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Below is an interview with Akechi Denki (明智 伝 鬼 / October 11, 1940 – July 17, 2005). It was conducted by Osada Steve in July 2005, two weeks before the grandmaster's death. The interview was published in SM Sniper magazine (which is no longer in circulation), Fetish Japan magazine (Osada Steve's own publication), and a number of foreign media outlets.
Today's repost is significant for three reasons. First, it marks the eighth anniversary of Akechi Denki sensei's death. Second, this interview provides the final record of the great master's thoughts. Third, it contains the sensei's final words. Shibari He touches upon the muga (無我) aspects of kinbaku (see the final paragraph of the interview highlighted in italics), and this could not be expressed more beautifully.
Osada Steve: Japanese rope bondage is becoming very popular in the United States and Europe, and people want to learn more about it. In the West, there's something I call "bedroom bondage"—wrists and ankles are tied with very simple ties, and after restricting your partner's movement in this way, you begin sex or SM practices. But that's different from Japanese rope bondage. How would you define Shibari (縛り)? Shibari why?
Akechi Denki: In SM Shibari, It is communication between two people using a rope as a tool. There is a connection made by the rope between the hearts of two people. Therefore, the rope should be embraced with love, like the arms of a mother holding her child. The obedient person completely trusts the person who binds them.
The most important thing is to avoid causing physical harm to your partner. The body has delicate tendons and nerves, and you must be very careful not to damage them. You can damage nerves if you tie someone up too tightly. And if you don't tie the ropes tightly enough, the rope can slip and get caught around your partner's shoulder or neck. It may be hard to believe that a single piece of rope can cause permanent damage, but there have been many accidents of this kind. You need to constantly check on your partner and make sure they are okay, and you should do this not just with words, but by checking their facial expressions as well.
Yet almost all nawashi (縄師) wear sunglasses, especially when performing. If your model can't see your eyes, can we really say they're communicating with you?
Communication isn't just about eye contact. You put your arms around them or do something suddenly to gauge their reaction, to understand how they're feeling. This kind of communication involves the whole body. Being attached, losing your freedom, can be very frightening. To make the person you're attaching feel safe, you need to communicate well. You want them to feel good.
What about the word nawashi? I think people in the West mistakenly believe there was some kind of qualification process before nawashi. When did this term come into use?
That was about 30 years ago. Before that, nobody used the term nawashi. When I started doing SM shows, everyone used to say sado (derived from "sadist" to indicate the dominant person) and mazo (derived from "masochist" to indicate the submissive person). Back then, the SM world was much smaller, and people in that community took their relationships very seriously. The sado was the owner; the mazo was their willing slave. They could call them and extinguish their cigarette on their palm, and that was acceptable within the context of their deep relationship. It was accepted that the owner could harm their slave; it was also accepted that the slave was willing to even give their life. People started using the word nawashi after that period.
So how does one become a nawashi? How did you become a nawashi?
You have to understand that older generations like me started doing this when we were young. We'd get our hands on SM magazines like Kitan Club (which is no longer published) and we'd try to imitate what we saw in the magazines, of course, much simpler rope exercises than what we see today. And we practiced a lot. Not just rope, we practiced a lot with everything we used in SM shows. I had a five or six-meter whip that I got from America – a real cowboy whip. I would practice for hours, in an enclosed space, until I learned how to use the whip and how to hit accurately. We gained experience through constant repetition.
But the most important thing is having a partner with whom you share a deep, trusting relationship. Finding a partner was the hardest part for me. Forty years ago, you couldn't just go out and say you were interested in SM. There weren't any SM clubs where you could find a woman who wanted to hook up. So I would meet a casual girl and start a regular courtship, taking her to coffee shops and movies for six months or even a year, and before she even dared to bring up the subject of bondage, I would develop a very deep relationship. And even then, most girls would be shocked and horrified when I pulled out a rope. Some would leave me immediately. Finally, one said, "Okay, but just a little bit." I was so grateful that I cried when I started tying her up. I would do anything for her. It was like finding a precious jewel.
How old were you then?
