Seattle Shibari Presents Partial Suspension Shibari: A One-Day Intensive with Seattle Shibari
A Workshop with Jonathan & Sappho

Ready to take your rope skills off the ground? Join us for an immersive one-day Partial Suspension Shibari Workshop—a hands-on experience designed for those ready to explore pressure and gravity in a safe, supportive environment.

In this 5.5 hour workshop intensive, you'll learn:
• The foundational principles of partial suspension
• Body positioning and line management for safety and aesthetics
• How to build smooth transitions from floorwork to lift
• Essential risk awareness and communication techniques

Whether you’re a curious novice with solid tying fundamentals or an experienced rigger looking to refine your technique, this workshop will help you deepen your practice and expand your creative possibilities.

10AM-1PM Workshop Part 1
1PM-2:30PM Lunch
2:30PM-5PM Workshop Part 2

This workshop is appropriate for all genders, sexual orientations, and bodies. 

Class Prerequisites

People tying should be comfortable tying:

• Single Column Tie with a non-collapsing knot
• Basic Frictions & Lockoffs
• Tying either a chest harness or a structurally solid gote shibari (TK/box tie) in a timely and accurate fashion (8 minutes or less to tie a chest harness or 2-Rope TK)
• Any sort of Futomomo Shibari

Be aware of potential nerves issues associated with rope bondage, and have solid communication skills around same when working with their partner. You do NOT have to use a TK for this workshop.

People being tied should be comfortable being tied in a chest harness or TK. Be competent in monitoring themselves for nerve/circulation issues associated with rope bondage, & have solid communication skills around same when working with their partner. You do NOT have to use a TK for this workshop.

Due to the detailed & time-intensive nature of this workshop, one person per duo will tie. To ensure personal attention to each participant, class size will be limited to 8 tying pairs. Please note that each ticket admits 2 people.

Please bring:
(8 ) 8-meter lengths of 6mm jute, hemp, or nylon rope.
(2) 4-meter lengths of 6mm jute, hemp, or nylon rope.
(1) 8-meter length of load-rated 6mm line such as POSH, Hempex, Regatta Braid etc.
(4) Pear-shaped or oval climbing carabiners. Your carabiners MUST be rated for climbing.

Need Some Rope? We have have hand-conditioned jute bondage rope for sale that can be delivered to you at start of the workshop. Please contact us for details. We have 8-meter lengths of 6mm Hempex available for pre-order, which makes excellent toplines and has a tensile strength of 1,142 pounds. —please contact us to pre-order.

Questions about equipment or class prerequisites? contact Jonathan or Sappho at jonathan@seattleshibari.com

Please note that this is a small, limited-ticket event, and no refunds or credit will be given 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 15 countries and 24 cities, including Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Barcelona, London, Shanghai, Los Angeles, & many more. As an educator, he draws on 20 years of professional work in education, specializing in curriculum design and differentiating instruction for diverse learning styles.

Jonathan has been deeply involved in Japanese cultural arts for more than 40 years, and holds a high-level shibari instructor license awarded 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. 

As a doctor specializing in neuro-anatomy, Sappho expertly combines her professional knowledge of the body with a dancer's awareness of physical movement. She is passionate about sharing 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.