path

紅五蝠 is a play on words in Chinese because of some homophones.

The first thing you need to know is that the word for bat, 蝠, sounds exactly like the word for good fortune, 福. Thus, bats are often associated with good luck and good fortune in Chinese culture.

Five bats (五福 / 五蝠) means “five fortunes,” referring to luck, prosperity, wealth, happiness, and longevity.

The word red, 红, has the same sound as 宏 meaning vast, great, or magnificent. Therefore, a red bat means “vast fortune.”

Altogether, five red bats represent vast reaches of the five fortunes.

黑八馬 means “eight black horses” in Chinese.

This is an unusual title for calligraphy, but several people have searched for it, so we added it.
Eight horses are a sign of success in business in Chinese culture.

年年有餘 is a common proverb or wish of prosperity you'll hear around the time of Chinese New Year.

Directly translated character by character, it means “Year Year Have Surplus.” A more natural English translation including the deeper meaning would be “Every Year may you Have Abundance in your life.”

On a side note, this phrase often goes with a gift of something related to fish. This is because the last character, “yu” which means surplus or abundance, has exactly the same pronunciation in Mandarin as the word for “fish.”

This is also one of the most common titles for traditional paintings that feature koi fish.

In China, this phrase might make an odd wall scroll - a customer asked especially for this common phrase which is why it appears here. See my other abundance-related words if you want a wall scroll that will seem more comfortable in Chinese culture.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used term.

See Also:  Prosperity | Good Fortune

富裕 means prosperous, having an abundance, well-to-do, or well-off.

It's a simple word that suggests “you have made it” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja.

See Also:  Good Fortune

樂天 is about being optimistic and also making the best of whatever life throws at you.

This is hard to define. One dictionary defines this as “acceptance of fate and happy about it.” There is one English word equivalent, which is sanguinity or sanguinary.

You can also say that this means “Be happy with whatever Heaven provides,” or “Find happiness in whatever fate Heaven bestows upon you.” 樂天 suggests being an optimist in life.

Note: This is sometimes a given name in China.

Please note that Japanese tend to write the first character in a slightly-different form (as seen to the right). Let us know if you have a preference when you place your order.

鳥人 means “bird man” or “bird person,” but it is used colloquially in Japanese to mean a flying ace or aviator.

幺 means one, as used on a dice or in a card game.

Thus, in that context, it means Ace.

幺 can also be the surname “Yao” in both Chinese and Japanese.
Note: Rarely if ever used in Korean.

幺 can sometimes be written these ways:

成績 is a Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean Hanja word that means achievement.

Depending on the context, it can also mean performance records, grades, or results.

現役 is a simple way to say “active duty.”

When I got off active duty in the Marines, I suddenly discovered that everyone on active duty seemed very proud of that fact. These Japanese / Chinese characters are offered to those servicemen with that pride.

Please note that there is a longer yet more natural phrase that means “Active Duty Soldier” or literally “Active Duty Military Person” - see the next entry...

現役軍人 means “Active Duty Soldier” or literally “Active Duty Military Person.”

This title is a great way to show pride in being an active duty member of the armed forces.

The first two characters mean “active duty” and the second two characters can be translated as “military personnel,” “soldier,” or “serviceman” (it is unisex, so male or female is not indicated).

See Also:  Military

針術 is a way to write acupuncture in Chinese.

The first character means “needle” or “pin.”
The second character means “technique” or “method.”

This is theoretically a Japanese word as well but not commonly used.

針療法 is one of two ways to write acupuncture in Chinese and Japanese.

The first character means “needle” or “pin.” The second character means “to treat” or “to cure.” The last character means “method” or “way.”

This is the only reasonable selection if your audience is Japanese. This is the formal way to express acupuncture in Chinese, so this version is universal in most of Asia (the best all-around choice in most cases).

應變 means “to meet a contingency,” “to adapt oneself to changes,” or “to adapt to changes” in Chinese.

It's also used in Japanese but usually only in the context of Buddhism. 應變 is probably the shortest way to express the idea of adapting and overcoming whatever circumstances present themselves.

美青年 means handsome young man, or figuratively, Adonis, in Japanese.

