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 […]
Philosophy
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 […]
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 […]
Keeping the sense of wonder…
We meet different rope enthusiasts coming to our classes. We would always start with the introduction and invite the guests […]
Healing Our “Yes”
In a personal healing process, often the focus goes on healing our “no”, and for a good reason. It’s a […]
Discernment
Discernment… the ability to judge well. Who can say as much about themselves? Discernment in the realm of felt feelings […]
Tying a Gote
Have you ever just slowed down and watched two people tying Gote? If you really look, you can see the […]
Why suffering?
I was asked at our last Kinbaku Salon after the performance was over. It’s funny how you get the deepest […]
Tying as Inquiry vs. Imposition
This is something that I pondered about alredy for a while and finally was able to pin it after hearing […]