Kinbaku-bi is a Japanese style of rope bondage that translates to “the beauty of tight binding.” The practice — part erotica, part avant-garde performance — originated from a rope-based martial art called Hojojutsu in feudal-era Japan.

Today, kinbaku-bi artists are redefining the art for a modern audience, toeing the line between underground S&M and artistic tradition. Kinoko Hajime, one of Japan’s foremost practitioners of kinbaku-bi, recently held a performance at New York City’s Museum of Sex. The Cut paid him a visit to find out more about the art, working with models, and the infinite possibilities of knot-tying.