with Kirigami & Tenshiko

Note: This workshop is 3 full days, Friday - Sunday, 11am-6pm

"To cross a boundary is not to violate it" - Dr. Hannibal Lecter

The number of Japanese bondage practitioners in the West has increased surprisingly in the past few years. While didactics have reached an incredible efficiency, conveying the basic concepts with extreme accuracy, at the same time, a growing part of the community struggles to gain a broader vision of the discipline.

Some people are trapped in a limiting viewpoint, resulting in a narrow definition of bondage. Bondage literally means "constriction". A huge effort has been made in Europe to define what this means for us as a community.

This time, our focus will be reflecting on what this means for each of us individually; how this perception of ours of the discipline can be different, given a different context and even a different time in a similar context.

We will reflect on the concept of kata, trying to grasp the difference between "saigen" (reproduction) and "hanpuku" (repetition). We will meditate on the possibility that the repetition of a kata might actually be harmful for learning, until the nature of the concept of kata is understood.

We will propose ways to break a kata, without altering the nature of the form: changing the shape while keeping the spirit.

Most important, we will guide students in finding ways to break a kata in a way that is meaningful to them.

Topics

• Repetition of a Kata: the meaning of a traditional form of learning

• Bondage as a form of constriction: tying a person Vs decorating a body

• Bondage in context: understanding the situational surroundings of a session

• Surpassing the kata: break a rule in a meaningful way

Important:

In order to attend this workshop, you must have completed “Semenawa level 2” or an equivalent workshop.

To help assess your skill level, Rope Tales and/or Daruma will evaluate each applicant individually before confirming registration. You may be asked to provide photos or videos of your rope work. It remains the participant’s responsibility to make sure they meet the stated pre-requisites.

• About the Teachers

  Kirigami and Tenshiko are a couple both in ropes and in life.

  They have been teaching and performing in different European cities since 2012. In 2016 they opened School of Rope Milano, where they teach traditional bondage three times a week to local students and foreign visitors.

  In 2023 they started a collaboration with Sugiura Norio Sensei, involving the organization of an international workshop, as well as the production and distribution of photographic contents, both online and on printed editions. In the same year they were invited to teach in Latin America and Australia.

  Their rope is inspired by the most traditional Japanese style bondage, with an eclectic approach encompassing both private sessioning and photography.

• Prerequisites

  Tops:
  - Solid TK/gote any style 
  - Smooth and safe suspension lines management
  - Confidence in suspension sessions

  Bottoms:
  - Feeling comfortable in a TK/gote
  - Understanding the difference between comfortable and sustainable, and being willing to explore both
  - Nerve and circulation risk awareness and ability to self control

  All Participants:
  - Successful completion of Semenawa Level 2 or equivalent workshop
  - Being comfortable with consensual non-consent dynamics being discussed. These dynamics will be discussed but will not be allowed in the workshop's exercises themselves.