February 01, 2019

Your are one of the great Riggers and bondage performers in Italy, and also in Europe. How did you get into bondage?.

For fulfill the desire of a girl, I was only 19 years old. She ask me to be bound and dominated, I learned how to do it, alone, to play with her. Our relationship end after a couple of years, but my love for ropes had just begun.

Then I had studied only using photos from paper magazine and bookd, and imagination, my first contact with another rigger was 10 years later.

In 2010 I go to the first international meeting in London, a Shibari festival organized by Esinem, I see for first time japanese nawashi on stage, and was a new love.

In 2014 I heard about Yukimura Sensei, and meeting him was the most important event in the last part of my life. I learn from him the way to deal with emotion and pleasure through ropes.

He make me a better rigger and a more confident lover.

You are qualified instructor Yukimura Ryuu school, but for newbies, fans, and people, what is Kinbakushi? What is Yukimura-Ryuu Certified Instructor?.

Kinbakushi is the definition of rigger in Japanese, is the title in use among shibari lovers. A kinbakushi is a person who made kinbaku, as they define who binds with the ropess. In Japan, Shibari and Kinbaku are used mutually to name the art of being bound.

In 2016, Haruki Yukimura Sensei decides to make me an official style teacher, Yukimura Style. A unique way to tie, a style of Aibunawa, the rope that caresses. A style that uses the rope to give emotions, arouse the partner and bring to the orgasm. There are only 14 Yukimura instructors in the world, I am proudly one of them, so I could teach. You never understand how much emotions are hidden in a shibari tie, Aibunawa is totaly a different approach.

Meeting Yukimura Sensei and learning from him give me a completly different approach to the ropes, when I start to be his student I recognize that his perfect for me, like if I found my place in the shibari world. We spoke the same languages.

How long have you been doing bondage and shibari?.

Next year I will reach 30 years of career, but I prefer to divide my professional life into two. The first 14 years were as an amateur, a disordered path and self-taught. The second 15 years is my professional career, in 2004 I started teaching and doing show, working as an animator at a fetish and sadomaso party.

Besides bondage, what do you do? What's your job? Or your work of Artist Bondage full time?.

It's my full work. I run a Bondage School, the Shibari Dojo with seven mounlty appointments, in different city in Italy (Roma, Pavia, Milano, Torino, Napoli, Treviso and Bologna), and I often do workshop all over the world. I'm conctated by local organizations run them in their cities, or invited to partecipate at festival like Boundcon or BoFeWo, and organizing some festival in italy like "Live Positive".

I'm also a writer, i have published a manual of Shibari in Italian and English, and collection of short story.

In the last two years I have also produced some shibari videos throught the clips4sale website producing erotic clips and photos.

So, working with Shibari and BDSM, I live of my passion. I could travel the world meeting peoples and fans. All my life is built around this passion, I build a dojo in my house, all my friend are kinkster and my partners are aware of all this.

My partners works with me: Lucio is a good rigger and also a teacher of my Shibari Dojo, Marlene is a Bunny and a shibari's model, and Jadir is both a model that my German contact.

I would love to know the Shibari culture in Italy. Tell me about the Shibari culture in Italy. Are there many people, Artists, models, etc, in Italy?.

The Bondage scene is growing, there is several artists and teachers, a lot of people start doing shibari in a safe and aesthetic way. People recognize that is a sexual argument, but with a artistic twist, like tango.

So there is a lot of Bondage event, like Nawakai or Peer Rope for amateurs, and show and festival for professional.

In this period you could find people in quite all big city in North and Center Italy, and in few cities in the south.

Is still underculture, but is really growing.

I start each lesson with a Safety class for newbie and newcomers, is mandatory for all my student. After we divide the students in different group by level and start teaching tecniques.

The last part of lesson is centered on theory and emotional works.

I also keep private lesson for who want learn alone in a 1to1 basis with me, and this work more for particular argument like sexual tying or Yukimura Ryu lessons.

What are the rules of your events and your worshops?.

Because I am 45 years old, I am able to speak about the evolution. Before 2004, bondage was underground and it was Safety first. All people have to think about it's own safety and of the bunny, all time. Have care of peoples around and of impact Bondage have on people immagination. When we do rope in public we are in charge of bondage comunity impression on bystander.

Inclusivity. In my school and event all peoples are accepted and respected, no matters gender, sexual choice or body shape. Bondage is for all people. Body shame or other bullism is not accepted.

Enjoy. I teach peoples that Shibari is for Emotion, so enjoy ropes, and people around. Be serious in your tecnicques and safety, but light heart on your emotions. .

How many people work with you? Are you alone?.

I have a full team, there is four teacher in my dojo and 4 instructor, they teach with me in the class or alone if I couldn't be there, helped by the instructors.

Obviously there is a tecnical group for the website (www.maestrobd.it) and all the social network.

There is group of models who make photos and clips with me, but the most important peoples are all my student, that give me their trust.

For you, what is for you the difference between shibari and bondage?.

