On subtlety
A friend who just attended EURIX for the first time shared something : “At the end, it’s about intensity.” […]
Noticing – not changing
Thank you so much for all the messages I’m receiving after our Book Club sessions! There is a beautiful […]
What is your desire?
A lot of the topics that come up during classes and workshops are about “what to do next / what […]
What is the focus in Kinbaku photography
The question is: what to look at? The answer is obvious: «Look at the model, do not look at the rope» […]
The stubborn “little bone”
I gave a talk yesterday in Studio Ma about surrender in ropes. As part of the story, I talked about […]
When it’s going to be wrong…
I want to share something from a recent conversation with a friend who is also a very experienced rope bottom. […]
You don’t need to be “educated” to enjoy ropes
I got to talk to someone the other day – a newbie rope bottom. They told me that the rigger […]
Book Club — Somatics for Rope Bottoms
This is an invitation to create a warm, interactive space where we can explore embodiment through rope practice and beyond. […]
Christian Russo — Hojojutsu: The Warrior’s Art of the Rope
Hojojutsu: The Warrior’s Art of the Rope explores the traditional Japanese martial art of hojojutsu — the historical practice of […]
George Leonard — Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment
Not exactly about Japan — but written by an Aikido master (The Way of Aikido) and I believe very relevant […]
Roger J. Davies & Osamu Ikeno — The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture
A collection of essays Japanese students wrote to explain their culture to their Western classmates… From aimai (ambiguity) over giri […]
J.W.T. Mason — The Meaning of Shinto
This is not a light or quick read, but I believe it is worth the effort. We look very much […]
D. T. Suzuki — An Introduction to Zen Buddhism
An Introduction to Zen Buddhism is a really good introduction to the concepts of Zen, written by a Japanese person […]
Jun’ichirō Tanizaki — In Praise of Shadows (1933)
When you are into Kinbaku, this is one of the books you should read. For me, one of the most […]
Leonard Koren — Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers
A very poetic introduction to this aesthetic-philosophical concept. Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren offers a […]
Seiū Itō — Seiū Itō Kinbaku Photos
Seiū Itō Kinbaku Photos is a brand-new photobook collecting the research photographs commissioned by Seiū Itō. These images were taken […]
Ozuma Kaname — Shibari & Irezumi Art
I bought Shibari & Irezumi Art while visiting Tokyo at Vanilla Gallery. The book is a 120-page softcover publication, bilingual […]
Futomomo pain
This week in class, there was a discussion about futomomo / tibia pain. It’s a big one. Most of […]
Authentic Movement. What is it and where to find it
There was a question in the class the other week about how I know if it’s really how my […]
Contemplating Movement in Kinbaku
When I think about the movement, what it is and what it brings into the Kinbaku session, I think first […]
Is that all you can do?
I was asked the other day: “would you like to be tied in other forms than Gote?” After some […]
Trying too hard
If you are in the European part of the world, you can’t help but notice the season change. It’s both […]
On Invitation
The other week, my partner said he could teach other workshops with other models, but not the “Bodies under pressure”. […]
Welcome to the Italian edition of “Somatics for rope bottoms”
So many feelings about the Italian edition of “Somatics for Rope Bottoms” coming into the world! The dominant feeling is […]
Rope bottoms often ask: where must I endure, and where must I stop?
Where to draw the line? It’s a million-dollar question in rope bottoming. Here is my attempt to answer from 5 […]