FORTY-ONE CLASSES IN TWO DAYS!
NOVEMBER 4-6, 2016 New Orleans!
In 1932, the well-known artist Itoh Seyu, who is one of the key persons of modern kinbaku, published a book with the title: “BiJin Ranbu”. This means “wild dance of a beautiful woman”. In 2011, Barkas started to develop his personal way of doing ropes, which was very stormy and overwhelming. His Sensei Osada Steve called it ranboo and since then, this way of doing ropes became one of the well-known styles in the world of kinbaku. Within this class, the participants get a first insight into ranboo. Some key terms of ranboo, such as proper distance and proper intensity at the proper moment are the framework to tie in this way.
Newaza, literally translated means “non-standing techniques”. Rope Bondage restricted to the floor, i.e. on a mattress or else, can be a very special way of experiencing ropes. The grand master Yukimura Haruki Sensei elaborated this style over the last 4 decades and established a system that enables students to learn his very unique style. Various techniques and a special handling of the human body are needed to increase the pleasure of tying on the floor. In this class, the participants learn how to use leverages and how to position their partner in certain ways with the use of ropes.
The transition between two or more positions of a suspension is content of this class. The Osada Ryu among other schools pays a lot of emphasis on dynamics. Therefore the steady movement of the tied person is central for a certain mind set. In this class we focus on the mechanics and the safety of the tied person as well as on a fluid handling of up lines.
In this workshop (or demo), we’ll be looking at all the fun that we can have with partial suspensions, from just starting out with a little extra “zip”, to predicament, connective slow playing, or truly tough positions that may be too difficult with full suspension. In this novice rigger level course, we’ll be discussing levels of risk and assessing it, as we explore some of the different ways to have fun from moderate to intense.
Experiences Level: Beginner
Type of class: Hands on workshop
Nearly any body can be suspended, though as our bottoms get heavier, it tests us to get all the details right to get them up and down safely. As our bottoms get heavier, we have to adjust our ties to better spread the load, worry about the physics of lifting them, and to deal with the very real possibility that the rope may jam and our bottoms are too big to manhandle and get them down safely. The presenter regularly suspends men in the 200+ range, and his largest play partner is 6’7”, 325 lbs. Gleaning from his experience, we’ll be exploring tips and techniques for suspending people at the outer edges of our physical capabilities
Performance with rope is a relatively new art form in this country, and it has its own set of demands that can differ from scening or playing. Come learn how performing can change your negotiation, your connection to your partner, and your experience in the rope. For times when The Show Must Go On, come learn some of the tricks that will make it a success for both you and the audience.
Fast and secure tying of your overhead lines is a key component in rope suspension, but it’s also a topic that’s very hard to find detailed instruction upon. Let’s fix that. With more than 500 rope suspensions under his belt, EM will walk you through what he learned on his own over the years, or picked up through lessons with others. Options for tying to a ring. Tying off to bamboo. Clearing jammed suspension lines safely & easily. Bundling excess rope rapidly and neatly. We’ll do a little of everything.
NOTE: This is a “no bottom required” class! While bottoms are invited to learn a lot about safety, anyone doing “hands on” in the class will work with one rope and simply raise / lower their rope bag over and over. If your partner is in a bottoming class at this time, come in here and tie!
Binding the arms together behind the back at the wrist and elbow is perhaps the second most common position behind a box tie when it comes to rope bondage. EM will walk you through anatomical considerations and structural techniques you can use to put together a variety of different armbinder style ties for quick dirty bedroom bondage, on up to use in a raised strappado predicament or full body suspension, and the like.
Rope isn’t just in the air. In cat’s opinion, some of the most challenging and exciting rope can be on the ground. From the bottom’s perspective, we will discuss what makes floor rope different, what makes it difficult, and how to get the most out of rope that doesn’t involve a hard point.
