A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Happy Birthday Tom!

So here I am with another “Happy Birthday” modblog post for someone who has made a major impact on the piercing industry and the body modification as a whole, the person I consider to be the “smartest man in body piercing”, Tom Brazda.

If you are not familar with Tom Brazda, the BME Wiki entry on him is a good place to start.  I, myself, learned of him the first day I  logged onto the internet. On excruciatingly slow dial up via AOL, my first search was “body piercing”. That search of course lead me to BME and very shortly thereafter I found these interviews with Tom and I was just blown away. The techniques he was using and the knowledge he was sharing totally blew me away. It was at that moment I realized there was so much more to the science aspect of body piercing than I had ever learned through my apprenticeship nor through my own (pre-internet use) research. While those interviews seem dated today, they were WAY ahead of their time when they were first published.

Tom continues to share his knowledge in the various IAM body piercing forums and through personal contact with lots of members of this industry. So take a moment out of your day to wish this piercing pioneer a happy birthday, then jump on google or BME and search “Tom Brazda” to absorb all of the piercing knowledge he shared in the past.

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Comments

32 responses to “Happy Birthday Tom!”

  1. San Avatar

    Happy birthday Tom! Hope its a good one!

  2. San Avatar

    Happy birthday Tom! Hope its a good one!

  3. San Avatar

    Happy birthday Tom! Hope its a good one!

  4. San Avatar

    Happy birthday Tom! Hope its a good one!

  5. Johnny Urbanus Avatar
    Johnny Urbanus

    Con.grats bro 😉

  6. Johnny Urbanus Avatar
    Johnny Urbanus

    Con.grats bro 😉

  7. Johnny Urbanus Avatar
    Johnny Urbanus

    Con.grats bro 😉

  8. Johnny Urbanus Avatar
    Johnny Urbanus

    Con.grats bro 😉

  9. Mesh Avatar
    Mesh

    Happy birthday man! i’m gonna run a search on you on google now.

  10. Mesh Avatar
    Mesh

    Happy birthday man! i’m gonna run a search on you on google now.

  11. Mesh Avatar
    Mesh

    Happy birthday man! i’m gonna run a search on you on google now.

  12. Mesh Avatar
    Mesh

    Happy birthday man! i’m gonna run a search on you on google now.

  13. pee D 3 Avatar
    pee D 3

    Happy Birthday Tom!

    but i have to correct you Sean, the smartest man in the industry is Brian Skellie!

  14. pee D 3 Avatar
    pee D 3

    Happy Birthday Tom!

    but i have to correct you Sean, the smartest man in the industry is Brian Skellie!

  15. pee D 3 Avatar
    pee D 3

    Happy Birthday Tom!

    but i have to correct you Sean, the smartest man in the industry is Brian Skellie!

  16. pee D 3 Avatar
    pee D 3

    Happy Birthday Tom!

    but i have to correct you Sean, the smartest man in the industry is Brian Skellie!

  17. Sean Philips Avatar

    Skellie is a genius, there is no doubt. But I feel Tom’s knowledge base covers more ground. Obviously, we could argue this for month and never come to a conclusion, but there is no denying both of these men (and a few others as well) are a virtual encylopedia of knowledge for this industry and should be respected by anyone interested in this stuff.

  18. Sean Philips Avatar

    Skellie is a genius, there is no doubt. But I feel Tom’s knowledge base covers more ground. Obviously, we could argue this for month and never come to a conclusion, but there is no denying both of these men (and a few others as well) are a virtual encylopedia of knowledge for this industry and should be respected by anyone interested in this stuff.

  19. Sean Philips Avatar

    Skellie is a genius, there is no doubt. But I feel Tom’s knowledge base covers more ground. Obviously, we could argue this for month and never come to a conclusion, but there is no denying both of these men (and a few others as well) are a virtual encylopedia of knowledge for this industry and should be respected by anyone interested in this stuff.

  20. Sean Philips Avatar

    Skellie is a genius, there is no doubt. But I feel Tom’s knowledge base covers more ground. Obviously, we could argue this for month and never come to a conclusion, but there is no denying both of these men (and a few others as well) are a virtual encylopedia of knowledge for this industry and should be respected by anyone interested in this stuff.

  21. -LEO- Avatar
    -LEO-

    Hey, You forgot about the most important birthday for this site, not to mention he’s also promoted not only the practice but also lifestyle of Body Modification, that’s right! BME’s own SHANNON LARRATT
    Join me in celebrating his 37th birthday (it was some days ago but I felt it was worth bringing it up).
    Keep it coming BME, but don’t forget your roots. Law may be manipulable but memory is not so much! =D

  22. -LEO- Avatar
    -LEO-

    Hey, You forgot about the most important birthday for this site, not to mention he’s also promoted not only the practice but also lifestyle of Body Modification, that’s right! BME’s own SHANNON LARRATT
    Join me in celebrating his 37th birthday (it was some days ago but I felt it was worth bringing it up).
    Keep it coming BME, but don’t forget your roots. Law may be manipulable but memory is not so much! =D

