Japanese style bondage (aka shibari or kinbaku) might seem complex, but it is easily learned using my methods. Whilst there are some theoretical topics, the bondage classes are very much hands-on. The emphasis of the tuition will be on learning by practicing on each other. I have developed a methodology for teaching bondage to simplify and accelerate the learning process, whilst encouraging your own style and creativity.
Many people think learning shibari requires an extensive knowledge of knots. In fact, there a only a few basic knots used in Japanese bondage. Once a few simple standard ties have been mastered, these can quickly be used to build up more compex ties, the only limit being your imagination. I am constantly amazed how quickly students produce very professional looking work. You will learn not only how to create a beautiful result, but also how to maximise the erotic potential. There is much more to kinbaku than simply a means of restraint, it has the power to create a very intense form of communication. It is as much about what you do as how you do it. This is not something that cannot easily be learned through books or the internet. In my classes, I explain the nuances, distilled from well over a thousand of sessions, that turn it into a passionate 'dance with rope'.
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 how to tie safely and how to avoid accidents. This is a subject I take very seriously and cover in all lessons.
Book early to avoid disappointment as many courses are fully booked several weeks in advance.
See 'Getting there & parking' in the FAQs below for venue location. Courses are open to all over the age of 18...but if you are under 18, you shouldn't be on this site anyway!
So you may ask, why should you pay me to teach you? Why not learn it from a book? A book will teach you knots and the mechanics of the ties. Whilst this is important, for me, it is only a small part of what bondage is about. What is important is how it makes your partner feel as you apply those ropes. I think this can only be taught in a hands-on situation. Books teach wrapping parcels, I teach tying people.
Why me? After all, there are bondage teachers popping up everywhere, each claiming to be a master. So how do you chose?
First off, look for evidence of skill in the style you are looking to learn. If somebody is good enough to teach, their work should be good enough to post on-line for all to see; not just a couple of pictures, look for a solid body of evidence. Ideally, you should also see them work live or on video, as almost anyone with basic skills, given sufficient time, can make a tie look good in a studio picture or two. Take a look at my main site for 1,000's pictures of my work, plus a few videos and details of forthcoming shows. Over the years, I have performed at dozens of venues worldwide, including some of largest fetish events, e.g. Torture Garden, Wasteland, Nuit Demonia, Rubber Ball. All the shows, classes and private sessions must add up to well over 1,000 sessions!
Ask around, as we can all create an impressive web site, and find out what others say. Preferably those qualified to judge, in other words, experts and students. Could the person teach? Did they learn anything useful? See if there are any reviews of the classes or courses. Time Out (click name for link) list my classes as 'Recommended' and there are great write ups in Metro and Skin Two. I have taught many hundreds of students over the past four years at home and abroad, a few of their comments are reproduced below.
What pedigree does the teacher's knowledge have? Did they learn it from the internet? From books? Made it up as they went along? As for me, I have been studying Japanese bondage (aka shibari or kinbaku) for nearly a decade and my love of bondage stems back to my childhood. My first tuition was from Midori and since then my influences have included Matthias Grimme aka Drachenmann, Kazayu, Nawashi Murakawa and, of course, many of the Japanese grand masters. Over the past 3 years, I have been to Japan to take tuition from two of their top artists, Arisue Go and Osada Steve. I completed my third trip this spring to continue my studies. I was delighted to receive an email from Steve on my return telling me I was "not teachable any more" as I now "know how to tie". Regardless, I think there is still so much to learn and I'll be back out there next year for more tuition, if not before. Recently, I have had the pleasure of spending time with Kinoko Hajime, as well as seeing his all his London shows and attending his master classes.
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 5:00pm in Camberwell, London SE5.
Cost: £55 per person (whether student or model), payable at the time of booking. Use the Buy Now button below to pay 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.
Saturday, 19 June: Introductory shibari class
Saturday, 24 July: Introductory shibari class
Saturday, 21 August: Introductory shibari class
Saturday, 18 September: Introductory shibari class
Saturday, 16 October: Introductory shibari class
Saturday, 13 November: Introductory shibari class
The introductory course is suitable for beginners and those with some experience. Next course 27 February.
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 shibari 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).
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Private tuition is available at £45 per hour, per couple or individual. Instruction can be tailored to your needs. Private tuition is possible for individuals, however, a model would need to be provided at additional cost, typically £25-£30ph, if you cannot provide your own. Booking
and information: By email, please go to the Contact
page. By telephone, Bruce 0n 07971-266089.
What style do you teach? I teach Japanese style bondage. I do not profess to teach traditional Shibari, although I try to stick close to traditional style and aesthetics. 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 rarely 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 much more towards the latter. If you like what you see of my work on the site, it's for you. If not, I hope you find something you like elsewhere. If you want 100% genuine Shibari lessons, do your research and be prepared to travel as you will need to find yourself a genuine Japanese trained sensei. There are only a very few in the West who even come close to the 'real deal' and those have almost exclusively trained extensively in Japan. I have recently taken the trouble to do so as part of this journey. 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. Do I need a partner? The courses are open to individuals and couples over the age of 18. If you do not have a partner, you will either be paired up with another student or, if numbers are unequal, I will try to bring in a friend to make them up. Don't worry, it doesn't get more physically intimate than a dance class. If you bring a partner, both of you will be required to pay the course fee. 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. Any harassment or inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. 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 :-) However, I smoke e-cigs mainly these days so nobody can complain about that.
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. Full address details will be sent upon receipt of your booking. 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 shibari. 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. Ideally, if you wish to do suspension, you should take private tuition to ensure your full understanding and proficiency.
"Esinem is one of the very few non-Japanese who could come to Japan and dazzle the locals with his rope." "...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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