Art Social and Mixer
On the first Sunday of each month, we will be hosting an Art Social and Mixer to provide a space for members of the LA Rope community to get to know each other and enjoy some kinbaku art.
This is a free event, but space is limited so please reserve a ticket
The current exhibit features the pencil drawings of Yoji Muku along with our other permanent exhibits.
Opening Night April 26th
The LA Rope Dojo is very proud to announce that we have a new space that we are ready to open with a whole slate of kinbaku activities for the month of May. In addition to our classes at Threshold, we will be offering several more in depth and programmatic class options. The first, Kinbaku 101, is a four week series of classes held on Wednesday nights from 7:00-9:00, covering fundamentals of kinbaku, designed for novices to learn how to tie and develop their skills for more advanced instruction.
We are also hosting movies nights, showing classic Japanese rope films, which are always a lot of fun. First up is the 1974 classic Wife to Be Sacrificed featuring the stunning Naomi Tani in her most famous role, as well as rope by one of the dojo’s O-Sensei, Urado Hiroshi.
For those brand new to kinbaku, we have an introduction to the dojo followed by an art social on the first Sunday of the every month. Our space has more than 50 works of art on display, ranging from classic Ukiyo-e prints to photography and drawings for kinbaku master artists and bakushi. Every two months, we will feature a new exhibition.
Finally, for more advanced students, we will be hosting a class on advanced topics, following the tradition started by Nureki Chimuo with his famous Kinbiken workshops.
We look forward to seeing old friends and new faces at our new space.
Master K Photoshoot with Michael Helms
As some of you know, I do most of my professional bakushi work through two organizations I helped found: The LA Rope Dojo and the Spring Tiger Ryu
Recently, I spent a remarkable day with acclaimed Hollywood photographer Michael Helms who had contacted me through the STR. For those that might not know him, Michael has been a successful photographer in Los Angeles for 35 years. In that time he has worked with some of tinsel town’s most notable celebrities, including Kate Hudson, Tim Curry and Angelina Jolie and been involved in many other book and magazine projects that have taken him on assignment all over the world.
For this event Michael hosted a special Kinbaku Photography Workshop for a half dozen lucky photographers who traveled to LA from all over California. The beautiful model for the event was the stunning Penthouse Playmate of the month, Marica Hase; who in Japan has worked with such Kinbaku luminaries as Akira Naka and Arisue Go. As might be imagined, it was an honor for me to work with her.
Michael is a superb teacher and he expertly led the photographers in “seeing” opportunities to capture this beautiful model in a variety of classical Kinbaku poses as well as in highlighting the ties, lighting and rope details. The session progressed from poses done in a beautiful kimono, through poses in kimono undergarments and, finally, to full nudity. I felt I was back in Tokyo!
Over the six-hour Kinbaku Photography Workshop the photographers shot almost continuously, capturing 12 ties with Marica. This was an extraordinarily productive afternoon thanks to Michael’s wonderful preparation, Marica’s patience and beauty and his most engaging and dedicated student’s interest. Here are some of the wonderful shots Michael took which he was kind enough to share with me and that I now can share with you.
A fabulous event I was honored to participate in.
May Workshop: Kinbaku 101
Kinbaku 101 is series of classes offered at the LA Rope Dojo that focuses on kinbaku basics and fiundamentals. It is taught over the course of one month and meets every Wednesday during May for 2 hours, from 7-9. The cost of the workshop is $150 per couple, for all four lessons and must be paid at the beginning. Students are expected to attend all four classes, as the teaching is progressive.
We cover safety and basic ties in lesson one, a series of one rope ties in lesson two, a two rope takate kote and the tasuki tie in lesson three, and the three rope takate kote in lesson four.
Class is limited to 5 couples and meeting dates are May 6th, May 13th, May 20th, and May 27th from 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Because of the limited size of classes, registration is non-refundable.
May 7th: Rope Suspension: Theory and Practice
Join us for a discussion of rope bondage suspensions. One of the most dramatic and intense forms of rope play, suspensions have a long history in Japanese culture, beginning as a form of punishment and coercion to confession and evolving into an erotic activity that has been used for everything from erotic play to show stopping performance.
