Shibari Kinbaku (part IV): The Learning Path
This post is devoted to the loving memory of my loved friend Kurt Walter Fisher (1953-2011). He was someone who had always shared a deep and generous friendship and wisely guided me in the Shibari/Kinbaku world until presenting me to who is now my Sensei: Mr Osada Steve.
Copyright 2011 by Tsubaki. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher
“You may find many people able to teach you knots and patterns… but only a few would be able to teach you the right things to be wise and aware of your own limitations”
We already mentioned in the first post of this series Shibari Kinbaku as a Ritual: Protocol for viewers and models (Part I) the ancient traditions that led to what we know today as Shibari/Kinbaku. These old habits and traditions belong to the millenarian Japanese culture itself and carry their philosophy, their honor codes, and the venerable Bushido code within itself for anyone who practices any ancient Japanese art. Among these heir legacy there are many topics related to the relationship between Masters (Senseis) and disciples or students (deshi). This ancient tradition is the same that we can perceive nowadays defining the essence and harmonizing the energy flow in many martial arts.
This time, and due the importance that the harmony of the whole (wa) represents for Kinbaku, we’ll go in depth on the learning path of Shibari Kinbaku, as well as the energy and sensations exchange between the Sensei and his disciple from a ritual a protocol point of view.
Japan is a mainly Shinto and Buddhist nation where the tying act (shibari) is considered sacred. All sacred things are exalted by being tied with nawa. What is inside a nawa tie is sacred. Japanese people shows respect by tying with nawa and from the Shinto point of view, turns everything tied with nawa in sacred. Rope embrace is always considered as a loving act and a way for the rigger to communicate with the divine.
To be able to understand the Shibari/Kinbaku learning path from the oriental point of view we must remember it’s reminiscences from the ancient martial arts (hoshu hojojutsu) and analyze their learning paths.
In any martial art ruled by the ancient Bushido code, honor never comes from the granted titles, but from the knowledge and experience that you may have achieved along your perseverant path. That’s why no martial art grants Kyu / Dan grades from the time you have been learning or the number of classes you assisted. The mastering of the visible technique (and of the hidden technique or urawaza) is what shows our ability in this art and drives our improvement in it.
In the early times of Judo or Jujustsu, there was no way to measure the progress of the students but by the order they lined up at the starting of the class at the Dojo. That line up order was one sided and unconsultedly defined by the Sensei himself, based on his perception of his disciples development. Its occidental popularization and the need to make it more understandable by the westerners made Kanō Jigorō (嘉納 治五郎) to design and implement the first belt color and Dans system, later on updated by Mikinosuke Kawaishi (川石 酒造之助 ), so that we as westerners could visualize in an objective way any person’s skill. This system was rapidly adopted by other martial arts as Karatedo, Aikido, or even the Taekwondo in what is considered nowadays as the standard for grade or skills measure in any martial art.
In Shibari/Kinbaku, and following the traditional Japanese teaching rules (even when adapted to westerners) is also the Sensei who states the skill achieved by a student. There is only one Ryu who had implemented a Kyu / Dan grade system so to be able for a westerner to measure any rigger’s skill, and it is the Osada Ryu. This decision, even when it started some dispute and support from within the Japanese people (due there is no unique teaching school or even an unique Shibari/Kinbaku Master), has allowed to order a bit the chaotic definition that exists today in westerner’s minds about the skills in this art. For a long time, Sensei who have been trying to convey this kind of knowledge has been scarce. Over time, the art of Japanese Shibari began to differentiate from being “one of the 18 samurai warrior skills”, to be proposed as an activity in its own right, facing eroticism, sadomasochism and showbiz, incorporating then figurative passions, commercial ambitions, and other vices turned from this world.
In this new paradigm Shibari/Kinbaku had received a huge flow of fans and rope lovers. As any mainstream and popular activity, those who want to take advantage of this wave had risen, and with them many offenses to the traditional Japanese knowledge methods had been justified. Out of the blue many “self taught” had appeared from the west, also those who learn from books or videos, some “workshop collectors” and also those who want to learn this art overnight.
