Almost 4 years ago, when we were reunited together and about to start a new Osada Steve Sensei workshop in the Rosas5 in Barcelona, we received the terrible news that Kurt Walter Fisher had passed away that same morning.
Kurt was a passionate rope lover to such a degree that the mere thought of some shibari time would change his face from his grim sober usual appearance to a smiley one, as he was about to enjoy what he loved most. He always told us how difficult it was for him to properly guide his ropes as he wanted, but he was a tenacious and passionate rope student aiming to perfect his art skills. He traveled to Tokyo, Japan several times to receive his teacher’s tuition until his delicate illness impeded him to do so. It was then that his Sensei Osada Steve decided that if his faithful friend and student would not be able to come to him, he would be the one traveling to Barcelona and teach a workshop there.
It was a tough work that Kurt started from that moment. On contrary as you would expect in any Shibari workshop nowadays, he hard a hard time and much effort to complete the workshop places. I remember hearing him getting upset, not wanting to disappoint his Sensei because of people’s lack of interest. I did my best to help him and finally he achieved his objective.
It was that way how a renowned Shibari Master as Osada Steve is taught his first workshop in Spain for the first time in 2010, and several Spanish and other countries people (including me), were able to enjoy his tuition. It was one of the first seeds (beside the workshops Osada Steve was already teaching in Germany) that started the passion for ropes that rapidly grew in Europe and almost all occidental world. After this workshop, other Japanese Masters followed his idea. Today, after 5 years of that first invitation from Kurt to learn from Osada Steve this art seems to have spread and became mainstream in a worldwide range.
Paradoxically, 2010’s workshop was the only workshop Kurt was able to enjoy, as in 2011 he passed away the same morning when the workshop was supposed to start, leaving all us silent and bereaved for his lost. It was a tough decision we had to made that day, but keeping in mind what his will would have been, and taking into account his feverish passion for Shibari, we decided that the best way to honor him was to follow his beloved desire. So the workshop went on as planned and I acted as Osada Steve’s interpreter to Spanish on his behalf. I recall this moments to be very moving and intense. There we were, in his everyday’s area, and we felt him as he was present in every corner, in every place. We saw his empty personal chair in front of his PC, and the sorrowful emptiness behind the counter where he used to fix some drinks for us. All this is live and fresh in my memories now.
Some time before that day, Kurt made Osada Steve and me promise something that would leave a permanent mark in my rigger’s journey. I’ve promised Kurt I was going to travel to Osada Steve’s Honbu Dojo to receive tuition from him. On the other hand, Osada Steve Sensei promised to receive me there and teach me the same way he would do with him. That promise we both accomplished, and finally last year on 2014 I returned to the Rosas5 and honored his memory in what I felt as Closing Circles.
Such events are so important to me that I’ve decided that this Saturday October 3rd 2015 I’m going to reunite with my students in KinbakuMania Dojo to honor his memory. Once again KinbakuMania Dojo’s space will embrace a moment of gratitude and celebration to whom loved the ropes and managed to drive his love so deeply that is now felt worldwide. No better thing to celebrate that doing what he loved most and what he would have loved to enjoy. As I always say, giving can be infinite in traditional Japanese arts, in such a way that every time we let go something, something beautiful and new comes to fill us again. Kurt was an enlightened soul that gave all he could until the same day he passed away from this world. Thinking in such a lesson we in KinbakuMania Dojo aim to enjoy the celebration of ropes.
You are all invited !!
RSVP at contact us or via our usual email.