可愛 is a Chinese word that means adorable, cute, and lovely.

It also has a similar meaning in Japanese, but it's more often used as the given name Kawai.

In the Buddhist context, it can mean agreeable.

可愛い is a Japanese word that means cute, adorable, charming, lovely, or pretty.

Depending on the context, it can also mean dear, precious, darling, pet, cute little, or tiny.

愛慕 means “adoring love” in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

I suppose this is the best kind of love to have. 愛慕 has the common character for love. But the second character modifies and reinforces the meaning to become adore, adoring love, or to love and adore.

Ancient Chinese warning:
Adoring someone is fine until you are in the shoes of the Prince of the Kingdom of Wu. This Prince adored a certain beautiful woman (Xi Shi) so much that he neglected his duties and soon let the kingdom fall into ruins.

If you lead a life of adventure (like I do), a 探險 wall scroll is for you.

Alone, the first character can mean “to explore,” “to search out,” or “to scout.” The second character holds the meanings of “dangerous” and “rugged.” Together these two characters create the word that means “adventure” or “to explore.”

探険 is a modern Japanese Kanji version, but it more precisely means exploration or expedition rather than adventure. 探險 is the old/ancient Japanese version used before WWII. Let us know if you want the modern Japanese version instead.

See Also:  Bon Voyage | Travel

冒険 is a common Japanese way to say “Adventure.”

The first character can mean “to risk,” “to defy” or “to dare.” The second character means “inaccessible place” or “impregnable position.” Together, you get the idea of why these two characters mean adventure when put them together in Japanese.

Note: The second character is a morphed Japanese Kanji. The original Chinese version is also available and holds the same root meaning.

冒険野郎 is a Japanese title that means “adventure lover.”

This literally means something like “adventure wild man.”

This is a funny choice for a wall scroll, but it's a legitimate word in Japanese.

冒險 is another Chinese and Korean word for “Adventure.”

This is more of a “risk-taking” version of adventure.

The first character can mean “brave” and “bold.” The second character means “dangerous” and “rugged.” Together they can be defined as a word meaning “adventure” in Chinese and Korean.

Note: Some dictionaries translate these two characters as “take a risk.”

冥福 is an unusual Chinese, Japanese, and Korean term that means afterlife happiness, happiness in the next world, or the happiness of the dead.

In the simplest terms, 愛語 means kind words.

In the Buddhist context, this is one of the four methods of approach to people which the bodhisattvas use to guide them to the way of the Buddha.

Other translations include loving speech or simply the words of a bodhisattva.

愛語 is also a common female name, Aigo, in Japanese.

合気武道 is the title Aiki-Budo or “Aiki Martial Arts” in Japanese Kanji.

合 means “union” or “harmony.”
気/氣 means “universal energy” or “spirit.”
武 means “martial” or “military.”
道 means “way” or “method.”

合気武道 is the modern Japanese way to write this. You may also see 合氣武道, where the second character is written in the older traditional (pre-1945) form. If you want this written 合氣武道, just include a note or email with your order.

合氣武道 are all Chinese characters as well, so I included the Chinese pronunciation above. However, while it can be understood in Chinese, this is not a common term in that language and is not used in any Chinese martial arts. Also, 気 is only used in Japan - Chinese will understand 気 to be the Japanese form of 氣.

See Also:  Martial Arts | Hapkido

合気道 is the modern Japanese way to write Aikido.

Aikido is often referred to as the defensive martial art.

While Aikido was born in Japan, it has become a somewhat famous form of defensive tactics taught to soldiers and Marines, as well as some law enforcement officers in the West.

Looking at the characters, the first means “union” or “harmony.”
The second character means “universal energy” or “spirit.”
The third means “way” or “method.”

Please note that while the original 合氣道 characters can be pronounced in Chinese, this word is not well-known in China and is not considered part of the Chinese lexicon.

Note: It is somewhat accepted that this is the origin of Hapkido in Korea. And other than a modern simplification to the middle Kanji of this 3-Kanji word, it is written the same in Korean Hanja.

See Also:  Martial Arts | Hapkido

合気会 or “Aikikai” is the original school of Aikido.