All this situation has been able to invalidate so many basic concepts from Japanese Bushido that would upset the very Itoh Seiyu if he would be able to witness it, even when he had defied authority countless times.
While it is true that most Senseis use the benefits of technology to publish and share their schools, their styles, their projects, the fact that has always prevailed is the Japanese concept that quality teaching is to be given face to face. In that way the student submits to Sensei’s guidance, but not all knowledge will be granted easily. Through perseverance and effort the student shows the Sensei his commitment. It’s then that the Sensei would let the student “steal” the technique details through his constant attention and by perceiving that, which is not spoken.
As we mentioned before in many other posts, it’s only through dedication, practice, perseverance and the focus of the student over Sensei’s movements, actions and words that he would be able to learn. It’s student’s duty to perceive and understand that which is not able to be explained in words, and what becomes the essence of any art. Only the Sensei would be able to evaluate whether he had been able to capture that essence and also if he’s able to reproduce it again. This path, unlike what any Western is used to, is often harsh and difficult, and as we have said countless times, impossible to reproduce in photos, texts or videos and has its own learning pace.
The real Japanese learning way is based on practice, patience, humility, commitment, and perseverance. All values that we can see, endorse, and recognize as westerners from the outside, but paradoxically when we have to live them, we disown them.
As the saying states “The teacher appears when the student is ready to receive him”. It’s said in this teaching method that knowledge and wisdom comes when the appropriate time comes. There are many things that involve an important change of mentality, a change in our energy, or even in our way of thinking, so that we might be able to reach the capacity to understand and master them. Only when the student is ready he will be able to understand and get their meaning. That’s why patience, perseverance and our own mind control is so important here as in any other oriental art.
From my humble experience I can tell that Kinbaku teaching, comparing with other martial arts, can be seen as more devoted to love, energy flows, sensations, and emotional connection between those involved. The ancient rigging techniques (hoshu hojojutsu) from which this erotic rigging was born, kept a strict Bushido code (bugei juhappan) that keeps being part of many traditional martial arts. However Shibari/Kinbaku teaching soften this code, driving it to the sensitive, energetic, and essential. That’s why even when we have the same demand for courtesy, respect, and common sense (joshiki), our core protocols are based more on emotional and sensitive aspects than the military ones.
In the west, and due to that much talked massification, many riggers think that doing Shibari is as simple as to reproduce some rigging. Thinking that way, anyone with good visual memory would be able to follow and memorize a step by step instructive to get to the same outcome. Unfortunately, that’s only the occidental vision from someone who only sees laces and knots in a tie, in the same way that would only hear sounds in a great symphony. It may be the same if they tie a model, a chair, or a package, as they’re only up to tying and making some knots.
Any westerner that calls names himself as “bakushi” or “nawashi” in a one sided decision, or that uses Japanese terms to describe his rope practice, may danger of making an utter fool of themselves and also be disrespectful to Japanese culture. Keeping that in mind, a Shibari/Kinbaku teacher may be that person who has come a longer experience way than us, and is willing to guide and accept us as disciples. .
Every meaning hides another, unknown for the foreigners and implicit for the Japanese
Shibari/Kinbaku learning path is different for each person according on what drives that person to the ropes . For Japanese people, everything related with tying has an ancient cultural background deeply related with what is sacred, the honor, the power, the wa (harmony), the commitment, and later on with the semenawa (torture through ropes), the shuuchinawa (humiliation through ropes), the exhibitionism, etc. In the Shinto and Buddhism the distinction between evil and good is always relative, there is not sin concept, nor original sin, or personal guilt (so related to sex in occidental culture). While occidental culture is based on guilt and penitence, Japanese culture does not demonize sex and is based on inclusion in the group and humbleness towards it.
