n) Esinem teppozuri (rifle-carry suspension)
This is not just another suspension tutorial; it also shows you how to engineer your own variations and reverse engineer suspension ties.
A new kind of tutorial
This tutorial is not a step-by-step 'recipe' for my version of teppozuri to follow by rote. Instead, it will show you ways to use 'ingredients', which can be varied, to achieve a similar suspension of your own design. You will be taken through the steps that I used to devise this tie, which include options that I evaluated and modified, adopted or rejected. You will discover why I made these choices with the pros and cons of each so you can do the same. The tie was rope-labbed from scratch with a specific objective: a minimalist teppo suspension that was more easily tolerated and safer, whilst applying the principles of effectiveness and efficiency. Best of all, it is a remarkably simple suspension.
You will also learns skills which are essential to enable you to safely reverse-engineer or create your own ties.
A new type of teppo suspension
The idea behind revising this suspension was to:
- Improve safety
- Enhance comfort
- Keep the upper arm from dropping
- Make it simple
- Create a beautiful, minimalist look
This is my first version which inspired this tutorial but you will learn how to improve it further,
You will learn the version shown above and, then, discover how we rope-labbed it to the minimalist version in the photo below. In this example, the chest wraps have gone, giving a very clean look, the upper arm is beautifully vertical and her body has a slight elegant twist.
Understanding the process
We have always believed it is better to teach a man to fish than simply give him a fish. So it is with shibari. This tutorial takes this philosophy further. Although, you get both your fish and the lesson.
You will achieve this knowledge through the considerable analysis of the process of building this tie, with exploration of the various routes to achieve the goal with their pros and cons. This will both help you in developing your own ties and with trouble-shooting. These are essential skills in becoming more creative and making the tie fit the person, not vice versa.
Your Instructor
Esinem is a shibari artist who has regularly appeared at UK and international events such as Pride, Torture Garden, Erotica, Rubber Ball, Wasteland, Boundcon, Nuit Demonia and recently represented the UK at Japan's first international kinbaku event, Toubaku. He is also known for his teaching both in the UK and internationally and was co-organiser of the London Festival of the Art of Japanese Bondage and BOUND, Europe's premier monthly shibari event.
Over the years, he has been improving his skills with the help some of their best known and respected Jpanese kinbakushi, Arisue Go, Osada Steve, Kinoko Hajime, Kazami Ranki and, grand master of newaza, Yukimura Haruki. Whilst drawing from classical methods, his style is distinctive and epitomizes the art of communicating with rope, often departing from the typical serenity of shibari shows and flying in the face of tradition to produce some striking and unusual performances.
In addition, he has worked on various videos, e.g. Primal Scream's 2013, artistic collaborations and photo shoots both on and off camera. He has been involved in projects providing inspiration for Tom Ford's 2013 collection and, Raqib Shaw, an acclaimed artist who has exhibited at the Tate, Metropolitan and White Cube galleries.
He contributed to Rope, Bondage & Power, edited by Lee Harrington and has been involved with a number of documentaries on kinbaku. He is also author of the first English language tutorial DVDs: 'Japanese Rope Bondage: Tying people, not parcels' .