Speaking about western bondage e shibari, we could talk about the way of tying and why tying. In western bondage the goal is putting the person in a position for doing something, like whipping or sex. Is a instrument to obtain something else.

In shibari the tie and the position is non the goal, but only a path, a way to reach the pleasure, shibari is a process, something that comprend all in the process.

The tie start when you take the ropes and end only when you put them away.

But, if we speak of events, of course, you have been also in Austria, 2014, on the Saint Pietersburg 's RopeFest stage and and Onawa Asobi in Tokyo. You have many experience in shows on events. Tell me about your experiences in this events. Do you liked? Which one do you prefer?.

Performing abroad is always an experience, each country have a particular style of Shibari, it depends from culture and tradition. So I love to bring different show in different country, mixing my own style with their.

I love all festival, you could see a lot of work behind and efforts, and culture. So I try to go and bring mine effort.

Some festival are more public show like MoscowKnot or RopeFest, you could perform in front of non shibari people, bystander or just curious.

Differently from Onawa Asobi that's more intimate, a show for shibari lovers, people deeply in the scene of Japanese Shibari. When on stage you know that there is at least 30 professionist staring at you. Frightening.

You write "Bondage-A Practical Manual for Beginners", and you have bondage photo books, with "Anatomy of a Bondage" in two vol., "MBDStudio On Tour - Munich" and "Feet & Ropes and some cats!". It's wonderful! Do you like to write? Where are this eBooks available?.

I love write them. The manual was a child for me, I put all of myself inside. My way of tying, my ideas and moral behaviour. I wrote it for helping people to get in conctat with ropes, and learn safety.

The photobook are an experiment, I love keep my art in my hand, looking and sharing non only online.

When I prepare a book i prepare myself to do a journey in my mind, writing a lot, and after asking help to take away the unnecessary.

All my book are on Amazon.it in italian and Amazon.com for english version.

Your name in your books is Davide "Maestro BD" La Greca? Which one do you prefer, MaestroBD or Davide La Greca? Because I see your two names in your books.

I use both name, MaestroBD is my art name, was born as nickname on internet, in my undercover period, and became my stage name.

So i'm both, Davide La Greca is my real name, I use proudly, my family knows my work. MaestroBD is my stage name, is me as artist, as performer and teacher. I answer to both names.

You are essayist, writer, instructor, Bondage Artist, photographers also, and... How many free time do you have?.

Free time is an utopia, I love my passion and work, so i keep doing quite all time. And you forgot my work as sexworker and promaster. My work have also a lot of time spent doing social marketing and presence.

I use my spare time to stay with my partners, or for a good book. My secret is finding it always, a 15 minute break could recharge you fully, or a couple of days far from everyone. Just me and a partner. Also ropes are never a "work" when tying I found every time new energies and the joy of sharing.

What is your opinion about piratery digital? What do you think about this problem?.

Is a big damage for artist. Creating art is a big work and costly, stealin the work of someone is a shame, a lot of peoples have to stop their career for doing "normal" job. Paying the right sum to an artist you help him to grow and produce more.

Tell us a funny anecdote during one of your bondage sessions.

My preferite moment during a shibari session is the day after feedback, when I ask about the session. In that moment I discover what really feel the bunny.

A lot of interesting things gets out, the funny things is discover that often peoples are not really aware of what they find in shibari. And they are surprised by how much emotion are inside.

Some of them ask, in a shy mode, "could I have more?". They have fear I could say NO. I never say no to a good shibari session. .

Tell us about yourself. What are you like (extroverted, funny, nervous, shy, etc)?.

I'm a shy guy in a body of a exhibitionist. I'm a bear, a loner who love peoples. I love to live all in the deepest and strong way, so I could be the guy in the corner with a book, or the soul of the party. I'm a lot of things all together. But the strongest one is that I try ever to be a good guy. Try only obviously.

What are your three greatest strengths? And your three greatest weaknesses?.

Stubborness is my best skill, with creativity and empathy. I listen really and comprehend peoples. I always find a solution, there is no problem taht can't be solved.

But absolutly my best skill is the stubborness, nothing will stop me if i have a goal, i could change street, or take my time, but i arrive to reach.

My weakness are my sensibility about my feeling, sometime I get hurt with just words. I'm compulsive to doing things, is really hard to say no to a proposal of something interesting.

Where do you see yourself in the next years (retired on an island, millionaire, politician, soccer player), etc? Hahaha.

Next year I will be in a new house, bigger with a full Shibari dojo on ground floor and an apartment upstairs, and all my friends around doing ropes and having fun..

Are you on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Vimeo?. Website? What is your opinion about social networks?.

I'm on all of them, is my second home, I have a big activity on social network, is like a second life made of words and images. Is a good way to work and stay in conctat with far peoples.

Sharing ideas, words and emotion.

Nothing is better then a Hug, but a smart chat is also a good thing.

Davide "MaestroBD" La Greca - Website

maestrobd.davidelagreca Facebook

MaestroBD.Kinbakushi Facebook

And Fetlife