Shibari Kinbaku appears to westerners eyes as a beautiful erotic art somehow stripped from everything that because of their natural cultural tradition awakes in any Japanese. In an oriental vision, all that exists is made of Ying and Yang. These are two apparently opposed energies that are in fact complementary. Ying is the feminine principle, the earth, the darkness, the passivity, the lower, the winter, the receiving. Yang is the male principle, the heaven, the light, the activity, the upper, the summer, the giving. Both define the duality of everything, and also exist one inside each other. Their interaction is what keeps world in movement. Oriental people perceive their acts (including Kinbaku) constantly flooded by many kind of energies.
Of course, we as Judeo-Christian occidentals, immersed in a guilt based society which demonizes sex, would hardly understand what any Japanese really feels and perceives while practicing or watching a Shibari/Kinbaku session.
Many westerners are attracted to Shibari/Kinbaku by the way it’s being presented nowadays, as a symbol of artistic and sensual eroticism worthy to be watched. That’s why there are so many people only interested in “learning as many of those Japanese knots and patterns as they can” for whatever they want to stage afterwards.
It’s usual to find these people very focused on trying to imitate any basic pattern from any oriental, and learn how to perform any simple and progressive suspensions as soon as they can. It may be because suspensions are mainstream now, they are more spectacular and bring a bigger audience. Unfortunately many times, I’ve found riggers more focused on their ropes and knots than on their own models, completely loosing the best and special part of what Kinbaku is.
There are those who feel that the self taught way fits most their personal style, and that they’ll be good without any specific guidance. Others feel attracted to learn through Internet videos, or tutorials. I really feel they’ve chosen the worst possible way. It’s hard to learn what you have never seen without the guidance of someone who would show it in front of your eyes.
At this point there is a clear distinction between what are open techniques related to patterns and rigging appearance (omote waza) and what are the hidden or secret techniques about the know how (urawaza 裏技). There is an implicit Senseis’ convention that only some people understands that says::
“It’s only through perseverance and effort that the student shows the Sensei his commitment. It’s then that the Sensei would let the student “steal” the technique details through his constant attention and by perceiving that, which is not spoken ( urawaza 裏技). It’s only through applying these techniques that you may achieve an authentic Shibaki Kinbaku”
Upon this statement it’s clear that only after a good amount of knowledge acquired through perseverance, practice and dedication, you’ll be granted access to the hidden techniques, thus bringing wisdom to the teaching as to avoid any newcomer to provoke any accident because of his lack of criteria or responsibility. On the other hand it’s also true that for those who only have their knots and patterns technique, given that somebody copies them, they won’t have nothing left. Fortunately and thanks to what we stated before, sometimes you need a certain way through the learning path to let your mind be open for some concepts. Thus, these techniques are not only protected because they’re hidden, but by the inability for some people to grasp them without the needed experience.
Each one would take the path they feel fit with their style and their intimate own inner search.
Two stages: Consciousness without thoughts, to give place for intuition and inner vision
As far as I learned from my personal experience and from the path I’ve chosen on free will, there are two stages in Shibari/Kinbaku learning path. First one is where we search not only for the repeating practice, over and over until we feel it as natural as our basic movements (like walking or riding a bike), but gaining consciousness. We search for being conscious of the basic safety rules, conscious of what we provoke on the model’s body, conscious of the historical and cultural background that many of these patterns imply, conscious that without the proper guidance we won’t be able to avoid the chance of irreversible mistakes over the body of our models, conscious of our own limitations. Constantly conscious.
Only after all these conscience awakenings you may finally reach that second stage where you can start to grasp that, what is fundamental and essential for Kinbaku is the miracle of energy flow and exchange between the rigger, model, viewer triangle (even if the viewers were present or not). Some people may even understand that the honor and beauty of the ties never come from fancy or spectacular ties. Some fewer may reach to understand that, as in any oriental art, you need humbleness to keep growing, and that it is only feasible if you set your own ego aside.