Several organizations use this title. The first was established in Japan in 1940 (The Aikikai Foundation or 財団法人合気会).

The only difference between this title and Aikido is the last character, “kai” which means club, group, fraternity, organization, or assembly.

Note: 合気会 may be romanized with a dash like this: Aiki-Kai.

This is the Japanese martial arts Aiki O'Kami.

The Aiki (合気/合氣) means harmonious energy. While Okami or O'kami (大神) means great spirit.

You will usually see this title written as 合氣大神, though in modern Japanese (after 1945) the second character, 氣, was simplified to 気 in Japan (and 气 in China). I suggest you use 合氣大神, but please let me know when you order if you would prefer 合気大神 instead.

空氣 means air or atmosphere in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

This is an unusual title for an Asian calligraphy wall scroll, but many of our western customers have requested it.

While 空氣 is common in Chinese and Korean Hanja (and ancient Japanese Kanji); please note that in modern Japanese, the second character is written as 気, with slightly fewer strokes. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the character to the right. Both versions are understood by native Chinese, Japanese, and many (but not all) Korean people. You should choose the appropriate version based on the intended audience for your calligraphy artwork.

虛空 means void, hollow, empty, space, sky, atmosphere, heaven, or ether.

虛空 is the Chinese and Japanese version of the Sanskrit word ākāśa (or akasa / akash) which, beyond the sky or space meaning can be the immaterial universe behind all phenomena in the Buddhist context.

In Japanese, this is a female given name, Akemi (sometimes Meimi or Harumi).

In the Buddhist context, this title means enlightened heart.

鞦田犬 is the Japanese title of the breed of dog known as an Akita.

Technically, the title above means “Akita hound” or “Akita Dog.” The literal translation of these characters is “autumn field dog.”

Note: This title is Japanese only. In China, this breed of dog is referred to as "The Japanese breed" (literally: Japanese hound).

Chinese title:

悪魔 is a Japanese word that means Devil, Demon, or Satan.

悪魔 is also the English/Japanese title for a character in Street Fighter.

Note: In Japan, the Street Fighter is known as Gouki or Goki. This sort of means grand ghost, or great spirit. If you want this instead of the Akuma title, just click on the Goki Kanji to the right.

活著 is the word that means alive, as in the state of living or being alive (Chinese only).

萬事如意 is a Chinese and old Korean proverb that means to have all one's wishes.

When speaking to someone, it's a way to say best wishes, all the best, may all your hopes be fulfilled, or may everything go well.

On your wall as calligraphy, it's meant to inspire all your wishes, hopes, dreams, and life to go well or come true.

獨自一人 means “alone” in the context of a person by himself/herself.

See Also:  I Miss You

獨自 is a Japanese word that means “alone” in the context of a person by himself/herself.

This can be translated as individual, solo, on one's own, or by oneself.

See Also:  I Miss You

手不釋卷 is a Chinese proverb that literally means “always with a book in hand.”

It's a proverb said of a hardworking scholar or student.

This may refer to a student or scholar who is diligent and hardworking. It's a great gift for a student or scholar who loves books.

补漏趁天晴未渴先掘井 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Mend the roof while the weather is fine, [and when you are] not yet thirsty, dig the well beforehand.

In simple terms, this means: Always being prepared in advance.

See Also:  Have a Walking Stick at the Ready Before You Stumble

你一直在我心中 means “You are always in my heart” in Chinese.

你 = You
一直 = Always
在 = In/At
我 = Me/My
心中 = Heart/Mind

The idea or definition of heart and mind kind of overlap in ancient Chinese, so this can also mean “You are always in my mind.”

野望 means ambition or aspiration in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.

上進 is a Chinese and Japanese Kanji word that means to advance, to make progress, to do better, to be ambitious, to improve oneself, or to move forward.

This can refer to a single person, general things (such as a work project), or a whole country.

In Japanese, this is sometimes used as the given name Joushin.

アメフト is a short word that means “American football” in Japanese.

It is supposed to sound like an abbreviated version, “ame futo” which sounds like “ah-may foot-oh” (American Football).

