Randa Mai -- How to Bondage The Mystery of Japanese Rope Bondage Revealed 320 Minutes of Detailed Shibari Lectures Video No.: BYK021, BYK022, BYK023 Duration: 320 Format: VHS (NTSC) or DVD Category: Japanese Rope Bondage - Instructions Review: If you've ever been fascinated by the beauty, drama and intricacy of shibari and wanted to learn the ropes yourself (forgive the pun!), then I'm about to make your week. In fact, this could make your year! The charismatic Randa Mai, youngest of the master rope sensei of Japan, he of the dark glasses and the retro Miami Vice five o'clock shadow, has just released three brand-new instructional videos that take you through his brilliant system of shibari and teach you step by step how to do numerous classic kinbaku ties safely and attractively. The vids are divided into a beginner's installment, an intermediate section and a final, professional stanza and cover such classic shibari positions as the Takate-kote, Agura, Kikkou, Ushirode-Tasuki and Gyaku-Ebi ties, as well as several attractive and dramatic suspensions (not for the beginner!). The videos are beautifully produced, well lit, attractively performed (his willing partner is a real knock out) and I was amazed by how the camera was constantly in the right position to get the most important and revealing details of all the ties. This is especially important since, naturally, the vids are in Japanese. However, never fear, this potential fatal problem for the non-Japanese speaker is completely overcome by Randa's clarity as a teacher. He's a natural. His step-by-step approach and the repeat viewings of his techniques make it more than easy for anyone interested to follow his beautiful, clean and straightforward shibari stylings. Only in the third, final and most complex suspension sections would translation be really helpful but even here, provided the viewer uses common sense, caution and understands the theory and importance of secure support points and generous load/lift ratios when trying to put fit and willing bodies in the air, the visuals make almost everything very clear. It's amazing, really. The first and third videos are 90 minutes each and the intermediate lesson is a real value at 140 jam-packed minutes of running time. Not since the great Nureki Chimou's long unavailable Rope Bondage World Series of the late 80's has a major rope sensei committed his expertise to video for the benefit of anyone wanting to learn this most secret of erotic Japanese SM arts. Run, don't walk to get this set. You won't regret it. Master K