As you may realize, this path is much alike an enlightenment path were you will need to go along the first stage so to be able to free yourself from your controller mind and gain consciousness in such a way that thinking would no longer be necessary. It’s only through that second stage that your intuition and your inner vision start to work and that awesome sensation of using your ropes as an extension of your own energy becomes possible, instead of using them as any other element among many.s.
In this second stage, imitation should never be your way
In the same way that Zen is a method that makes you both student and teacher at the same time, it happens for this second stage of Kinbaku. Once you have achieved certain level, the Kinbaku Sensei would only be present to point out. He will be pointing subtly, indirectly. If you’re searching for some rigid rules in this level of Kinbaku, you’re searching in vain. Sensei will be there not to force any criteria on you, but to build and recognize your own. He’ll make you aware of your own intrinsic consciousness, on what are you provoking on your model.
Senseis share their consciousness and say
“Be conscious of what you’re provoking, and you’ll find your path and your own discipline at every moment. “
Sensei will just share his consciousness as he knows that any unbreakable rule would become enslave you and would not help you get yourself free. Life changes so often that what is OK now may not be the same tomorrow, and you would be trapped in a strict bounding discipline. That’s why Senseis only share consciousness and encourage you to listen to them.
Even when the ancient patterns based on hojojutsu techniques keep involving high honor, as the ones we mentioned in the writing “Rigger’s honor is reflected and shown in the kind of patterns he proposes” from the post Shibari Kinbaku as a Ceremony: Interaction between riggers and models (Part II) new patterns keep changing and adapting to every rigger’s needs and viewers expectations.
A great Sensei will always help you be yourself. He will let your ties reflect your own individuality, your style. He would never force you to follow him, and would only want you to understand him, understanding the effects and consequences of what you do at every moment. Understanding is good and enough. There is no need for anything else. Imitation is a very mediocre substitute. If there is understanding, there will be no dilemma between copying or following your Sensei. You will follow your understanding once you had grabbed the techniques and being aware of everything you provoke. If you follow your understanding you will be following your path and you’ll realize it runs parallel to your Sensei’s one. If you just follow your Sensei and forget your understanding, sooner or later you’ll find that your Sensei is gone and you’ll find yourself in darkness. The true way to follow your Sensei is not following him, but your understanding. Then, paradoxically, even if he would be gone you’ll be following him. You’ll make your own rigging yours without limiting yourself to repeat what other’s do. Nothing can be intimate without being personal. That is why it’s necessary that you root your knowledge in a good foundation where you can stand firmly and stay conscious, so you can free your mind from its thoughts, giving space to your intuition and your inner vision that will drive your own path.
Even when it’s considered honorable to acknowledge those who had shown or taught some techniques along our progress, this gratefulness should not have any relation to any “must” neither with the imitation or following of your Sensei. Gratefulness is wonderful, and often needed to be expressed. It would comfort you and would help you blossom. But you should never follow or imitate your Sensei just driven by that gratefulness feeling, or because you feel you “must” do it. Doing so you’re destroying the gratitude concept. If you let the gratitude blossom within yourself, you have start paying to your Master back.
Do not do anything just because “you have to”. Gratitude to your Sensei should naturally flow from your love to him. You may feel happy to still show some gratitude to him. You may feel deeply grateful, but you should keep your way. Try to build more consciousness, understanding and intelligence. Shine with intelligence to show your gratefulness to him. Be your own enlightenment, because nobody but yourself can shine your own light. You should be your own fuel and maybe that way, you might inspire others in their search for their own enlightenment.
Basic protocol for Shibari/Kinbaku students
Basic protocol for Kinbaku students may vary according to each Sensei or study group criteria. However many of these words have deep relation in the Bushido code, in decency and cultural rules, in common sense (joshiki), and the respect that any teaching method should have for the teachers. I’ll write some basic generic rules that use to be common both for soto-deshi students (those who come to practice in a Dojo) as for uchi-deshi students (ward student living inside the Dojo).