There's not a great standard way to say “football” in Japanese, as the sport is not popular in Japan. Other Japanese terms for football can be confused with soccer or rugby.

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

See Also:  Soccer

美國人 means “American” or literally “American Person” in Chinese.

美國軍人 means “American Soldier” or literally “American Military Person.”

This can also be translated as “American military personnel,” or “American serviceman.” Gender is not specified in this title, so it's appropriate for male or female soldiers.

天使 is the meaning of Angel in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The first character means heaven. The second means messenger. Together it makes sense that we are talking about angels as Heaven's Messengers.

If you are an “Angel Junkie,” this may be the wall scroll for you.
I also think it's a great choice if your name happens to be Angel.

See Also:  Angel

動物 is the way to write “animals” in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The first character means “moving,” and the second means “things.” So animals are “moving things” in these Asian languages.

安住不動 means at peace and immovable.

The first two Kanji mean being content with one's present position or well-composed.
The last two Kanji mean immobile, firmness, fixed, and/or motionless.

In the Zen school, this is being well-composed and immovable - the ideal state of Zen meditation.

無名 is a Chinese, Japanese and Korean word that means nameless, obscure, unnamed, anonymous, unsigned, unknown, not famous, and sometimes unjustifiable.

The romanized title, Wu Ming, has been used for several different things such as a group of Italian writers, and even as the Chinese name of the infamous hackers.

反戰 means antiwar, as in what a pacifist believes in.

China does plenty of saber-rattling but thankfully doesn't go to war very often, and Japan has embraced a pacifist ideology. Therefore, it's rare to need this word. However, this is the kind of word that war protesters would write on their signs.

There is a modern Japanese version of the second character which has become the standard in Japan after WWII. If you want your calligraphy written in the modern Japanese form, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note: Most Japanese and all Chinese people will recognize the form shown in the upper left.

太陽神 means “Sun God” in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

It's used in Chinese to mean the Greek God Apollo. This can also be used in Chinese to refer to Nasa's Apollo missions to the moon.

子を持って知る親の恩 literally translates as: Only after you have a baby, you would appreciate your parents (feel the way they do, etc).

This is a bit like the “walk a mile in another man's shoes” saying. Basically, it's about you cannot fully understand the plight of others until you experience it yourself. It also shows appreciation for the plight of parents.

This Japanese proverb can also be translated a few more ways:

No man knows what he owes to his parents till he comes to have children of his own.

One knows not what one owes to one's parents till one comes to have children of one's own.

Only after you have a baby, you will appreciate your parents or feel the way they do.

Only after becoming a parent yourself do you realize how much you owe [how indebted you are] to your own parents.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

大天使 is the title Archangel in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The first character means big or great (in this case, it means “arch”).
The second means heaven (or sky).
The last means messenger.

The second and third characters together make the title for angel, which is literally “Heaven's Messenger.”

This title would be understood as “The Chief of all Angels,” or “The Great Angel.” Some might even say it's the boss of Angels.

See Also:  Angel

射手 means archer, shooter, or marksman in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Depending on the context, it can also mean “goal-getter” in Chinese. This would also be the word for a bowman.

射手 is modern in Asia, meaning that it's only been in use for a few hundred years. However, the more ancient version of the archer is often not even recognized by the current generation of Chinese and Japanese people.

The first character means “shoot” or “fire” (in the context of a gun or bow). It's also a suffix for radioactive things (in the context of chemistry) - radioactive things “fire off” electrons. In Japanese, the first Kanji is a short name and suffix for archery.

The second character means “hand,” but the hand can also mean a person, in the same way, that a “farmhand” is a person in English.

弓箭手 is how to write “archer” in modern Chinese.

弓箭手 literally means “bow arrow hand.”

There are other ways to write “archer” in Chinese, but this is probably the most common title for modern China. The other, less-common version of “archer” is also more universal because it has the same meaning in Japanese (this one is not used in Japan).

建築師 means Architect in Chinese.

The first two characters mean construction or architecture (of buildings).

The last character means teacher, master, or expert.

建築家 means architect in Japanese and old Korean Hanja.

