@*******lue, teaching, and the spread of knowledge is a good thing, in general. Many desire to enter the world of rope bondage, and, as another lover of it, I fully encourage this. Done well, and with the philosophy of providing positive experiences, it is truly a deeply satisfying human pleasure.
However, when it gets corrupted out of all meaning, and dogma appears, and when ordinary individuals are deified, and when status and commercial enterprise is sought off their good names, especially when applied to mere knots, ties, structures, transitions, etc., I personally, and I know many Japanese find it highly distasteful.
Example: I believe I'm only one of two people to have visited Yukimura independently. My contact came through Ugo san, a gentleman, natural diplomat, good friend, and undoubtedly the man with the longest and deepest kinbaku affiliation to Yukimura. Sadly, at the last moment, Ugo could not join me, and I went with Yuki Sakurai and NdT. The most important part of those few hours was tea; being weighed up; being evaluated; what did I want, and why was I there? When it was explained I only desired to understand his personal philosophy and approach (his ryū) for an interview, and had no wish to teach his style, things changed rapidly. He opened up, and began to laugh and joke (especially dirty sexual stuff). Knowing he was in a bad shape with his health didn't seem to bother him until he tired after some hours.
He used the cheapest, shittiest ø4mm jute, probably cut straight off the roll, and not given any treatment. The tying and the rope was not the point. Everything was extremely subtle, and focused into the core of human sexual interaction; capturing and amplifying libido into a heightened wanton state. Something happened in 30 seconds that day that I've been trying to decipher for 4 years so I can put it into words. I think I may have it, but it's an unfolding process with the realisation it may take many more years of human sado-erotic interaction to understand more.
Now imagine what is felt when we see individuals teaching ‘Yukimura Ryū’ as rope structures - dishonouring the dead. As more Japanese have interacted with the west and come across this type of marketing, many have raised an eyebrow. Some have chosen to limit their contact with westerners as a result. I've been turned down from connecting with a couple of kinbakushi purely because I'm a gaijin, as they see gaijin westerners as having no hope of understanding.
To be clear, I don't believe in ‘grandmasters’, I don’t buy the dogma horseshit. Yukimura was a pornographer, and I liked him. He was one of the good guys, and I miss him. When you hear about people squabbling over their affiliation to him, even some charlatan suggesting another westerner is somehow ‘lined up’ to ‘inherit’ his name, it makes you want to puke. If such crap really existed, how on earth can any non-Japanese have any chance to claim such a thing? I know how Yukimura's son dealt with it, and kudos to him for taking a stand.
We have to keep our collective eyes and minds wide open, and see marketing manipulation for what it is, and not fall into its trap. Yes, teaching is a very good thing. But, warped out of context cultivates bad habits and falsehoods that then spread as students in turn become teachers.
S