This class will focus on understanding the history and theory behind suspensions, with a particular focus on how to perform them safely. Not every suspension is ideal for every partner and we will break down the different techniques for suspending people to understand the particular pleasures, stresses, and risks that each entails.
Just like every other aspect of kinbaku, matching your ties to your partner can make all the difference.
The LA Rope Dojo will also be announcing a new series of programatic courses (to be held at our new space in Koreatown), one of which will be on suspensions (others will be on fundamentals, semenawa, and Yukimura style kinbaku).
Threshold Clubhouse
11300 Hartland St North Hollywood, CA 91605
Cost: $15 ($10 for Threshold members)
March 5th: Torture Ties: The Ebi and Gyaku Ebi
Join the LA Rope Dojo as we explore two of the most famous and legendary “torture ties” from Edo era Japan. The Ebi or “Shrimp” tie was one of the four proscribed tortures under the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan and was used to great effect to elicit confessions from prisoners. The Gyaku Ebi or “reverse shrimp” tie is the Japanese version of what we in the west call a hogtie. What seems to be a simple and straightforward tie, actually has layers upon layers that can be used to make it everything from fun and enjoyable to incredibly strenuous and challenging.
Master K and Zetsu will demonstrate several versions of each tie, provide some historical background on how they evolved, go over very important safety information, risks and danger areas, and have a hands on portion which will teach three ties, agura shibari, ebi shibari and a basic gyaku ebi shibari.
Come prepared to tie or be tied.
Location:
Threshold Clubhouse
11300 Hartland St
North Hollywood CA 91605
Cost: $15 ($10 for Threshold members)
Feb 5th, Safety for Rope Bottoms (and Tops)
Come join us as we begin our workshop series for 2015.
Our first class will be on safety in kinbaku, covering everything from anatomy and physiology to the psychological and emotional well-being of your partner before, during, and after a rope scene.
A perfect class for new people interested in rope, but not sure where to being, as well as for the more seasoned rope tops and bottoms who want a refresher on safety in your rope scenes.
Location:
Threshold Clubhouse
11300 Hartland St
North Hollywood CA 91605
Cost: $15 ($10 for Threshold members)
Come Celebrate The Beauty of Kinbaku: Jan 22, 2015
Ring in the New Year with the LA Rope Dojo!
To celebrate the release of Master K’s new, updated, and expanded version ofThe Beauty of Kinbaku we will be having a party to celebrate, socialize, and have a night of fun filled rope.
We will have signed copies of the book for sale. Those who already own a copy are welcome to bring it by to get their copies signed.
The LA Rope Dojo team will be on hand to give refreshers on anything you may have forgotten from 2014 or to help you experiment with new ideas for 2015.
We will also be announcing our class series for 2015.
Kinbaku movies on the big screen TV and rope, books, and art on display and maybe even a few surprises!
If you are new to the LA Rope Dojo, come by and say hello. If you are a familiar face, drop in and tie someone up or get tied up yourself.
Location: Threshold Clubhouse
11300 Hartland St
North Hollywood CA 91605
Cost: $15 ($10 for Threshold members)
Rope Photo Shoot: Jan 25th, 12:00-4:00
Join Master K and Zetsu for their first open photoshoot featuring the lovely “Paper Bullets” as our model.
The shoot will take place at Dystopian Studios, 670 Moulton Ave #9, Los Angeles, CA 90031
The event is limited to 5 photographers. We will provide 4 different ties (each with several poses) over a two hour block. We will be using strobe lights and will provide triggers/picket wizards.
The cost is $75 per photographer.
Master K and Zetsu have worked together on a number of recent professional shoots, including The Bulls latest music video “Come Unwound,” tying for world famous performance artist Millie Brown for an upcoming video project and the kinbaku for a new book combining rope, a photo series for Taboo magazine. and yoga titled “50 Shades of Yoga” among various other projects.
Photos of the model shot earlier this year