Discussion and tie along
In this class, cat will be put through a suspension involving multiple positions. As various positions are encountered, we’ll break down techniques that can be used for longevity in a single position and ways to prepare yourself for transitions. We will also work through some ideas regarding communication and safety. cat hopes people leave this class feeling empowered both physically and emotionally and excited about their next steps in their personal rope journey. Questions and comments are welcomed and encouraged throughout the demo.
Demo and Discussion
getting better shots with your phone or point and shoot
Using portable travel gear to get good shots.
Mixed light, Ceiling splash for hotel room play, setting up decent lighting of your play ties.
Demo and Discussion
The other big building block for functional bondage. There are a myriad of variations for tying two roughly parallel limbs together.
The Classic Western Elbow tie, and variations. The figure 8 cinch. crab ties, Quick release bondage for sex tie, wide span doubles / friction cuff, frogged legs with heel, chicken wing / T-rex, running double / “Cobie tie”, (I get asked about it a lot). problem solving.
Group tie along and Demo
the fusion of thai massage, acroyoga, and shibari. Great for aftercare. The point of therapeutic flying is for the flyer to allow their base to move their body for them through a series of therapeutic acro positions. However, sometimes flyers have a difficult time relaxing, which limits the effectiveness of thai therapeutics. By adding rope, the flyer is able to relinquish control over their their body movement more easily and get the most out of their therapeutic flying experience.
The fusion of acro yoga and shibari.
teaching how to move your bottom’s body with ease and flow throughout a scene. This class will teach participants about immobilizing body positions and ties.
The human eye is drawn to the triangle, the thing that is out of place, the imbalance in life. Asymmetrical bondage is not just aesthetically pleasing, but a sexually and sensually pleasing practice that puts us out of balance, reminding us where balance really is important. We will address key ways to bring asymmetry into our scenes and working with asymmetrical body forms. We will dance between lop-sided bindings to being forced to balance on one leg, punishment forms to scenes that have an asymmetrical flow to their structure. Bring at least one 25+ foot piece of rope for hands on opportunities during part of the class, though limited supplies will be available to borrow.
So many images of people in restraint feature a specific aesthetic of model, especially in suspension bondage. In this class, we will look at the realities of the wide variety of physical forms that we want to get up into the air – including OURS! People of size, men, differently abled individuals… let’s look out how we can modify ties and think creatively to have suspension work for us. We will look at why we want to do suspension bondage, how we can use our partner’s forms in combination with rope, and explore together for excellence. If you are already familiar with suspension bondage, feel free to bring along your gear, as well as your experiences and ideas, to experiment together.
Predicament bondage is bondage where the person bound is constantly choosing between two or more situations or torments. They have the power to choose one or the other, but their choices are limited to only those situations. It is one of the most creative forms of sadism. This class discusses some, but by no means all, of the possibilities.e.
This is something I came up with that’s faster than most armbinder ties and doesn’t require an advanced level of knowledge of tension. Anyone can do this. And it’s completely adjustable, so anyone (with arms) can be tied in it. I’ll show the basic tie then some interesting variations of it.
Learn a series of simple and efficient ties to restrain, contort, and torture. These ties are easy for the top and challenging for the bottom. Most of these can be done with one (sometimes, two) lengths of rope, and with practice, can be done in under two minutes. For beginners, that means less time reviewing the steps of a takate kote on youtube, and more time spent connecting with your partner. These ties make great scene starters, whether you’re doing rope for the sake of rope, or using restraint as a means to do sensation play, impact play, sex, etc.
Bottoms must be aware of and able to communicate physical/mental limitations in rope.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at risk awareness and rope bondage. Topics will include examining risk awareness as a process, considerations for tying or being tied with common medical conditions, ways to avoid mishaps such as falling, fainting, and nerve injuries, and what to do when these things happen.
How to choose lengths of rope & how to tie with speed & accuracy which for many bottoms enhances their pleasure. This class will show you many ways to improve your confidence & abilities which in turn will reduce the amount of time it will take to solidly secure your rope partner. Being “faster” is not the goal of this class but conservation of energy & time is…
We have all looked at photos, presentations, performances and others around us playing and said in one way or another, “How do they do that”? “I wish I could do that”, “I’ll never tie like that”. This class is for everyone, no matter what level of skill who want to be the person others look at and say the same.
