How it all started
When I look back, I think my interest in bondage stems back to greatly enjoying prisoner and tying up games played as a child. It only really re-emerged many years later with improvised bondage in the bedroom using ties, belts and so on. It’s hard to imagine now but for a long time I was quite shy about it and was worried that girlfriends would think I was too weird. I wish I had realised that most people have at least tried it and how many love it.
I recall my first rope purchase. I went into a marine shop and asked for about 5 metres of black woven synthetic rope. I was somewhat embarrassed when the assistant asked if I wanted it cut into four equal lengths! It must have been the glint of anticipation in my eye that made it obvious that I was not the nautical type. It’s a pity that he didn’t have the knowledge to advise me that I was buying too little. Anyway, I soon added the ubiquitous cheap set of handcuffs and made up some leather leg and hand restraints. This was the start of a fascinating journey.
Around 10 years ago, I summoned up the courage to venture into the BDSM/fetish club culture and went to the Rubber Ball. Like most fetish club virgins, I was apprehensive and excited. To my relief, it wasn’t filled with the bogeymen the unenlightened portray but wonderful, open people who shared my taste for bondage and many more delights that I was yet to discover. I soon became a regular at Submission and other clubs. Since then I haven’t looked back. I have found some of my best friends on the scene and have always been impressed by the great levels of trust and respect I have found. These values are essential for BDSM play, where you can be literally entrusting your life to another, which is perhaps why they are more prevalent on the scene than outside in the vanilla world.
Around 10 years ago an article on shibari, or nawa shibari, as I believe they called it, (Japanese Bondage) caught my imagination. It not only took the idea of bondage to a more meditative and deeper psychological level, it was also stunningly creative and beautiful. I then began to devour every scrap of information I could find. There is a lot of inspiration and information on the net. I attended a workshop by Midori and studied her book ‘The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage’.
Watching and learning from others is always the best. Kazayu , a Japanese rope artist of 10 years experience, who is doing beautiful work around the London clubs, was my initial inspiration. Other influences include Drachenmann, EVie, Jon Blake, Osada Steve, Elly the Nomad, Zamil and many other talented artistes I have had the honour of watching. More recently , I have spent time in Japan and had the opportunity to study with Kinoko Hajime, Arisue Go and Osada Steve.
My first public rope work was when I offered to help my friend Adam, and sometimes co-performer, subdue his girlfriend who was pretending to resist a riding cropping at Torture Garden. I received a number of compliments and was asked if I would do some more. Lady K, the TG Dungeon Mistress, invited me to the next TG for a repeat performance. The answer to both questions was as obvious as those about the Pope’s religion and bears’ toilet habits.
Since then, rarely a week goes by without doing something in whatever club/event is on or in private scenes. To date these have included Torture Garden , Rubber Ball, SM Gays, Wicked , Nuit Demonia (Paris), Wasteland (Amsterdam), The Clinic (Amsterdam), Club Rub , Subversion, Vice, Notting Hill Arts Club, Boundcon (Munich), Scarlet, Abode (Melbourne), Dark Sabbat (Madrid), Respect (Hamburg), Kinkfest, Night of the Senses, and Sleazecore . With up to three or four sessions in an evening, which adds up to a lot of practice. There’s still so much to learn, however.
A visit to Hamburg to see Matthias Grimme of Bondage Project (aka Drachenmann) left me very inspired. Matthias has a beautiful, traditional style and uses little besides hemp. As a result of falling in love with his work, I came back with over 80 metres of 6mm hemp and plans to explore more. The results of my first public attempts can be seen in the Gallery in the Kumimonster series taken at Torture Garden’s Summer Party.
This was all some while ago. Since then, I have performed well over 1,000 sessions, performed all over the world, been teaching for around six years and have been to Japan for tuition by Kinoko Hajime, Arisue Go and Osada Steve. In addition, I have attended classes by Kazamim Ranki, Yukimura Haruki and Naka Akira. About 3 years ago, I went full-time and gave up the day job.