Kinbaku and Shibari: Private tuition with Esinem and Nina Russ – 14/10/12

From the 12th October -14th October, Benjamin and I spent the weekend in London under the tuition of the Shibari and Kinbaku professionals : Esinem and Nina Russ.

Rope play has always been an interest of mine (unfortunately, having claws can make it difficult to master effectively; ergo, I have never done advanced courses), but when Benjamin was introduced to images and movies of it, he fell in love with the artform and expressed a huge desire to learn it. I, in turn, have nurtured this desire (as well as offering to be his practice model) and after several months of play, practice and research, higher learning for him was inevitably required.

When it comes to any form of bondage, especially rope bondage, safety and knowledge is paramount. I highly recommend that it is not attempted without at least being taught the basics, either by research using the internet or books, or by attaining the services of an experienced teacher. There are many aspects to take note of during this kind of play; including asphyxiation and nerve damage. Do not be an idiot; Play safely.

To this end we contacted Esinem for his offer on residential private tuition and made plans to visit him at his home and studio in London for an intensive training course to further our learning.

After copious hours of practice and training with both Esinem and Nina Russ (living and breathing rope bondage for three days), I personally have developed a great respect for the rope bondage models that you see in all the images across the internet. I make it a personal rule to experience anything that I intend to put anyone else through (this is true for all forms of BDSM play that I practice). This kind of bondage can be incredibly painful (especially rope suspension). For me, the weekend was a significant learning experience which tested my endurance and stamina to great lengths. For Benjamin; well, let us just say he has returned from the experience with a slightly frazzled brain from taking in so much information, sore fingers from extensive use of the rope and a significantly vaster knowledge of the artform (as well as his own set of Asanawa Tossa Lite 6mm Jute ropes, a birthday present from me and my partner).

We do plan on having further private tuition with Esinem and Nina in the near future, but we must first put what we have learned over this last weekend into frequent practice. This kind of skill takes a great amount of time and dedication.

Thanks to the wonderful Nina Russ, I also experienced full rope suspension. Another thing which I do not recommend unless in the hands of an experienced and well practiced individual. To quote Esinem’s website:

“As safety is a prime concern, please be aware that, like so many good things in life, there is always possibility of accidental injury. Rope suspension is undoubtedly edge play and should only be undertaken by those who are physically and mentally up to the challenge. Suspension is safe but not without risk, regardless of proficiency or experience, so is definitely RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink) rather than entirely SSC (Safe Sane and Consensual). The more extreme suspensions require a high degree of fitness and often a reasonable pain threshold, so don’t imagine everyone can do what professional models make look easy!”

Luckily, I was physically and mentally adequate, however, as I mentioned earlier in this blog post, the whole weekend experience (full suspension, partial suspension and constant floor practice) has given me a profound respect for rope bondage models. It is definitely not easy.

Despite the aches and pains that I was suffering by the end of the weekend and despite the fact that I am not naturally submissive, I could not resist the chance to be tied up and partially suspended by the man himself.

Enjoy the photos.

 

All photography is unedited.

Photos courtesy of Esinem and Nina Russ.
Photography by Nina Russ.
All images are Copyright © 2012 AemiliaHawk. All Rights Reserved.

Mistresses meanings.

Many people have commented on my distinctive use of words and I get asked on a regular basis what some of them mean. The most common queries being: menials, mundanes, vanilla and similar.

This blog post is a list of the most commonly queried words and their explanations. If I have missed out any which my readers would like explained, feel free to mention them in a comment attached to this post and I will elaborate with a reply.

Menial:

This is a generalised term I use instead of the title submissive, slave, servant, minion, inferior, bottom or human pet. I realise that some menials can get a little funny about whether they get classed as any of the aforementioned or not. Some submissives hate being classed as a slave and vice versa. So, my alternative classes all of the above into the single generalised term. I care little about what they wish to have as their title, as long as they know their station, A.K.A. beneath Me.

Mundane:

This is a title I use for people who are not a practitioner of BDSM, sadomasochism or any form of kink or fetish. These people are the everyday normals that cover this planet like ants over a slightly sucked cola cube. These are the people that wake up, go to work, return home, eat their food, watch several hours of television, go to bed and then restart the whole process the next day (with the exception of the odd night of binge drinking on the weekends because they have nothing better to do). Words I would also use to describe “the masses” would be: tedious, repetitive, commonplace, ordinary, uninteresting, socially conformist or boring. However, “mundane” comprises all of these words into one. I also believe it sounds less offensive. But this generalisation is not meant to imply that there are not individuals or interesting people amongst “the masses”, it is simply the level of consideration I give until those interesting individuals make themselves known.

Vanilla:

The most common flavor of ice cream. Similar to “mundane” in meaning but in reference to an action, place, object, person or anything that could be classed as common and/or not kinky. I have noticed this is the reference that most kinksters use when referring to normality or the ordinary in general.

Domme/Dom:

An abbreviation of “dominant”. A Mistress or Master. Domme tends to be female, Dom tends to be male.

Station:

Rank, standing or position within a hierarchy or society. Example: “I am a Mistress and my station is at the top, above everyone else. You are a submissive and your station is at the bottom.”

Tribute:

An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect or admiration in the form of a gift. However, in the case of a professional Mistress, the word “tribute” is also traditionally used in reference to the fee for the hire of their dungeon and services.

Scritch:

The act of gently running ones fingers or fingernails through the hair, behind the ears and over the head, neck and back of another person. A generally soft, attentive and loving touch. Often the kind of touch you would give to your dog, cat or pet.