We will be looking at the standard ties, TK, chest ties, wrist/ankle ties, karada’s and the like & deconstructing them down to their basic components and foundation ties. We we also look at suspensions and partial suspensions and break them down into their basics. If we stop looking at only the end result to base our skill level & start looking at ties from all directions, we will all grow more quickly in our skills and realize that rope bondage is simple.
This class is for you if you want to learn why ties work, what they are made of & how they create a sense of comfort with a partner.
We’ve heard a lot about the nice way to tie: comfortable cuffs, nothing around the neck, don’t block circulation, and so on… A lot of good that will do when you’ve got a feisty bottom! So for this class, we’re going to talk about the hard stuff. We’ll cover ties for takedowns and stressful positions while evaluating the dangers they introduce into the scene. Bring one or two lengths of rope and get ready to play rough!
Whether you prefer SSC, RACK, or some other acronym, consent is a key factor in defining kink play. Even with a strong community focus, the details of obtaining, recognizing, and honoring consent within a scene are skills that require practice. In this workshop, we will be discussing elements of consent culture and participating in guided activities to help better understand the dynamics of consent within a scene. Attendees will learn new skills for giving and receiving consent and will have an opportunity to participate in a consent-based game that they can take back to their local communities/parties.
“The “Diamond Tuner” takata kote is American combination of a lot of various Japanese innovations in the box tie. In this class, the creator explains their reasons for choosing this combination of components from the myriad of possibilities to create a highly functional TK. The tie will also be practiced multiple times so you can leave able to use it. ”
Stockings, pantyhose and other forms of sheer nylon are ubiquitous in kinky spaces. They’re the very essence of must have fetish wear and the sensuality of the material can’t be beat for those of us with a fetish for it. Beyond clothing, it can be treated as stretchy rope and has some great bondage uses we’re going to explore. Some (new and unused) hosiery will be provided for the class but bring your own (used or not) if you can to make sure there’s enough for everyone.
I love rope but if you asked me what is above that on the kink scale and it would be POWER. Application of power is something that doesn’t come naturally to this geek boy, so I’ve studied it a bit more than is probably healthy for a modern, 21st century male. Rope is a fantastic tool for expressing the power of the rigger in a scene. This class will be a combination lecture/discussion/hands on class that will refresh or add another aspect to your rope play that, all too often, gets left outside the suspension frame.
We have all had those days when our bodies, for whatever reason, just won’t cooperate. In the beginning of this class I will go over the multitude of possible reasons this kind of thing can happen. Then we will talk specifically about the changes that we face when age, weight, illness/injury, and even medications are involved. I will talk about my journey and the things that have helped or inspired me and my partner.
We all change but it doesn’t have to slow us down.
With Special Guest Murphy Blue
Level: All
Are you interested in expanding your local opportunities for learning? Working on your own rope family? Interested in bringing in presenters for intensives? Confused about how to build an iterative bondage educational format? We’ll be cramming together two of the brains behind the Devil Mask Society with the driving force of Team Blue to answer all those questions, and more.
Level: All
Tying up people is really hot. Being tied up by people is really hot. If you’re interested in doubling your hotness, join us for a discussion of how to define your switch-y-ness, how it might fit into potential relationships, potential scenes, and your negotiations
Level: All
This class explores the pressure points below the knee and how to exploit them using simply applied rope techniques. We’ll start with safety concerns with this part of the body, move on to exploration of pressure points manipulated by the hands, and then incorporate rope into the process.
So, you’ve heard a number of things about this hot stuff called rope bondage (or Shibari, or Kinbaku, or DiD, and so on) or you might have seen someone do something hot with rope in a play space, and thought that was cool, or interesting. Maybe you’ve tied some knots before, and want to know how to make them all sexy. This is a basic, introductiory class on how to take what you know, and how to safely use it in the bedroom, or play-space, as a beginner. There is a lot of philosophy and an exploration of your own personal “why” to this class, more than a basic rope skills class. You will come out of this with more of an understanding of how to begin exploring with your partner or partners.
