I have met many people who are new to shibari and very eager to suspend, or be suspended.

Suspension is intense, exciting, and treated often as a goal… I do not think suspension should be treated as a goal. I do not think suspension should be something that is rushed into. Suspension can be dangerous, and it is all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

With that, the worried wannabe-rope mother in me cannot go around telling people when they can and cannot do something, and how they can do it. But what I can do is try to share the knowledge, perspective, and understanding I have on rope suspension.

In this workshop we explore what it means for a structure tied with rope on the body to be suitable for suspension; I call such structures “stable structures”.

When fully suspending, the structure of what you tie on the body needs a lot more thought through than in other circumstances. Tension, placement, and weight distribution all become further details the rigger and the bottom both need to be constantly aware of in order to make a suspension work.

In this workshop, we will explore creating stable structures for the upper & lower body. We will look at several established styles, such as the Kazushi-style of Zor Neurobashing, the minimalist-style of Nicolas Yoroi, and the well known styles of some Japanese riggers, such as Akira Naka and Kanna, to use them as talking points for what it means to create a stable structure on the body that is suitable for suspension. We will then go through constructing different structures of our own, discussing the details of managing tension, placement, and durability as measures for stability.

And as somebody who is a rigger, but primarily an experienced bottom, I will talk about the teamwork involved in creating a stable structure from both sides, and how I personally view the role of both rigger and bottom in creating such stable structures together.

Prerequisites:
Both rigger and bottom have experience with partial suspensions, and the rigger feels that tying suspension lines is well integrated into their muscle memory.

If you are interested in booking this workshop in a part of the world near you, then please send an email.