  23. -LEO- Avatar
    -LEO-

    Hey, You forgot about the most important birthday for this site, not to mention he’s also promoted not only the practice but also lifestyle of Body Modification, that’s right! BME’s own SHANNON LARRATT
    Join me in celebrating his 37th birthday (it was some days ago but I felt it was worth bringing it up).
    Keep it coming BME, but don’t forget your roots. Law may be manipulable but memory is not so much! =D

  24. -LEO- Avatar
    -LEO-

    Hey, You forgot about the most important birthday for this site, not to mention he’s also promoted not only the practice but also lifestyle of Body Modification, that’s right! BME’s own SHANNON LARRATT
    Join me in celebrating his 37th birthday (it was some days ago but I felt it was worth bringing it up).
    Keep it coming BME, but don’t forget your roots. Law may be manipulable but memory is not so much! =D

  25. pee D 3 Avatar
    pee D 3

    Respect

  26. pee D 3 Avatar
    pee D 3

    Respect

  27. pee D 3 Avatar
    pee D 3

    Respect

  28. pee D 3 Avatar
    pee D 3

    Respect

  29. dunecat Avatar
    dunecat

    awww Tom :3

    I remember when I first started getting into body mod (I was 14), I would watch my friends get pierced by Tom. During the wait, and after the procedure, Tom and I would talk and talk about the industry, the culture, the history.. just anything really. He’s incredibly sweet, knowledgeable and intelligent. Not matter the question, he would answer with sincerity.

    What stuck with me the most was that even though I was only 14, and not old enough to get pierced, he didn’t treat me like a 14 year old. He didn’t write me off as “just another kid”. He shared his knowledge with me, and I truly felt welcomed.

    We have probably experienced some sort of “age-ism” at one point or another. Sometimes people would be quick to write me off as “just another teen into mods because its cool”. But with Tom, I think he really sensed my genuine fascination, admiration, and dedication.

    10 years later, and I still have that same dedication and passion for self expression, and the drive and determination to learn more about the history and culture of body modification!

    Cheers Tom! Happy Birthday!!

  30. dunecat Avatar
    dunecat

    awww Tom :3

    I remember when I first started getting into body mod (I was 14), I would watch my friends get pierced by Tom. During the wait, and after the procedure, Tom and I would talk and talk about the industry, the culture, the history.. just anything really. He’s incredibly sweet, knowledgeable and intelligent. Not matter the question, he would answer with sincerity.

    What stuck with me the most was that even though I was only 14, and not old enough to get pierced, he didn’t treat me like a 14 year old. He didn’t write me off as “just another kid”. He shared his knowledge with me, and I truly felt welcomed.

    We have probably experienced some sort of “age-ism” at one point or another. Sometimes people would be quick to write me off as “just another teen into mods because its cool”. But with Tom, I think he really sensed my genuine fascination, admiration, and dedication.

    10 years later, and I still have that same dedication and passion for self expression, and the drive and determination to learn more about the history and culture of body modification!

    Cheers Tom! Happy Birthday!!

  31. dunecat Avatar
    dunecat

    awww Tom :3

    I remember when I first started getting into body mod (I was 14), I would watch my friends get pierced by Tom. During the wait, and after the procedure, Tom and I would talk and talk about the industry, the culture, the history.. just anything really. He’s incredibly sweet, knowledgeable and intelligent. Not matter the question, he would answer with sincerity.

    What stuck with me the most was that even though I was only 14, and not old enough to get pierced, he didn’t treat me like a 14 year old. He didn’t write me off as “just another kid”. He shared his knowledge with me, and I truly felt welcomed.

    We have probably experienced some sort of “age-ism” at one point or another. Sometimes people would be quick to write me off as “just another teen into mods because its cool”. But with Tom, I think he really sensed my genuine fascination, admiration, and dedication.

    10 years later, and I still have that same dedication and passion for self expression, and the drive and determination to learn more about the history and culture of body modification!

    Cheers Tom! Happy Birthday!!

  32. dunecat Avatar
    dunecat

    awww Tom :3

    I remember when I first started getting into body mod (I was 14), I would watch my friends get pierced by Tom. During the wait, and after the procedure, Tom and I would talk and talk about the industry, the culture, the history.. just anything really. He’s incredibly sweet, knowledgeable and intelligent. Not matter the question, he would answer with sincerity.

    What stuck with me the most was that even though I was only 14, and not old enough to get pierced, he didn’t treat me like a 14 year old. He didn’t write me off as “just another kid”. He shared his knowledge with me, and I truly felt welcomed.

    We have probably experienced some sort of “age-ism” at one point or another. Sometimes people would be quick to write me off as “just another teen into mods because its cool”. But with Tom, I think he really sensed my genuine fascination, admiration, and dedication.

    10 years later, and I still have that same dedication and passion for self expression, and the drive and determination to learn more about the history and culture of body modification!

    Cheers Tom! Happy Birthday!!

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