烈 is a Chinese word that means ardent; intense; fierce; stern; upright; to give one's life for a noble cause.

In another context, this character can refer to one's exploits or achievements.

In the Buddhist context, this is burning, fierce, virtuous, and/or heroic.

While technically, it had the same meaning in Japanese, it's usually a female given name, Retsu in Japanese these days.

熱愛 means love passionately, ardent love, devotion, adoration.

The literal meaning is “hot love,” as the first character means heat, fervent, hot, and warm. Sometimes it can mean fever, restlessness, or zeal. The second character is, of course, love. If you adore and are devoted to someone with all your love, this is the title for you.

軍 means army, military, or arms.

軍 is also a character used in the compound word that means “army general.” It's the “gun” in the well-known Japanese title “Shogun” which means general.

See Also:  Shogun | Navy | Marine | Military

醫道 means the art of healing or medical skill.

This can also refer to a Korean TV show, Hur Jun about an ancient doctor. The Chinese-subtitled version of the show is also quite popular in China.

While this is a common title in Chinese and Korean, it's not used as often in Japanese where someone might read it as “medical course” or “the way of medicine.”

愛的藝術 means “art of love” or “art of loving” in Chinese.

This is also the Chinese title of the book “Art of Loving” by Erich Fromm.

兵法 means “Art of War.”

It is also part of the title of a famous book of tactics by Sun Tzu. 兵法 could also be translated as “military strategy and tactics,” “military skills” or “army procedures.” If you are a military tactician, this is the wall scroll for you.

See Also:  Military

藝術 is a Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean Hanja word that means art, as in fine art, the arts, or artwork.

朝日 is a version of the Japanese name Asahi.

This can also be Ahisa, Asuka, Ashita, or Asaka. This means morning sun and is the name of the famous beer company in Japan.

This would be read as “Zhao Ri” in Mandarin where it means morning sun but is also known to be the Asahi company (maker of beer and other beverages).

上昇 means to rise up, to go up, or to ascend in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

If you are rising, ascending, or climbing, this is the word for you.

In the older Buddhist context, this means to ascend, with the implication that the destination is the heavenly realm.

登长城 means to ascend or to climb the Great Wall of China.

登長城 is the poetic and native way to express this feat.

登 means “to ascend” and is a classical verb used in inscriptions, poems, and calligraphy.

长城 is the title of the Great Wall.

This three-character phrase is concise and implies achievement rather than casual travel.

鴻鵠之誌 is a Chinese proverb that implies that having grand ambitions also means that others will not understand your great expectations and ideas.

Though the actual words come from a longer saying of Confucius, which goes, “The little swallows living under the eaves wouldn't understand the lofty ambitions of a swan (who flies far and wide).”

This Confucius quote has led to this idiomatic expression in China that means “think big.” What you'd be saying is “The lofty ambitions of a swan.”

Note that Chinese people sometimes refer to the little swallow as one who does not “think big” but is, instead, stuck in a rut or just leading a mundane life. Therefore, it's a compliment to be called a swan but not a good thing to be called a swallow.

熱望 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja word that means, to aspire, longing for, or burning desire.

The first character means hot, heated, or burning.

The second character means hope, expectations, aspiration, or desire.

望 holds the ideas of ambition, hope, desire, aspiring to, expectations, looking towards, to gaze (into the distance), and in some contexts, full moon rising.

望 is one of those single characters that is vague but in that vagueness, it also means many things.

望 is a whole word in Chinese and old Korean but is seldom seen alone in Japanese. Still, it holds the meanings noted above in all three languages.

刺客 is the most sophisticated way to write “assassin” in Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

The unsophisticated way just means murderer.

運動家 means athlete, sportsman, or sporty person.

In certain contexts, it can mean activist, campaigner, or crusader.

避其鋭氣擊其惰歸 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Avoid [your enemy's] fighting spirit [and] attack [when] his [morale is] declining.

Figuratively, this means: Avoid the enemy when his morale is high and strike him when his morale is flagging.

八月 is the month of August in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

八月 literally means “eighth month” or “eighth moon.”

In Japanese, this can also be the female given name, Yatsuki, in much the same way August can be a female given name in English.