Hojojutsu is the opposite, in many ways, of the nice, happy rope arts that are taught and practiced by many rope artists. There are ways to make Hojo bedroom/play acceptable for those who don’t want to potentially damage their partners. Some knowledge of Hojo is useful to have, for this class. This is not a take-down class.
In this class we will learn to tie a form incorporating a suspension capable chest harness and strappado. Limited flexibility is NOT a limitation with this tie. However, this is a challenging tie and the rigger should have working knowledge of a Gote and an understanding of tying with tension.
The futomomo is very useful for floorwork as well as suspension. However, it can be an extremely painful tie in suspension, sometimes leading to “dealbreaker” or “get me down.” If there is such a thing as comfort in a futo, this may be it. In this class we will explore many versions of the futo and learn a “more” sustainable version for suspension.
I come to rope from rough body play, and I’ve naturally sought out ways to fit the sensations of rope into the context of more primal play. The Ropefist is a tie I developed several years ago in an attempt to integrate rope with impact scenes, and over time have modified and refined it to provide maximum flexibility, coverage, and stability. I find it delivers a delightfully… *handy*… application of sensation (for both the Top and the bottom), and when tied correctly, can be both a durable and comfortable enough tie to last through an entire evening of playing, from tying to heavy impact.
This class will cover both the original and advanced forms of the Ropefist, and the pros and cons of each: where each offers protection, added sensation, and utility; quickly troubleshooting fit over time (and corrective measures); how to best achieve full hand coverage for varying hands; how to use the Ropefist in scenes of tying, impact, or both. And naturally, we will look at some contact techniques specifically tailored to the strengths of the Ropefist.
Connection Without A Plan (Hands On) There are times when nearly everyone gets caught up in what they think a tie should look like at the end of a tying experience. This class is designed to help facilitate the kind of freeform connected groundwork which doesn’t require a plan. Through the exploration of tools like frictions, body manipulation, rope handling, micro-bondage and more, students will find inspiration and develop best practices for static and transitional groundwork.
Advanced Bottoming Workshop (Demo/Discussion) Self awareness, negotiation and partner selection are all important aspects of basic rope bottoming, but eventually, bottoms may desire to take their education to the next level. At some higher levels, it is not enough to just be tied and to take pain, to succeed in rope sometimes customized strategies must be cultivated. This advanced bottoming workshop is designed to explore such management strategies for transitional suspension bondage. Topics for demonstration and discussion include but are not limited to: • TK tips, self assessment, and strategies for accommodating problems • Nerves, tendons, and circulation • Stress in strappados • Torsion, chest compression, and restrictive breathing • Futos • Ankle tie success • Neck and spine in suspension • Pain management • Aesthetics — bottoming for photography
This course will cover basic Rope safety and basic principles of rope bondage. Skills to be taught are larks head, single and double column ties, Futomomo, and a chest harness. We will combine these into a full floor-work tie.
Learn to use the cross hitch or “munter hitch” to create elaborate netting. A class which allows Even the newest ropers can use this simple skill to create elaborate ties for pleasure and play. A brief explanation of Lyra net suspensions with with short demo if time allows
Requires: 6 hanks of rope required
Flowing floor work helps to maintain intent in rope, keeping both partners focused on each other. By knowing how the body moves naturally, it is easy to keep the rope flowing and grow connection during a scene. It can also help to re-establish connection after situations that may pull you out of your rope space. In this class, basic body mechanics will be covered, as well as how to incorporate them into scenes.
Being able to make your partner fly can be exhilarating and terrifying. With so many things to keep in mind, anatomy seems to fall by the wayside. This class will cover the risks that accompany rope suspension, including those associated with: Hip harnesses, chest harnesses, futomomo ties, as well as thigh and ankle ties. The risks will be evaluated from an anatomical perspective.)