Bodies under pressure – A radically different approach to semenawa

Semenawa is on high demand these days in the rope scene. My partner Natasha and me were/are part of the movement popularising it over the past 10 years. We also had our share of dogmatism, explaining the world what should be done and whatnot.

I think this conversation is over – but when still ongoing, I do not want to participate in this.

Rope is free (Naka Akira)

I feel that after developing my own interpretation of the style I feel committed to, after teaching it now for a bit more then 3 years to the international community – it is time to make it a bit more transparent what “Bodies under pressure” is about, and how it fits under the umbrella term “semenawa”.

With the ropes, first of all, I manifest my sexual sadist phantasies of capturing and tormenting women – in a consensual container, for mutual enjoyment. In this narrow definition, the Semenawa I talk about becomes the ritualistic container for a power exchange dynamic. I do not tie to arouse, to seduce, to perform, to heal – or for recreational purpose. With “semenawa” I tie to put my partner under pressure – in the framework of a (consensual) BDSM dynamic, that is part of my sexual identity. 

I do erotic impact play with ropes.

Also, I’m actually not into rope, specifically. What I’m actually interested in is the soma, the body-mind unity – the whole being of the other human under my tormenting impact.

My natural expression in this(!) interaction is impactful. I’m not quiet. I have strong hands. I like to touch, to squeeze, to press into the flesh. I’m invasive. I think the best way to describe what I do is: challenging the mind of my model through her body with rope. I put her body under pressure – more exactly her whole somatic being, not just the physical body.

Rope became my instrument, a tool to express myself within that specific modality. A very powerful tool, though. It is not a random choice – if it was a choice at all. Rope as a material, rope as a material to bind, to put someone into bondage – has its own magic quality and power. And I assume (without being able to prove it) that the Japanese masters figured that. Rope as a material, as an entity – when used right – adds to the scene, more then just bind someone.

I have other expressions, a wide diversity of them! But for my interaction with another human through ropes I chose to limit myself to this one: I do erotic impact play with ropes.

To become more transparent, I want to clean up two myths or misconceptions:

1. Semenawa is torture
2. Natasha and I tie under a framework of DS dynamic

I think my bondage, my semenawa, has nothing to do with torture. In the consensual – or even the consensual non-consent – format we talking here: there is no room for torture.

I do not want to get “someone speaking”, admitting a crime, repent, or retract a heretic statement. Neither I want to intimidate others nor inflict terror to gain obedience. All these intentions to torture are not applicable to what we discuss here.

And if I would ever be in a modality, where these concepts are more applicable (like a role-play situation) I would not use rope as my tools, or at least I wouldn’t use them in the same way as I use them when I tie in the framework of semenawa to put the body under pressure…

Also, for me, personally, my semenawa is NOT about a DS dynamic. It is a dynamic where my partner offers me a space to take from her – to do – what I want. The borders are drawn by her consent. But within this borders – I find freedom. There is certainly a power exchange happening, and yes, in the consent-container I wish to create I “take” what I want – and still… It is not DS for me. Because: I might take what I want, but I think, I cannot make her DO what I want.

Some people identify semenawa with certain, specific “shapes” or “forms”. It seems to me that these shapes get imposed by the person taking – the rigger – onto the person in ropes (and the students in the class!). Probably this is an expression of a DS dynamic, where the DOM “knows” or better “decides” what has to be done, and the BOTTOM happily surrenders to it.

This idea does not resonate with me. I do not think that all bodies can be fit in all possible shapes. Especially I do not think that I can fit them it any possible shape. (As I do not operate under a DS framework).

Actually I think it is madness that we think we can. These shapes we are hunting – they were developed under specific circumstances for specifically abled somas. And many of them are impossible for normal people under normal circumstances. We see photos that create an illusion, tell a story – not a documentary of a real session.

So many people are hunting these shapes. But are they really fitting? Are their somas happy, relaxing, sinking into the shapes? Are the shapes suiting their somas? And how does it feel, being in such a shape?

In my opinion, the somatic body of the person tied, their reactions – must lead to the shape I will tie. If the shape is fixed, if the shape comes first as an idea, an image, a goal or means to an end, then beating that individual body into that shape is nothing but violent. 

For me personally, it is not interesting (anymore) to aim for a shape. I seek freedom doing the ropes. And I strongly believe, we can only take what is offered to us. It seems to be odd, counter-intuitive – but it is just the dialectic we are in. We can only find freedom with the nature – not against it. And therefore, we can only gain freedom in accordance with what is there is the present moment.

As long there is form, there is limitation

When I have a plan, when I already know the shape, the form, the figure I want to tie – I’m not free. In the opposite. I’m a slave! I’m a slave to an external force – may it be my teacher who introduced that form or may it be just a fashion, or a trend in social media.

What it needs to properly put a body under pressure – to lead a challenging “semenawa” session is to be in the present in and with the moment. I must trust my intuition – not what comes from outside.

I cannot be in the past and repeating what I did before nor can I be in the future, insisting on the ideas and plans my monkey mind invented. Practically, this means, I cannot make up my mind beforehand and make my semenawa about a specific shape – or a set of different shapes.

The conventions of the style that I made my home, enable for this process of tying. “Rope is free” declared Naka Akira Sensei many times. Not attaching ropes on ropes, but tie it one by one, was the groundbreaking insight for me – back then, in 2015. But then it was still a long journey before I arrived where I am now. And I guess, I’m still exploring…

There are no fixed forms, no shapes. Nor are there fixed patterns, harnesses. Rope by rope they are build – or better: they emerge. That’s freedom.

There are better techniques or strategies and not so good ones. When it works – it is good.

It is counter-intuitive, but actually the self-imposed limitations, this narrow set of “allowed rules” enable a huge freedom in expression. We always start on the ground. I always tie the hands first. I always tie them in the back. I only use a very limited set of basic principles to build solid harnesses, etc. pp. 

The beauty of it is: as these rules are self-imposed – I can break them. Any time…

Without fixed forms – there is no “style”. But still, the tying is not arbitrary. There is an additional element: beauty. I seek beauty in what I’m doing with ropes. As I’m not into DS as a game, I’m also not into humiliation. All rope I do (as all other interaction I do, actually) is an expression of my quest seeking beauty. As beauty is in the eye of the beholder – of course it is not an absolute, external standard of beauty.

In the opposite, I focus on what happens with the person in ropes. What is her experience? This quest for inner expression of beauty in suffering transcendences all that questions of the “right way”, of how bendy some one has to be, how flexible, how masochist, or how pain tolerant.

With this, the “how” comes in on a very practical level. Building on the few, restricted principles, I put pressure – impact – on her body. One rope at a time, with an empty mind (as much as I’m able to). Present, with the moment, the space, my feelings, her feelings – and everything else.

This makes the interaction, the bondage (shibari!), a process that requires tuning in more than thinking and verbal communication.

I take time to observe. I take time to feel. What feels right from inside is also truly beautiful in the external.

Rope by rope I build the session, questing – following my intuition. Yes, eventually a pattern emerges, a shape, even something recognisable. Who cares? What counts is what happens in the in-between…

Alexander MA