* Any student who assists to a Dojo should respect it’s rules. Rules may subtly vary from Dojo to Dojo but are almost the same everywhere. You can read about KinbakuMania Dojo’s rules here
* It’s not honorable to unilaterally consider yourself as some Sensei’s disciple, communicate it, or show it off without being previously recognized in that way by him..
* If you are considered as any Sensei’s student remember that you’re his student not only during his classes, but at all times. Do your best to keep an honorable conduct and honor him by being his student.
* Any time you share photos of your rigging, try to watermark them with your rigger’s name. In that way you’ll bring honor to your Sensei, your model and yourself.
* Be humble and conscious of your own limitations. You should never try to perform any tying or pattern that your Sensei hadn’t prepared you for it yet. It will be your Sensei who should advice you about that moment when you would be able to let your imagination create or when you’re ready to let your ropes flow.
* Just by assisting to a few days workshop with any great Master does not automatically turn you in his student. Paying some private lessons doesn’t do the magic either.
* It’s considered dishonorable to use other rigger’s pictures to illustrate any writing, promote events, or any kind of public sharing without having previously asked permission. If you do so, you must provide the rigger’s credit (also the model and the photographer if known) as a way of thanking him.
* If you have already been accepted as a student by a Sensei, it’s considered dishonorable to ask another Sensei for tuition without previously having asked permission to your Sensei. It would be also dishonorable for the second Sensei to accept you.
* Any bakushi /nawashi name implies a great honor when being given to you by your Sensei. It’s considered a high dishonor to use any Great Master bakushi / nawashi name without being given it by him. Using any bakushi /nawashi name without permission is like trying to steal his identity. Even when you consider any famous bakushi /nawashi as your idol, you should NEVER name after him without permission.
* Always remember that your most valuable possession as a rigger, even more precious than your knowledge and skills is your honor and image. Take care of them with humbleness and good manners. It takes a whole life to build an image of honor and wisdom, and just a few minutes to destroy it.
* As a student you own what you have treasured with dedication and perseverance. Do not defile it by trying to teach it when your Sensei didn’t tell you’re ready to do so. If you give away that knowledge that took you so much effort to learn, you’ll dishonor it. On the other hand whoever would receive that would not really appreciate it.
It’s said…
It’s said that as you grow in your kinbakushi path, your Sensei guidance will become more and more silent. It’s quite paradoxical that as you learn how to listen with humbleness your Master’s words dim out. It’s said that perhaps it is because at that point he does not need to say anything to us. It’s said that leaving our mind aside he can communicate with our inner self in an intimate direct and immediate way.(*)
… So they say…
(*)”I shin den shin” From my soul to your soul. This kind of tuition is transmitted through generations without errors, form Master to disciples, intimately bound.
Tsubaki 
Special thanks to:
Mr Osada Steve Sensei from Tokyo (長田スティーブ) for his time, dedication and wisdom.
Thanks TENTESION for allowing me to share the wonderful photo of Kurt and Osada Steve (長田スティーブ) that illustrates this post.
Thanks to Mr Xenkor and her beautiful thalia_X for letting me use their photo to illustrate this post.
Thanks to everyone who had trusted my ropes anytime. Also thanks to those who considered interesting to share some rope moments both in Spain as in Argentina.
Bibliography:
The Beauty of Kinbaku, Master “K”
Sutra del Corazón, Osho
La Práctica del Zen, Taisén Deshmaru
Dang, Dang, Doko, Dang. Charlas sobre el Zen, Osho
El Canto del Inmediato Satori (Shodoka), Yoka Daishi
El Secreto del Zen. Manuel Campillo edition and translation to Spanish
El Bushido, El alma de Japón, Inazo Nitobe
El Alma del Samurai, Spanish translation by Thomas Cleary
El Código del Samurai (bushido Shoshinshu), Spanish translation by Thomas Cleary
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</div> Copyright 2011 by Tsubaki. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher