FREE: Tying, tango and tantra
Discussing the cross-overs and transferable skills between tying, tango and tantra
As you might know, I have long suspected there could be connections between tying, tango and tantra. Recently, I was approached by Frank (aka 650Bandit on Fetlife) who, as a shibari fan, teacher of Argentinian tango and also a practitioner of tantra, brings these three things together and we set up a weekend to explore these ideas. As you will see, my hunch was pretty much spot on, even though my knowledge of tango and tantra is extremely superficial. I am sure you will find the discussion thought provoking.
Here, you can follow our discussion on tango and tantra, which concludes with some general questions from Frank about shibari. Shortly, we will be publishing the lesson which he gave to our students, Bliss and Otto, using his techniques from teaching tango to build upon the all important foundations of creating connection.
Your Instructor
Esinem is a shibari artist who has regularly appeared at UK and international events such as Pride, Torture Garden, Erotica, Rubber Ball, Wasteland, Boundcon, Nuit Demonia and recently represented the UK at Japan's first international kinbaku event, Toubaku. He is also known for his teaching both in the UK and internationally and was co-organiser of the London Festival of the Art of Japanese Bondage and BOUND, Europe's premier monthly shibari event.
Over the years, he has been improving his skills with the help some of their best known and respected Jpanese kinbakushi, Arisue Go, Osada Steve, Kinoko Hajime, Kazami Ranki and, grand master of newaza, Yukimura Haruki. Whilst drawing from classical methods, his style is distinctive and epitomizes the art of communicating with rope, often departing from the typical serenity of shibari shows and flying in the face of tradition to produce some striking and unusual performances.
In addition, he has worked on various videos, e.g. Primal Scream's 2013, artistic collaborations and photo shoots both on and off camera. He has been involved in projects providing inspiration for Tom Ford's 2013 collection and, Raqib Shaw, an acclaimed artist who has exhibited at the Tate, Metropolitan and White Cube galleries.
He contributed to Rope, Bondage & Power, edited by Lee Harrington and has been involved with a number of documentaries on kinbaku. He is also author of the first English language tutorial DVDs: 'Japanese Rope Bondage: Tying people, not parcels' .