Starting in August, LA Rope will be offering a new class of single rope ties in the style of Yukimura Haruki sensei.

This class builds on our two beginner classes (Hands in Front and Hands Behind Ties), but exploring how those basic foundations can be used to create more advanced ties by utilizing these basic constructions and different body positions to develop better communication and intimacy using rope.

The class begins with a refresher on the basic hands in front tie (which we will use for most of the class) and then moves on to three ties that use this as a foundation:  Momo (Peach) Shibari , a one rope Tengu (Demon) tie, and the Kani (Crab) open leg tie.   Finally, we will explore two versions of Yukimura’s open leg tie, the first utilizing the hands in front tie and the second using the hands behind tie (gote).

While no prior experience is required, students will find it helpful to have take either or both of the other two beginner classes.

Beginners always welcome. We have rope to loan for class as well as for purchase. It is recommended you come with a partner. Individuals are welcome but we can not guarantee a tying partner will be available.

Cost: $25 per person, in advance. No tickets at the door. If you are buying as a couple, please order together as this event always sells out and we cannot admit over our capacity once class is full.

Tickets are for this event only and cannot be refunded or exchanged once purchased.

Tickets available here

One of the most important figures in the history of shibari is Akechi Denki.  Akechi sensei passed away on July 17, 2005 and we will be celebrating his memory with a viewing of his video “Secrets of Shibari.”  The video has been described as a “why to tie” instead of “how to tie” video and offers insight into his approach to rope and how he viewed the connection between the person tying and those who were tied by him.

Secrets of Shibari is an extremely rare video (almost impossible to find) and will be shown subtitled, with captions created by a well known rope historian and friend of Akechi Denki.

The event will open with a brief lecture about his approach to rope, his importance and influence, and an overview of his legacy.  There will also be an opportunity to view several photo books of his work and purchase videos of his two Bakuyu Kai videos and several rare videos from his legendary Phantom shows.

Join us July 15th to celebrate his memory, life, and work.  

Too often, rope classes focus on ties, patterns, and technique, without really delving into how those ties can be used to create emotion, feeling, and communication between partners. One of the ways to start thinking about tying with more emotion is to focus on the concept of progressions.

Rope progressions as we teach them at LA Rope, generally speaking, have four components that create a story and allow the person tying to express a particular intention and the person being tied the opportunity to respond to that intention.

The four aspects we study are:

Anticipation

How to you build an emotional and psychological context for what is to follow. Right from the beginning, you should be laying out the framework for the culmination of your intention in the final aspect of the tie.

Layering

Once you build the anticipation, the next step is to slowly add to the tie. Each layer you add, whether it be with rope, words, positioning, or touch, helps guide your partner into the headspace that you are working to create for them.

Climax

The climax is the high point of the progression and should represent the fulfilment of your intention. It is what brings all the anticipation and layering together and offers a surprise or twist to the scene.

Release

Once we complete the tie, we begin the process of untying and releasing them. It is important to pay as much attention to untying as you do to the tying. Release is not just a physical experience, but a psychological and emotional one as well.

Putting those four aspects together gives us the basic building blocks to create a rope scene or progression. But this is not just the process of moving from one tie to the next, with a preset plan.

While your intention will remain consistent throughout the scene, how you realize it is always open to change. We watch and see how our partner responds to each rope and adjust accordingly to find the best way to create the emotional context we want to develop.

With each step we take, we need to keep a close eye on how our partner responds and follow their energy to build the most powerful context we can to allow our intention to be expressed.

Observation and attention is just as important, perhaps even more important, than the ties themselves.

Our next intermediate workshop: Emotion and Communication focuses on taking your ties to the next level.  We will use four basic ties to create a progression with particular attention to how to create a sense of anticipation, layering, and surprise in a tying session.

We will spend the first hour working through a set progression, with the second half of the class focused on having students create their own progression, using their favorite ties.

Limited to five couples.

Students should have basic experience with Yukimura style ties, from either the Hands In Front Class or the Hands Behind Class.

Beginning in September, LA Rope will offer monthly meetings for the opportunity to study the style of Grandmaster Yukimura Haruki in greater depth.

Rather that a standard class or workshop, these meetings are designed to explore the conceptual foundations of Yukimura style shibari.

Each meeting will be divided into two parts. The first will be a presentation, focused on the work of Yukimura, designed to highlight a particular aspect of his style, a concept, or context for the practice of erotic rope bondage. We will explore some of his video work, photography, and writings and in doing do, work to better understand the Yukimura school of tying.

The second half of the meeting will be for participants to put Yukimura’s concepts into practice. Participants are free to work on new ties, replicate ties or scene from the earlier discussion, or practice and work on the basics of Yukimura style shibari.

The meeting is open to anyone with an interest in learning more about Yukimura’s approach to rope. No experience is required.

A partner is not required to participate, but will be useful for the second portion of the meeting if you wish to tie.

The meeting will be led by Zetus, a certified instructor in Yukimura style shibari and the primary instructor for LA Rope.

Meeting will not be progressive, meaning you may join at any time and come as often as you wish. Each meeting will have a different focus and will explore a new element of Yukimura’s unique approach to erotic rope bondage.

Our first meeting will be September 27th. Tickets are available here: Yukimura Ryuu Study Group