A two-day deep dive into the fundamentals of Japanese rope bondage

Are you interested in learning more about Shibari, the Japanese art of rope bondage? Perhaps you've seen some photos, videos, or even live performances and it's caught your eye, or maybe you're looking for a new hobby that has some interesting practical applications... !

Come and join us for our weekend course in November, in which you will build the foundations to start practicing and playing with rope bondage safely and confidently.

This course is designed for beginners and people relatively new to rope. You're equally welcome if you've never explored rope bondage before, OR if you've dabbled a bit and want to bring together what you've been learning in a more structured way. Either way, you don't need any special clothing or equipment to get started - we even provide the rope for you to use during the class!

The Kinky Classroom runs regular workshops and courses in Liverpool and Manchester with the goal of providing a friendly, non-intimidating environment to explore concepts and themes of kink in a way that centres curiosity, consent, and empowerment.

What to expect:

This is a two-day course taking place over Saturday and Sunday.

We will include a mixture of learning through discussion, theory, demonstrations, and hands-on practice.

We will provide all the "equipment" you'll need so you don't need to bring anything along, unless you'd like to.

You can do many of the exercises during the course solo through self-tying. It is also possible to partner up with another participant if you'd like, and we will give you some tools to support conversations around negotiating consent. If you already have a friend or practice partner who you know is coming, you are also welcome to stick together and practice with each other throughout. We are welcoming of all genders, sexualities, and relationship orientations.

The schedule:

This is a two-day course running on Saturday 18th AND Sunday 19th November. The intention is for the group to complete BOTH DAYS of the course together. We will be building your essential skills as we go and therefore it's not possible for you to only come for the second day.

Doors will open at 10.45 am, giving you a chance to settle in, grab a drink, and mingle (if you like) before the class starts at 11.00 am. The class itself will run from until 6.00 pm with a break for lunch plus shorter, ad-hoc breaks throughout the day as needed.

Course outline:

Over the two days, we will cover:

• What Shibari is (and a little of its history) and what makes it different from other rope bondage
• Rope safety
• Getting started with rope through self tying
• How to negotiate with a potential tying partner
• Tension - the fundamental skill in tying and its applications
• Frictions - what are they, why are they important and how do we use them?
• Building bigger structures
• Tying with intention - how can we use rope as a language, what can we say, and when should we stop?!

The venue:

The class will take place in one of the studios at ARTS BAR HOPE ST. The studio is on the 2nd floor with both stair and lift access. 

If you have any questions about the suitability of this event, please contact us and we can provide the information you need to make an informed decision.

About your hosts:

Lex is the shame-slaying sex and kink educator behind Pleasure Rebels. The focus of their work is all about creating permissive spaces in which people can explore the themes of POWER, PLEASURE, and PLAY. They are a Certified Sexological Bodyworker, Embodied Facilitator, and Certified Dominatrix and also draw upon their (good, bad, and ugly) lived experiences of navigating life “beyond the norms” as a queer, kinky, and non-monogamous person!

Matt balances his professional career with an avid passion for exploring kink and sexuality. His journey into the fascinating world of BDSM began when he discovered Shibari (Japanese rope bondage) around 6 years ago. Alongside his ongoing study of the technique and philosophy of the art, he has been enthusiastically passing on his expertise through one-to-one sessions and delivering rope workshops for groups. He is very actively involved in the kink scene and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from this, as well as a gift for helping people open up to their hidden desires in a safe and well-informed way.

Joining the course:

Please make sure you are able to attend BOTH days if registering for this course.

The price for the weekend course is £150 per person for both days. If you feel that price is the only limiting factor to your attending, or if you would like to discuss a payment plan, please get in touch and we will see what we can do to make this more accessible!