復仇者 is a Chinese title that means avenger or taker of revenge.

The first two characters literally mean avenge, vengeance, reprisal, or revenge.

The last character is a way to say, person. This last character is like adding -er or -ist to subjects like write and art to get writer and artist.

復讐者 is a Japanese Kanji title that means avenger or revenger.

The first two characters literally mean revenge or avenge.

The last character is a way to say a person (or soldier/warrior).

Altogether, you have something like, an “avenging person,” hence avenger.

不怕千招会只怕一招熟 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Do not worry about making a thousand clever moves; what [one has to] fear is one bad move.

Figuratively, this means: Even if you have made many clever moves before, one wrong move will ruin the whole game.

I compare this to the English saying, “It takes only one Aw-shit to wipe out a thousand Attaboys.”

恐れ多い is a Japanese word for something awe-inspiring or awesome (in some odd context, it can refer to August).

恐れ多い is probably not appropriate for a calligraphy wall scroll unless you have a specific reason.

The word awesome is misused a lot in English or used too casually. This Japanese word is the real form of awesome, and it kind of means numerous fears and anxiety that you would feel in response to encountering something truly awesome (such as God, a tornado, a tsunami, etc.).

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

四阿 is the Japanese surname Azuka, Adzuma, Azuma, or Aoka.

This also means arbor/arbour, bower, summer house, or square gazebo.

寶寶 is how Chinese people express “baby.”

The word is composed of the same character twice, and therefore literally means “double precious” or “double treasure.”

This would be a nice wall scroll to put either inside or by the door of your baby's room (not on the door, as wall scrolls swing around wildly when hung on doors that open and close a lot).

不良少女 is a Japanese word that means bad girl or female juvenile delinquent.

It's an unusual choice for calligraphy.

狢 is a Japanese word that means badger or “raccoon dog” (Nyctereutes procyonoides).

I have included the Chinese and Korean pronunciations above. However, this character is rarely used character in modern Chinese and Korean.

八卦掌 is the title Baguazhang, a form of Chinese boxing.

Literally translated, this means “Eight Trigrams Palm.”

You will also see this romanized as “Ba Gua Zhang,” “Bagua Zhang,” or “Pa Kua Chang” (same characters, just different spacing or romanization used in mainland China versus Taiwan).

八卦掌 is also known in Japan as hakkeshou or hakkesho.

白鷹派 is the title “Bai Ying Pai” or “White Eagle School.”

The first character means white.
The second means eagle, falcon, and/or hawk.
The third means school (as in the school or style of martial arts).

八極拳 is “Ba Ji Quan” or “Eight Extremes Fist.”

Some also translate this as “Eight Extremities Fist,” though I don't feel that's accurate.

八極拳 (Bājíquán) is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow strikes. It originated in the Hebei Province in Northern China but spread to Taiwan and other places.

The full title is 開門八極拳 (Kāimén Bājíquán), which means Open-Door Bajiquan.

Other romanizations include: BaJiQuan, Pa Chi Ch`üan, or Pa Chi Chuan.

In Japan, this is known as Hakkyokuken.

馬術 (Bajutsu) is a Japanese form of military equestrianism.

Bajutsu involves techniques of swordsmanship, tactical advance, archery, and even the care of horses.

This is also a Chinese title where it means equestrianism, horsemanship, or equestrian art (the art of riding a horse).

平 is a single character that means balance in Chinese but it's not too direct or too specific about what kind of balance.

Chinese people often like calligraphy art that is a little vague or mysterious. In this way, you can decide what it means to you, and you'll be right.

平 is also part of a word that means peace in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

Some alternate translations of this single character include: balanced, peaceful, calm, equal, even, level, smooth, or flat.

Note that in Japanese, this just means “level” or “flat” by itself (not the best choice for balance if your audience is Japanese).

均衡 means balance or equilibrium.

This title is best for a Japanese audience where the word suggests that your life is in balance in all matters (or is a reminder for you to try and keep all matters in balance).

竹 is the character that means bamboo in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

In Asian cultures, bamboo is often seen as a symbol of a noble gentleman (tall, straight, and honest).

