About us

We are Alexander MA and Natasha NawaTaNeko. We tie together for more than 10 years. Kinbaku and especially Seme-nawa in the style of Akira Naka has become an important and enriching part of our lives. We share our passion by performing and teaching Kinbaku together.

We teach principles and elements, not fixed, rigid forms. Alexanders’ background as a scientist and Martial Arts practitioner as well as his teaching experience from his day job feed into our teaching method.

Alexander is a researcher, philosopher and experimentator. Since a long time he is fascinated by Japanese history and culture. Alexander studied Japanese martial arts on-off since 1986 and holds a black-belt in Aikido. He is also a scientist and member of an exclusive club of rope nerds that hold a PhD.

He already phantasised about captured and tortured woman in young age – but his journey into rope bondage was bumpy. Initially he experienced rope bondage as presented in the late 1990ies as the most boring part of the BDSM scene and not emotionally or aesthetically pleasing. A perfromance Sylvester 2008, followed by the chance to witness the private session of the performers later the night got him hooked. In 2009 Alexander started to tie. But only after Natasha became his partner in life and ropes in 2011 his practice intensified.

After experimenting with several teachers and styles, Alexander found his home in traditional Kinbaku and the Art of Semenawa of Akira Naka. He intensively studied the style as a student of Riccardo Wildties between 2016 and 2021.

“Kinbaku is a journey for me, a path I walk with my partner and a few close people, people whom I trust to open up to. Kinbaku happens between two people, it is communication and emotion – and highly erotic. I am interested in playing with sensations to induce emotions: suffering, pain and pleasure … in beauty. When I tie then that’s definitely a challenge for the person in my ropes”

Natasha is a truth seeker and embodiment enthusiast. In Kinbaku, she is looking for true emotions and authenticity and sees rope bondage as deeply intimate and erotic practice that has also a profound transformational potential.

Building on her background in Sexological Bodywork by Joseph Kramer and her studies of “Wheel of Consent” by Betty Martin, Natasha brings different somatic aspects as breathing, movement, posture, non-verbal communication, and placement of attention in our teaching. She developed “Somatics for rope bottoms” to deepen their experience in ropes and make it more internal, conscious and safe.

I love rope for that it’s honest. Real. Tangible. With rope, you can learn to surrender, you can learn integrity. You can learn to be generous – and grateful. If you engage in a rope play – I mean really engage, with the full heart, it will inevitably transform you. I’m into a challenge of two people coming close, very close together, a challenge of exchanging a gift of a focused attention and connection, becoming vulnerable in showing themselves as they are and letting other see them”

Inspirations and Influencers

We believe that a style, a lineage comes from respecting and cherishing the elders, the ones who walked the path before us. We are grateful to all the people who contributed to develop Kinbaku to what it is now.

We feel especially inspired by the following individuals, we have the privilege to learn from.

Sugiura Norio

Sugiura Sensei has been photographing Kinbaku for over 45 years, contributing in establishing an essential aesthetical current.
Naka Akira himself mentions their many years of collaboration to have immensely influenced his subtle and dramatic sense of aesthetic.
We had the privilege to participate twice on workshops with Sugiura Norio and his muse Miho Ikeda, where he transmitted his knowledge of the artistic, visual and dramatic elements and possibilities of Kinbaku.

http://www.sugiuranorio.jp

Naka Akira

“Akira Naka became aware of the world of Japanese bondage at the age of 30, when he discovered a study class (commonly known as ‘Kinbiken’) of top master Chimuo Nureki. From the very first moment of watching the bondage master at work, he found himself drawn in deeper and deeper by the fascinating sensuality until he had an epiphany – ‘This is what I want to dedicate my life to.’” (Quoted from Akira Naka’s Official Site)

http://nakaakira.com

Riccardo Wildties

Riccardo Wildties is an Italian rigger and rope artist. At the end of 2012, seduced and inspired by the work of Akira Naka, he started to explore a new style based on the use of ropes as a mean of aesthetic erotic torture. He devoted himself totally to Semenawa, focusing his bondage on a very traditional Japanese style. In 2015 he officially became Naka Akira’s Deshi. With his partner Red Sabbath he immersed himself in the art and became one of the most sought out European rope educators and performers.

http://kinbakuluxuria.com

Community and Collaborations

We are founding members of the Kinbaku Society of Berlin, and editors in chief of the quarterly magazine issued by this society. Alexander ties and creates Kinbaku Photography.

We enjoy to do collaborations with other artists – doing photoshoots, videoproductions, or other crazy stuff. Ideas come to light, when human beings come together to share and create. We wish to meet artists with their own vision, with curiosity and an open mind but also with respect for the traditions of Kinbaku.

We taught, performed and shared:

Mechelen (Belgium) | Ellipsis Rope Events (Netherlands) | Studio Kokoro (Sweden) | Shibari Lounge (Belgium) | Munich (Germany) | Kinbaku Delight Milano (Italy) | Leipzig (Germany) | EURIX (Berlin) | Shibari Camp (Sweden) | Prague Shibari Festival (Czech Republic) | Subspace Studio Prague (Czech Republic) | tbc

We offer private classes in Berlin and workshops internationally. We are open for invitations to perform and to collaborate in art projects.