Japanese style bondage might seem complex, but it is easily learned using my methods. Whilst there are some theoretical topics, the sessions are very much hands-on. The emphasis will be on learning by practicing on each other. I have developed a methodology for teaching to simplify and accelerate the learning process, whilst encouraging your own style and creativity.
Many people think it requires an extensive knowledge of knots. In fact, there a only a few basic knots. Once a few simple standard ties have been mastered, these can quickly be used to build up more erotic and exotic bondage, the only limit being your imagination. There is much more to bondage than simply a means of restraint. You will learn not only how to create a beautiful result, but also how to maximise the erotic potential. I am constantly amazed how quickly students produce very professional looking work.
However, bondage is like many things, if you don't know what you are doing people can get hurt. It is very important to know what you are doing and how to avoid accidents. This is a subject I take very seriously and cover in all teaching sessions.
Book early to avoid disappointment as many courses are fully booked. The February course was over-booked twice over!
I run all day Japanese-style bondage courses for beginners and more advanced students on Saturdays on a roughly monthly basis from 10:30am until 5:30pm in Camberwell, London SE5.
Saturday, 23 August: Introductory
Saturday, 27 September: Introductory
Saturday, 25 October: Introductory
Saturday, 29 November: Intermediate
The introductory course is suitable for beginners and those with some experience.
The introductory courses have gone extremely well and everybody made excellent progress as you can see from the pictures in the Gallery. You can see Demolitionred’s review on LondonFetishScene and read some of the wonderful comments by recent students on the LFS forum. The introductory syllabus is shown below (subject to change).
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Suitable for those who have attended the introductory course or have some experience in Japanese bondage. The course is designed to build on those skills and to use them to create more complex work. There will also be an introduction to partial suspension techniques. See below for syllabus (subject to change).
Cost: per person £55 or £95 for two people booked together. A £25 non-returnable deposit will be required at time of booking. Use the Buy Now button below to pay your deposit by PayPal immediately or see Booking Information to request further information and payment methods. You may now book multiple people by adding the quantity within PayPal. However, uneven numbers require you to book a single person, plus as many multiples of two as required. |
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I am now running evening classes every Tuesday from 8pm-10pm at the same venue as an alternative to the intensive the one-day courses. Each one-day course will be broken down into 4 sessions. This will allow you time for consolidation and some enjoyable homework before moving on to the next step. After the first month, I will be repeating the classes in case you miss one and introducing the more advanced grades. The cost per class is £20 and to kick things off, I will be offering four for the price of three, i.e. £60, when booked together, saving you 25%. From time to time, I will be including specialist classes by request, e.g. speed bondage, performance technique, single sex/orientation etc.
Tuesday, 25 August: Introductory lesson 1
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| Booking and information: By email, please go to the Contact page. By telephone, Bruce 0n 07971-266089 Information: Refreshments and, for all day courses, a light lunch will be provided. You should wear light and unrestrictive clothing (as little as you are comfortable with. Skirts are not ideal). Feel free to bring you own ropes, although they can be provided (I suggest several 6mm-8mm thickness, natural fibre, 7-8m ropes. Call if you need advice). Jute rope is available for purchase at tutorial sessions.
Do I need a partner? The course is open to individuals and couples. If you do not have a partner, you will either be paired up with another student or, if numbers are unequal, I will bring in a friend to make them up. I'm nervous, what's it like? Anyone coming alone should not be nervous. It is a very friendly, relaxed, light-hearted and non-threatening environment. Whilst I take teaching seriously, we always have a laugh. There is nothing intrusive or any sexual activty. The mix of ages, genders, sexualities and roles (dom/sub/switch) is usually very varied. All sexualities and genders are welcome. I recently ran a course for gay men, which sold out, and did well-received introductions/demos at Club Fukk and SM Gays. Depending upon interest, I might be offering more gay only events in the near future. I would welcome enquiries from special interest groups who would like me to set up a tailor made course for their members. How many people attend? I restrict my classes to 12 people, so everyone gets plenty of individual attention, whereas other courses/workshops can have over two dozen attendees or even more. What should I wear? You should wear light and unrestrictive clothing, as little as you are comfortable with. Avoid skirts as they get in the way. What is the venue like? Stunning! Everybody always comments on how nice it is. A large, beautiful, high-ceilinged room with rug-strewn wooden floors, antiques, paintings and a gorgeous marble and tile fireplace. You'll feel very comfortable and at home. What's your policy on smoking? I run my course from my own home, so it will remain one of the last indoor refuges for the smoker. I apologise to anti-smokers but they can console themselves with the fact that they can enjoy their preference in any indoor public venue, unlike smokers. Non-smokers are welcome to stand outside until others inside have stopped smoking :-) Getting there & parking Buses run to Camberwell New Road and Camberwell Green. See TFL web site for route to SE5 9LQ. The nearest tube is Oval and is about a 15 minute walk. On evenings and weekends, there is unrestricted free parking right outside the door. At other times, there is a Pay and Display nearby. Do I need rope? Feel free to bring you own ropes, although they can be provided. I suggest 6mm-8mm thickness, natural fibre or Hempex. Ideally, several 7.5-10 metres depending upon preference. See Rope for more information. Call if you need advice. I also usually have rope to sell