We are delighted to announce two one-day intensive classes with the legendary Osada Steve at a south London venue in mid August! Initially, we only announced a single workshop for Sunday, 19 August, to our ShibariClasses students but this sold out, bar a couple of tickets, within hours so I suggested an additional day.
I cannot stress what a rare chance this is as he hasn’t taught in the UK for nearly 15 years. The last class here sold out within hours but was sadly cancelled due to ill health. It is quite possible that this will be your last chance to take lessons from him in the UK, so you will kick yourself if you miss it.
One huge advantage Steve has over all the other teachers that come over from Japan is his fluent English and, obviously, German being his mother tongue. This means he can communicate clearly and succinctly without risking anything being lost in translation. Japanese can be a notoriously difficult language to translate so we are often forced to compromise between a translator with a strength in one language but a weakness in the other. His classes don’t have that handicap. After over two decades in Japan, Steve has a good grasp of Japanese and has been exposed to the teachings of several of their most respected masters. You can be sure you will benefit from this and his own immense skill and experience.
Nina being tied by Yukimura sensei
12 noon, Sunday, 19 August
Steve has been my main influence and is also the premier teacher of Yukimura technique. For those that don’t know, the late Yukimura Haruki was considered the absolute master of floor-work (newaza) known for his caressing style.
YUKIMURA HARUKI TRIBUTE 雪村春樹讃 from shinkousabre on Vimeo.
Osada Steve will be conducting two 6-hour intensives covering tengu (devil) and teppo (rifle) ties (semenawa) as well as caressing rope techniques in Yukimura-ryu style. Participants should be body-positive to fully appreciate the intimacy and emotional intensity of these unique techniques As you know, my emphasis has always be on shibari being all about how you do it, not just the ties and this is exactly what you will learn in this session. This is an amazing opportunity to supercharge your skills to the ultimate level for a fraction of the cost of 1-2-1 lessons without the added costs of travelling to Tokyo.
Get the last remaining tickets for 19 August: Click here
12 noon, Saturday, 18 August
Due to the excellent response and some unexpected advertising by members of my Fetlife forum, I persuaded him to offer an additional day on Saturday, 18 August.
I have just swapped messages with Steve about the curriculum for Saturday. He says he would prefer not to be tied down (Editor: Cut the ropey puns) to a set subject but rather treat is like a private class where students have some input. This means that the format would be tailored to the skill levels of those present and address their needs more specifically than an ‘off the shelf’ pre-packaged workshop.
Private tuition
For those unable to attend the master classes or who want more individual attention, 1-2-1 classes will be offered to couples at £265 for a 2 hour block. These will be held in Camberwell, London SE5, in my studio on dates by arrangement between 15th-23rd August. Please enquire via his Fetlife profile.
