Graydancer's Ropecast

Thanks to the continued support of the Devil's Mask Society, Graydancer is joined on the Ropecast by Kazami Ranki, a Japanese bondage performer and teacher based in Osaka. With the translation help of Kikoropes and support from Demonsix, they talk about the worldwide rope scene, connection, competition, and just how tough bottoms can be.

This podcast is sponsored by the Devils Mask Society and listeners like YOU.

Master K, the author of "The Beauty of Kinbaku", shares the news of the release of the Japanese edition of his book. Of course, he and Gray also get off track and talk about performance, rope teaching, cumulative injuries on bottoms, and much more. 

My passion is using ropes as an art medium
and painting the human body like a canvas
using Japanese delicate style of rope bondage.
- Kasumi

With the translation help of Kikorope (who you met in the last Ropecast) and technical support from the Devil's Mask Society, we have an interview with a fantastic rope artist from Japan: Hourai Kasumi.

Based in Nagoya, Japan, Kasumi started as a model for Akechi Denki and later studied with Hajime Kinoko before developing her own style, which has been called "as beautiful as it is precise." Since that time she has created her own body of work photographically, on DVD, and performing internationally (most recently in Sydney, Australia). Her website is a treasure trove of rope bondage, and you can meet her in person if you travel to L.A. for the upcoming Los Angeles GRUE or to her upcoming workshops in Kansas City. 

In this exclusive interview, you can hear her talk about her philosophy of rigging, her methods of improving connection, and even the true meaning of "nawashi"! 

Please note this podcast has been edited for English-speaking listeners.

Graydancer covers some business (such as the upcoming GRUEs in San Fran, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and South Carolina) as well as giving kudoes to his fellow performers at Morpheous' Bondage Extravaganza. Then it's full steam ahead into a ropetastic interview with Demonsix (of the Devil's Mask Society*) and KikoRope, a Japanese rope enthusiast who has performed as a model and rigger. She shares her insider perspective on Japanese rope bondage as well as some stories of how the "Old Guard" of rope did things back in the day!

*proud sponsor of the Ropecast, along with the Kink Academy.

Image: Kikorope had some fun suspending a gentleman. Used by permission.

Graydancer shares some listener mail and corrections before we finish off the GRUE Pitt Fishbowl Discussion with: Tops answering the questions bottoms and switches wanted to ask!

This podcast is sponsored by the Devils Mask Society and listeners like YOU.

Gray shares some of his experiences traveling for the past month, beginning with an interview with Jodi Bingham of the National Leather Association-Utah chapter as well as head of the Wasatch Academy for the Refinement of Ladies & Gentlemen of Leather. 

note: In the podcast, Gray mistakenly refers to Jodi as the head of the NLA-Utah chapter. That honor goes to Syr Big Dog. We apologize for the oversight.

Then it's back to the GRUE Pitt 3 Fishbowl, where bottoms answer penetrating questions like "Why do you always throw each other under the bus?"

This podcast is sponsored by the Devils Mask Society and listeners like YOU.

Gray lays out the bare bones of the 2013 Shibaricon Concerns as well as the event's Response, with minimal commentary and hope for the future.

If you're tired of that whole thing, skip up to 19:33; it's on to happier subjects as the Switches at the GRUE Pitt 3 Fishbowl talk about the fun of playing both sides!

This podcast is sponsored by the Devils Mask Society and listeners like YOU.

Get a taste of kink history as we interview Master Dave, a Los Angeles-based kinkster who has been doing this kind of thing for half a century. Then Gray does a post-RopenSpace wrap up with some of the facilitators, talking about the highlights of Friday afternoon at Shibaricon.

After some clarification on the Japanese terms used in last week's Ropecast on the EEG of Ichinawa, Gray dives into an interview with the organizers of Pittsburgh's ROPENSPACE. The next one is October 12, 2013 - sign up now! 

Russ and Kashmira have been together for over 9 years. Together they run the Pittsburgh chapter of Rope Bite and facilitate the Pittsburgh RopenSpace. Russ is a top, sadist, fetish photographer and never takes himself too seriously. His redheaded partner in crime, Kashmira, is a self-affirmed rope slut and never takes Russ too seriously either. They have presented at Shibaricon, Winter Wickedness, OhioSMART, Black Rose, several GRUEs and various regional events.

This podcast was produced with the help and sponsorship of the Devils Mask Society and listeners like you. 

At the GRUE Pitt 3 there was a psychophysiology researcher with electroencephalography equipment who measured several subjects doing various kinky activities. Gray talks with the Neuromancer as well as his subjects, Imperious Lyran and the_dragon_girl about their experience doing an EEG of the "ichinawa" ("one-rope") technique, and what their experience and the data showed. Short version: rope energy is very real, and us tops? We've been doing it wrong.

This podcast is sponsored by the Devils Mask Society and donations from listeners like you. Thanks for your support!