I was sixteen or seventeen. I remember it very well because in those days you weren't allowed to enter a kissaten (small cafe) until you were 18. That girl was working as a waitress in a kissaten. And the first time we went, it was like a yurt. I had a weak digestive system, so I always wore a sarashi, and that's what I tied it with. (A sarashi is a long, thin, cotton cloth wrapped around the belly, because in Eastern medicine it's very important to keep the internal organs warm.) Because I always wore a sarashi, I was always prepared if I ever had an opportunity for bondage.
That's very practical!
Yes, and not just for captivity. Having a sarashi wrapped around your stomach can protect you in a knife fight by deflecting or stopping the blade. Even if you get stabbed, the fabric helps stop the bleeding. I used to work on construction sites, which were pretty tough places back then. I was in charge of about 100 people, but I knew I wasn't a good fighter, so I kept loyal people around me and wore a sarashi.
Did you learn it entirely on your own? Did someone teach you how to tie a rope?
No one taught me. But during those days, I became friends with Tsujimura Takashi and his friend Yamamoto Issho, whose work was featured at the Kitan Club. They lived in Kansai (Osaka), but we would meet up and switch partners whenever we could practice together.
So, were you moved by the photographs and paintings of women in bondage by the famous artist Ito Seiyu (1882-1961)?
Not really. I've collected art books, but he's like those traditional ghosts. Shibari He was interested in many other subjects as well. I appreciate his work more as art than as an inspiration for my own work.
I know you've done a lot of research on hojojutsu, an ancient martial art that uses ropes.
Yes. Shibari Because I was very interested in it, I visited various libraries and museums to learn about the use of rope as a weapon. In a very specific book on martial arts – I forget the name – I found three example diagrams and carefully studied them. In this way, I learned some good techniques, but I rearranged them when I used them in my own work. The remaining hojojutsu schools closely preserved the old techniques, and I didn't think they would tolerate their techniques appearing in martial arts magazines.
During the Sengoku period (approximately 1478-1605), warriors carried rope as a weapon. If you lost your sword, you could use your rope to deflect your enemy's sword. You could throw your rope like a lasso to catch the enemy's sword, or you could put weights on both ends of a rope and throw it around the enemy's body to immobilize them. Or you could tie it around their neck to strangle them. Unfortunately, much of this knowledge is no longer passed down to younger generations.
However, some modern police and military forces use similar techniques. Italian and US special forces use rope to restrain prisoners, tying it around the waist and then securing both thumbs. It's simple but very effective, and cheaper than handcuffs. I've heard they learned this technique from traditional Japanese martial arts, and that the rope they use is very good.
I also researched the techniques used by police forces during the Edo period. Police officers used different restraint methods depending on the status of the person they were arresting and how they were being transported. For example, if prisoners were being sent to penal islands by boat, their legs would be tied in such a way that they could move to the side of the boat if they became nauseous at sea.
There's one thing I really appreciate: you're always so supportive and positive. I came to you to learn about certain knots, and even though the result was bad, you praised me. You're like that with everyone. You would never say, "That guy can't tie a knot." Clearly, you love rope and people... Shibari You love seeing what you do. I think that's why you're so loved and respected in the SM world.
I remember when I first started.
One final question: there are very few professional nawashi, and each has their own unique style. Your style, however, is quite complex and beautiful. How did it develop?
The most important thing for me is that the rope work looks beautiful. My style developed during stage shows at a time when there were no videos yet. It was very important for me to show customers something unique, something they hadn't seen before. So I needed to develop my own style; the ideas had to come from within. My aim and principle is never to make the same knot twice. Of course, sometimes I repeat myself, but I'm always trying to do something completely new in my mind. So even now, my style is changing and evolving.
When I go on stage at the beginning of a show, I have no idea what I'm going to do. I clear my mind. Then ideas start coming to me, both from within myself and from my partner. Sometimes the strings move on their own and my hands follow them, and it's always a wonderful experience. I just disappear. That's when it happens. Shibari It is always beautiful.
Translated by: Talos Nawa
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