Sak Yant video: how a Sak Yant is tattooed in the Netherlands

A Sak Yant from start to finish, filmed at the studio. Watch the video and read what you see: the design, the rod, the calm in the studio and the closing moment.

If you have never seen a Sak Yant being tattooed, it is hard to picture. No buzzing machine, but a long rod, a steady hand and a lot of calm. In this video you see in two and a half minutes how a Sak Yant comes to life with Silas van Gemert at the studio in Breda. Below you can read what you see, moment by moment.

Arriving at the studio

The video starts at the door. The studio is in the centre of Breda, right next to the Grote Kerk, a ten-minute walk from the station. Work is by appointment only, so every session gets time and calm. The walls are full of photos, drawings and memories from years of travelling and working. More about the studio.

The design on the skin

Before a single point is placed, the design goes onto the skin as a stencil. In the video it is a tiger on the back. That way you and Silas can see together whether the placement and size are right, and there is still room to adjust. A yant should suit the shape of your body and stay legible for years. More about the tiger and about which placement suits which yant.

Tattooed by hand: the long rod

Then the tattooing itself. You see the long steel rod being dipped into a copper bowl of ink and then tapped into the skin, point by point. This is the traditional handpoke method: no machine, but a rhythm set by the master's hand. It feels different from a machine, more like a rhythmic tapping.

Hygiene runs through all of it. Gloves and covered surfaces are used, and needles are new and discarded after every session.

Calm and focus

The wide shot in the studio shows what it is all about: calm. The client leans forward, Silas works with focus, line by line. How long the tattooing takes depends on the design, the size and the placement, and it can take longer than you expect. So plan plenty of time; you get an estimate in the conversation beforehand.

The closing moment

At the end of the video you see a bundle of herbs being lit and gold leaf being pressed onto the skin. In Thailand, gold leaf is a well-known gesture of reverence that you also see at temples and sacred statues. If you want to know what each part means, feel free to ask during your session.

The video ends with a hug. That is no coincidence: a Sak Yant starts with a connection between you and the master, and at the end that connection is still there.

What the video does not show

Not everything is on screen. What you do not see is the intake conversation beforehand, where you decide on the design, placement and size together. The ritual at the start of the session, with a blessing and the recitation of mantras, is not on screen either. You can read the full process, from your first message to the weeks after, in what happens in a Sak Yant session.

And then the aftercare. Avoid sun and swimming until the skin has healed, usually two to four weeks. The full aftercare guide.

The short version

Short on time? The short version of half a minute shows the same session at a glance, from the stencil on the back to the gold leaf.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the Sak Yant video

Want to browse the yants? Take a look at the Sak Yant designs or read which Sak Yant suits you.