Some days ago I’ve assisted to Tokyo Sensei Nawashi Kanna’s workshop in Barcelona organized by Alfil. He happens to be one of those persons you often hear about, but is hardly ever seen.  He has been Senei of some of the great Senseis that are nowadays giving classes around the world and also has a big influence of Akechi Denki in his style.  You can mention Osada Steve and Hajime Kinoko, among others. His great talent resides in his perfect knowledge and mastering of rope tension.  Besides that I feel that his ties are really beautiful and a bit baroque at the same time.

It happened to be a very emotional trip for me.  For those who are not familiarized with my Shibari beginnings, you can read some of it here so you can help yourselves to get a deeper background of what you’ll read bellow.

Kurt passed away the very morning when Osada Steve’s last workshop in Barcelona took place.  That week ended to be deeply touching for all of us who were there sharing the workshop. We’ve decided together to keep the program with out any changes, as we considered Kurt may have wanted it that way.  I did the translations of the classes, as it was Kurt’s role and someone else had to do it.  Overcoming our sadness we honoured Rosas5 giving our best in every class, in every tie, in every practice…  It was hard to stand the cold fact that Kurt will never again open that heavy wooden door. Neither he would grumpily sit on his chair at the end of the bar where his computer still remained, or show up in the dungeon to point out something to anyone. “Ever again”… tough concept for us to grasp and digest at that time. That space was filled with his things and every place, every corner, every little detail recalled us of his sad passing away.  Those were my last days in the Rosas5.  For me, that place would never be the same without Kurt.

By the end of Kanna Sensei’s workshop I realized that I had been sharing the last days with almost the same group of people with whom I shared that last week after Kurt’s death. I was then invited to perform in a gathering called “The Shibari Experience” that is usually held in the Rosas5.  This time they wanted to do an “International Special” session because there were many foreigner riggers who had been present in the workshop. Finally Pedro_Cordinhas from Portugal, Asiana from Netherlands, MiuMiu from the UK and me from Argentina attended it.

I’ve never had enough nerve to face that place again.  Entering through that heavy wooden door and seeing again the bar with the photo of both him and Osada Steve at the end, feeling that space again while I took a deep breath , was such a overwhelming feeling in myself.  I have to thank those who supported me at that moment giving me the strength I needed.  I felt I had to give my best effort despite my intense feelings that night was driving me into.  I had specially prepared a little wooden suitcase in which I’ve carefully placed a sets of delicate red ropes I brought from Osada Steve, wrapped in a dark blue furoshiki from the special store he recommended me.

At time, the renowned photographer TENTESION introduced me to a beautiful model called Mara Blackflower, who would be my performance partner that night. I’ve felt the challenge to create the mood for a special moment worthy to be captured by his skilled eye through his famous lenses.  It would be my first performance out of Tokyo, and beside those many emotions I was adding the excitement of  TENTESION’s  artistic point of view.

It was the mixture of all these emotions together, the way she entrusted me and the inspiration that Mara Blackflower generously brought me what ignited my energy flow as I’ve started tying.  It came to me the idea of sticking to the beauty of simpleness and let muganawa (deep communication and contact with Mara) prevail.  I’ve tried to let those years of learning show through the flow of my ropes, and to let all the energy of my path draw over her skin.  It was a very simple nijubishi high yoko-zuri (without transitions) learnt from whom I feel is one of the most outstanding disciples of  both Yukimura ryu and Osada ryu: Yukinaga Max Sensei owner of Copenhagen Shibari Dojo. Then, after I brought her on the floor and while untying her, I used some of  Yukimura Haruki Sensei´s techniques on kinbaku play mixed with some hair-pulling technique I’ve learned at that same place from Osada Steve himself. As I’ve ended my performance and received a beautiful smile from that sensible model I felt deeply blessed and beholden.

Suddenly the flashback of my promise about my Tokyo shibari trip that Kurt made Steve Sensei and myself do before he passed away, hit my mind. I felt deep in my heart that at that precise moment, the cycle was complete. It was like a milestone. I can now tell that I’ve been back to Kurt’s place, where I felt his soul is still strongly present, where my memories of my first steps in Shibari are still fresh…. I’ve been there again and I felt I had the chance of showing him how much I understand his rope way, how much I still honour that promise and I can still feel a deep gratitude for all I had the privilege to experience along this astonishing rope journey in which he drove me as he presented me to his dear Sensei some years ago.

Haru Tsubaki