Mango

Mango (he/him), also known as AGKT (short for aguacate), is a rope artist and educator, and an authorized instructor of Nawashi Akechi Kanna’s style (Kanna-ryū). He is originally from Europe and is now based in Ottawa, Canada.

Background. Mango became aware of Japanese rope bondage in the 1980s and 1990s, through the gothic and avant-garde publications he followed while growing up in Europe. He made an early attempt at tying more than twenty years ago. He began Naka-style classes in Montréal in 2015, later studying with Naka Akira, and started Kanna-style in 2016. He now studies and teaches only within the Akechi lineage.

Instructor status. In 2022, Akechi Kanna named him an official instructor of her style. He also assists her in her teaching.

Teaching and other work. Mango teaches internationally. He was on the faculty of ROPECRAFT in Chicago in 2025, was hosted by Embodiment Rope Space in 2024, and is a 2026 jury member of the International Shibari Film Festival. In 2017 he co-founded CORE (Collective for Ottawa Rope Education), whose classes all include bottom-specific content and bottom-led discussion. He advocates for bottom (people-in-ropes) education more broadly.

Visits and involvement with Shibari.PH

• August 19, 2017 — first visit, two skillshares. An intermediate gote clinic and skillshare, plus an introduction to sadomasochistic ropes.
• August 27, 2022 — second visit, two classes. An introduction to Kanna-style workshop, tying with Toni, and a Kanna-style intermediate class, tying with Oceane — both carrying the Kanna-ryū name.
• December 2022 — interview published. He spoke with us about the style’s roots in bars, photoshoots, and sex work. Read the interview.

Where to find him

Fetlife. Twitter. His Linktree, CORE included if you’re ever near Ottawa. Classes and workshops.