at very competitive prices. What experience level is required? None. The introductory class assumes no experience. That is not to say that more experienced players will not benefit as I can guarantee they will learn new ways to improve their skills. In addition to learning beautiful and effective restraint methods, I will also demonstrate how to transform it into a mind-blowing, erotic experience. The intermediate classes are designed for those who know the basics of Japanese style bondage. Do you do an advanced or suspension course? Yes, the new advanced course includes suspension. However, suspension is not for beginners as it multiplies the forces exerted and needs a good understanding of the inherent risks. This course is only open to those who have completed the introductory and intermediate courses or can convince me that they have sufficient skills. What style do you teach? I teach Japanese style bondage. I do not profess to teach traditional Shibari. Shibari and Kinbaku are terms of which the Japanese are very protective and held in some reverence. There are only a handful of nawashi or kinbakushi respectively (honorific titles used by others to describe the masters, but never applied by themselves), based in Japan, who could truly be said to be qualified to teach these arts. In the West, we seem desperate to apply these terms to any poor imitation, which often ignores the fundamental principals. To borrow a culinary term, my style is a 'fusion' between Western and traditional techniques, although recently tending more towards the latter. If you like what you see of my work on the site, it's for you. If you want 100% genuine Shibari, do your research and be prepared to travel as you will need to find yourself a genuine Japanese trained sensei. I have recently taken the trouble to do so and taken lessons from Arisue Go and more recently Osada Steve. In addition, I have spent many hours watching them at work and discussing the subject. All of which has been invaluable in giving me an insight into their art.
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Private tuition is available at £45 per hour, per couple. Instruction can be tailored to your needs. Private tuition is possible for individuals, however, a model would need to be provided at additional cost.
"...he is a serious player, creative, skilled and caring- besides how to tie the knots his main concern is SAFETY and that's the first thing we talked about when we first met. A good teacher. Another thing about him is he can easily convert traditional shibari into his own stuff and it works." Tim: "Thank you very much for the excellent workshop on Saturday, I had a really great time, and it was such a treat to see an authentic Japanese exhibition too!" Mistress Wand : "Had a great time thanks - I never thought I'd enjoy "making" knots so much as I do..." "Just a quick mail to thank you for your time, hospitality and experience. The time went awfully quickly which is usually an indication of time well spent..." BBDSPLS: "If you sign up & indeed pay good money, to learn a skill, then you have a certain expectation: You will expect to be taught, you will expect to feel as if it was money well spent, you will certainly want to come away from the day feeling confident about your new-found expertise. If however, you expect to attend a rope-workshop that involves a pontificating Dom in a leather waistcoat strutting about lecturing you on the Do's & Don'ts of shibari, then you're going to be sorely disappointed. Esinem's style is, shall we say, relaxed. He sits crouched barefoot in his swivel chair, rolling a cigarette, looking as if he's just crawled in, direct from his latest performance with The Unholy Trinity. And indeed, maybe he had. For a long while you may think you've wasted your money, it may even cross your mind that you've turned up at the wrong place & in fact, this is a group collected together for the purposes of silent contemplation of the decor, but you'd be wrong. This is a man who teaches intuitively. Not for him the rote & pedantry of a set timetable (although he did try to achieve some sort of structure, or at least give a good impression of it!) & yet, somehow, it all pulled together into a wonderful learning experience. Esinem doesn't lecture, he informs. He listens too, to other people's experiences & offers his own insights & ideas. He doesn't set himself up as some kind of BDSM guru, denigrating his pupil's clumsy attempts with the rope; he helps, he encourages, he works alongside you so closely, that you don't realise you are being taught at all, more a feeling of being helped by a trusted friend. Giving ideas, demonstrating on himself at times, then moving amongst the small group, laughing & advising, all the time you get the sense that he his thoroughly enjoying what he's doing. Which is the marker of a great teacher: to find one who genuinely wants to spread the knowledge is a blessing & this man is one of them. He pays respect to those who have gone before him, acknowledges the expertise of those who have taught him, yet remains of the belief that rope bondage really is about what works for the individual & that he is a conduit to that learning process. It's a relaxed day, a fun day. Broken up by lunches, mugs of tea & giggles, with breaks for the imparting of important safety information, the time really does whizz by, leaving one wondering when another visit can be arranged. As Bbd worked & I floated, esinem moved amongst the group, helping with ties & throwing into the mix a few deviant ideas of his own - sisal karada indeed, who ever heard of such a thing? ;-) The group was mixed: a few couples, a few singles, with all sorts of different experiences of rope. The range of topics talked about was amazing & the whole atmosphere remained cordial, relaxed & chatty. But no matter what the level of previous experience, esinem had something for all & I believe everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Next stop Esinem's suspension workshop - I want to dangle in that huge lounge & see what his Japanese artwork looks like upside-down. I also want to get my own back for the feather duster episode - don't you know I don't do public play, you bugger!!! At £95 for a couple for the day, I must admit I wondered whether it was going to be worth it. I can only tell you that for what we gained not only in new knowledge, but in confidence & just the simple benefit of taking that time out to invest in our relationship, it was well worth every penny."
To discuss tuition, go to the Contact page. |
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