Recently, within the Chinese rope bondage community “Heiwushe,” a male member faced accusations of touching a woman’s buttocks without her consent. CK, the founder of “Heiwushe” and a significant influence in the Twitter rope bondage community with 118K followers, experienced a substantial impact. This incident sparked a significant online response, leading many previously active women in the community to disassociate themselves through Twitter, expressing their decision not to participate in events organized by “Heiwushe” in the future.
Coincidentally, I recently reached out to an expert in the field of rope bondage healing, GANDALF (THEY/THEM). Gandalf, a Shibari artist and instructor, was trained as a cognitive scientist before leaving academia. They established KinkyFeminist, a body art platform dedicated to diversifying rope education and creating safer spaces for rope practitioners. Gandalf teaches a style of tying that draws heavily from various styles of theater and dance, exploring the potential of rope beyond eroticism, emphasizing attention, and empathy in tying.
When sharing their perspectives with me, Gandalf emphasized that rope bondage is easily exploitable, particularly in contexts where there is a lack of general consent awareness. They referenced the well-known Shibari Healing case (link: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2022-09-10/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/he-said-if-i-stroke-him-men-would-want-me-the-truth-behind-the-sacred-sex-community/00000183-22e1-d2c9-a387-e7f99cdc0000), highlighting how it can become a tool for sexual assault. Gandalf also discussed the importance of acknowledging that while rope bondage can be therapeutic, it may also be highly triggering. They suggested that incorporating discussions on trauma awareness could enhance the relevance and impact of my project.
