Studio Series: Shibari 102
Our in-house curriculum – the Studio Series – runs on four tracks: Shibari 102 (formerly Ground), 201 (formerly Containers), 301 (formerly Preflight), and 401 (formerly Flight).
102 classes are focused on foundational rope skills. While this is where we recommend you start, these are skills and drills that are useful for folks at any point in their rope journey; they’re still the things that we practice the most.
Topics run on a six-month rotation and are taught twice a month:
• 4:00 – 6:00 PM on the first Sunday of the month and
• 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM on the fourth Saturday of the month.
Prerequisites: just the ability to tie a single column tie (like we teach in Why Knot) and a willingness to learn.
Supplies: Bring your own rope or use ours; loaner rope is available for use during class.
You’ll generally need between two and four 8 m/30 ft. lengths of rope.
102 Class Topics:
Handling & Flow
Everything flows from handling – your ease, your efficiency, and your connection with your partner.
In this class, we’ll focus on foundational drills that build better flow and increase precision, confidence, and grace. Expect a low-stakes environment with plenty of time to experiment and play.
Frictions & Harness Components
Frictions are the covalent bonds of bondage. Or the punctuation. Or the glue.
Point is: without frictions, things fall apart. Just learned your first single-column tie? Join us to learn how we can ‘glue’ them together to build ties on the body. Fine-tuning a harness for suspension? Let’s take your frictions from fiddly to fluid.
Constructing With Cuffs
A well-tied cuff is invisible; a poorly tied cuff will end a scene. Join us for a deep dive into the physics of constructing cuffs, an essential building block in any tie.
We’ll cover how to create in-line cuffs (or ‘hojo’ cuffs) to both secure limbs and create sturdy harnesses. Students will leave with the ability to ‘cuff on the fly’ to create adaptable (and restrictive!) ties.
Body Manipulation
The moment you add rope, moving a body becomes a whole new challenge.
This class is a hands-on exploration of body manipulation: how to reposition, lift, roll, and interact with your partner’s body while maintaining connection, care, and control.
Connection
Connection isn’t a formula – it’s a feeling. And what deepens it varies from person to person, pair to pair, moment to moment.
In this class, we’ll offer frameworks to help you define and pursue your own version(s) of connection, rather than handing you a one-size-fits-all approach. Through conversation, intention-setting, and focused exercises, we’ll explore ways to tune into your partner and prioritize presence over perfection.
Rope as a Practice
Rope isn’t an innate skill, it’s a creative practice.
In this two-hour workshop, we’ll step back from patterns and frictions to explore how we approach learning rope. Together, we’ll dig into the tactical methods that make practice meaningful: identifying what you want out of rope, building a learning path around your “why,” and getting the most out of classes, intensives, and private lessons.