There are also some multi-character bamboo words that regard individual bamboo plants, species of bamboo, bamboo as lumber, and edible bamboo shoots. However, this single character seems most appropriate for a wall scroll and covers the whole category of Asian bamboo.

萬歲 is the traditional Chinese, Korean Hanja, and ancient Japanese way of writing banzai.

In modern times, the first character was simplified in Japan and China. So you might want to select the other entry for universal readability.

While it has become a popular, if not an odd, thing to scream as you jump out of an airplane (preferably with a parachute attached), banzai is actually a very old Asian way to say “hooray.” The Japanese word “banzai” comes from the Chinese word “wan sui,” which means “The age of 10,000 years.” It is actually a wish that the Emperor or the Empire live that long.

Imagine long ago when the Emperor made a rare public appearance. 萬歲 is what all people would yell to their leader in respect.

So if you like it as a hooray, or you want to wish someone that they live for 10,000 years, this is the calligraphy for you.

Other translations include Cheers! (not the drinking kind), hurrah!, long live [name]!, and congratulations!

To other things with banzai in their names, I am still waiting for the promised sequel to Buckaroo Banzai.

Notes: Sometimes people confuse banzai with bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature tree. They have nothing to do with each other.

万歲 is the modern Japanese way to write banzai.

We've made two almost identical entries for this word, with just a variation on the first character. In the last century, 萬 was simplified to 万 in Japan and China. The new generation will expect it to be written as 万 but the old generation can still read the more traditional 萬 form. You must make your determination as to what version is best for you. If your audience is mostly Japanese, I suggest 万歲.

While it has become a popular, if not an odd, thing to scream as you jump out of an airplane (preferably with a parachute attached), banzai is actually a very old Asian way to say “hooray.” The Japanese word “banzai” comes from the Chinese word “wan sui” which means “The age of 10,000 years.” It is actually a wish that the Emperor or the Empire live that long.

Imagine long ago when the Emperor made a rare public appearance. This is what all of the people would yell to their leader in respect.

So if you like it as a hooray, or you want to wish someone that they live for 10,000 years, this is the calligraphy for you.

To other things with banzai in their names, I am still waiting for the promised sequel to Buckaroo Banzai.

Other translations: hurrah, long life, congratulations, cheers, live long.

Notes: Sometimes people confuse banzai with bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature tree. They have nothing to do with each other. Further, Bonzai is not a word at all - although it would make a great name for a calcium supplement for older people.

赤腳 means barefoot in Chinese.

蝠 is the simplest way to write bat in Chinese and old Korean Hanja.

This also means bat in Japanese but is almost never written alone like this (it's often part of other titles for vampire bats or fruit bats).

In Chinese culture, the bat is a good luck charm, as the pronunciation is very similar to the word for “good luck” or “good fortune.” The character for bat (蝠) even looks like the good luck (福) character.

做真实的自己 means “be true to yourself” in Chinese.

Note: This is more a western-style phrase or idea, so it’s not that common to see this in Chinese.

做自己 means “be yourself” in Chinese.

The first character means “to be,” “to become,” or “to act as.”

The last two characters are a word that means “oneself” or “yourself.”

賓 is the name Bean in Chinese (Mandarin).

賓 means honored guest.

獸 means beast, animal, brute, beastly, or bestial.

Note: A strange selection for a calligraphy wall scroll.

獸 is a very generic term for a beast, so it can be one hunted for food (such as a deer or boar). It can also mean a great animal or someone who acts like a beast.

Note: In Japanese, this can be the personal name Munetada.

In modern Japan, they use the version of this character shown to the right. If your audience in Japanese, click this special Kanji instead of the button above.

挨一拳得一招挨十拳變諸葛 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Receive one blow, [and one] learns a lesson; Receive ten blows, [and one] becomes a great Zhuge [Liang].

You must first understand that a man named Zhuge Liang was one of the great strategists and philosophers in Chinese history. He's known as a man of great wisdom.

Figuratively, this phrase means:
One can learn much from failure or “hard knocks.”

This is a common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Beau.

This Chinese character means “wave.”