Spend a day immersed in the art of shibari & elevate your skills with Jonathan and Sappho of Seattle Shibari~This is the 3rd of 5 workshops designed to guide students from novice to full suspension.

In this 5-hour workshop (3 hours in the morning—90 minute lunch—2 hours in the afternoon) we will learn & practice both the hands-behind TK/Gote Shibari and the hands-at sides Tengu Shibari, as well as the Futomomo Shibari bent-leg tie. We'll learn to combine them in different ways to shape our tying partner into different beautiful & restrictive positions on the floor. We'll cover:

• Consent & safety
• TK/ Shibari for Floor Ties
• Adapting the TK for different bodies
• Tengu Shibari for Floor Ties
• Futomomo Shibari (Frog Tie)
• Psychology of Different Floor Positions
• Ebi Shibari: a classic sitting restraint that binds the upper & lower body
• Gyaku-Ebi Shibari: a classic face-down prone position that binde the upper & lower body
• Adaptations these positions for creative variety and for different bodies
• Anatomy considerations and nerve safety
• Putting harnesses under pressure/load
• Precise rope positioning
• Proper rope tension
• Different types of frictions/hitches
• Tips & tricks for tying smoothly

Prerequisites:

People Tying should be comfortable & confident tying well-tensioned & structured single column ties and chest harnesses. You should be able to tie these in a timely and accurate fashion.You should be comfortable communicating with your tying partner about tightness, discomfort, and nerve compression.It is optimal if you have taken our 102 course or an equivalent.

People Being Tied should be comfortable having their arms tied behind their back or at their sides for an extended period of time, have good body awareness, and be familiar with signs of nerve impingement. You should feel comfortable communicating with your tying partner about tightness, discomfort, and nerve compression.

This workshop is appropriate for all genders, sexual orientations, and body types. Due to the detailed technical nature of this workshop, one person per pair will tie.

Please bring:

• (6) 26'-30' lengths of soft rope, about 6mm/1/4" in diameter
• (2) 13'-15' lengths of soft rope, about 6mm/1/4" in diameter

Need Rope? We have hand-conditioned jute rope available for sale that can be delivered to you at the start of the workshop. Please contact us for details.

This is a small, curated event, and no refunds or credit will be issued within 14 days of the event.

About the Educators:

International rope artist Jonathan Ryan (Seattle Shibari) performs on stage, ties for photoshoots, and teaches the art of Shibari worldwide. He has taught & performed for sold-out audiences in 14 countries and 24 cities, including Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Barcelona, London, Shanghai, Los Angeles, & many more. 

Jonathan has been deeply involved in Japanese cultural arts for more than 40 years, and holds a high-level teaching license awarded to him by his teacher Hajime Kinoko of Tokyo, Japan. Jonathan’s personal style of rope combines his knowledge of body movement principles, psychology, and rope art to create his distinctive style of tying. His website is SeattleShibari.com.

Sappho is an unabashed lover of rope who brings expertise in Latin dance forms and a spirit of sensual inquiry to her kinbaku. She and Jonathan have taught & performed together in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. 

Sappho combines a methodical analysis of physical movement with a deep professional knowledge of neuro-anatomy in her approach to rope, and loves to share this knowledge with others. Together with Jonathan, she directs activities at the Portland Shibari Salon.

For Jonathan & Sappho, rope is more than a beautiful & sensual art form; it is the invisible connection between two people made visible.