ROPE JAM STUDIO

Our studio is proudly LGBTQIA+, FLINTA+ and BiPOC supporter and ally, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming space for all bodies and identities.

SHIBARI SAFETY /// NERVES, BLOOD VESSELS & SAFER ROPE PLACEMENT /// ALL LEVELS

Read the Body /// Recognise Risk /// Respond with Confidence

Rope can never be made completely risk-free.

What we can develop is a deeper understanding of the body, a more precise awareness of risk and the ability to recognise and respond to change before it becomes injury.

This four-hour workshop explores the anatomy beneath the rope.

We will study where important nerves and blood vessels travel through the body, why some areas are particularly vulnerable to pressure and compression, and how rope placement, direction, tension, movement, duration and load can transform the effect of a tie.

This is not about memorising a list of supposedly safe and dangerous zones.

No placement is universally safe for every person, every tie or every moment. Bodies vary. Sensation varies. Mobility, health history and anatomical structure vary. A position that initially feels comfortable may change as the body moves, the rope settles or pressure increases.

The purpose of this workshop is to learn how to think, observe, communicate and adapt.

Following the philosophy of Tiger Nawa Ryū, we teach concepts rather than patterns.

Rather than asking only:

“Where should I put the rope?”

We will also ask:

What lies beneath it?

Where is the pressure travelling?

What changes when the limb moves?

What is the person in rope experiencing?

What can I observe, test or adjust?

When should the rope be moved or removed?

NERVES AND CIRCULATION ARE NOT THE SAME

Nerve compression and changes in blood circulation are frequently confused in rope practice.

They may produce different sensations, warning signs and consequences. A hand can retain apparently normal colour and warmth while a nerve is being compressed. Tingling is not always “just circulation”, and waiting for the hand to change colour is not an adequate nerve check.

We will learn to distinguish possible nerve-related changes from possible circulation-related changes without pretending to diagnose them.

We will explore what numbness, tingling, weakness, loss of movement, unusual pain, changes in temperature and changes in colour may be communicating.

The workshop will pay particular attention to the upper body and arms, including the brachial plexus and the radial, median and ulnar nerves.

We will also examine vulnerable pathways and structures around the neck, shoulder, armpit, elbow, forearm, wrist, pelvis, thighs, knees and lower legs.

Anatomical information will be translated into practical rope understanding through body maps, demonstrations, palpation, movement observations and placement exercises.

WE WILL EXPLORE

• The difference between nerves, arteries and veins
• How nerve compression, nerve stretching and restricted circulation affect the body
• The brachial plexus and its relationship to the neck, shoulder and armpit
• The pathways of the radial, median and ulnar nerves
• Vulnerable areas around the upper arm, elbow, forearm and wrist
• Important lower-body pathways, including the femoral, sciatic, tibial and common fibular nerves
• Blood-vessel pathways relevant to rope placement
• How tension, direction, duration, movement and loading change pressure
• The difference between local pressure and pressure transferred through a rope structure
• Anatomical variation and why every body must be approached individually
• Establishing a sensory and movement baseline before tying
• Meaningful sensation, movement and circulation checks
• Recognising changes in sensation, strength, movement, colour and temperature
• Communication from both sides of the rope
• Repositioning, adapting and releasing rope
• Efficient emergency release
• What to observe after the rope has been removed
• When persistent symptoms may require professional medical assessment

FROM ANATOMY TO ROPE

Anatomy becomes useful when we can locate it on a living, moving body.

Participants will learn to visualise important pathways beneath the skin and relate them to common rope placements. We will examine how small changes in position can move pressure towards or away from vulnerable structures.

We will explore why the same placement may feel completely different on two people and why checks must be specific to the individual rather than performed mechanically.

The person tying will practise observing, asking more precise questions, testing movement and adapting the rope.

The person being tied will be supported in developing a clearer sensory vocabulary and communicating changes before a sensation becomes severe.

Safety is a shared conversation.

The person in rope is not a passive object waiting to be checked. Their sensations, movement, communication and knowledge of their own body are fundamental parts of the process.

BY THE END OF THE WORKSHOP

Participants should be better able to:

• Visualise major nerve and blood-vessel pathways relevant to rope bondage
• Recognise common areas of increased vulnerability
• Distinguish possible nerve-related symptoms from circulation-related changes
• Establish an individual sensory and movement baseline
• Perform more meaningful body, movement and circulation checks
• Ask precise questions rather than relying on “Are you okay?”
• Notice changes in sensation, strength, movement, colour and temperature
• Reconsider rope position, tension, duration and loading
• Adapt or release rope promptly when warning signs appear
• Communicate more clearly from both sides of the rope
• Recognise when continuing a tie may no longer be appropriate
• Understand when persistent symptoms should receive medical attention

SKILL LEVEL

All levels.

This workshop is suitable for complete beginners who want to begin with a stronger understanding of anatomy and risk.

It is equally relevant to experienced practitioners who wish to refresh, deepen or challenge their existing safety knowledge.

The material is designed for:

• People who tie
• People who are tied
• Switches
• Self-tiers
• Floor-rope practitioners
• Suspension practitioners
• Performers
• Facilitators and educators

No suspension experience is required.

You do not need to know a particular harness or style of tying. The principles studied can be applied across floor work, partial suspension and full suspension.

ATTENDANCE

👤 Solo attendance: Welcome

👥 Partner attendance: Recommended

🔄 Partner matching: Whenever possible

🪢 Suitable for: People who tie, are tied, switch or self-tie

You may attend alone, with a friend or with an established rope partner.

Attending with your own partner is recommended because some exercises involve locating anatomical pathways, observing movement and testing placements on another person.

Solo participants will be paired whenever possible for exercises requiring a partner. Partner matching cannot be guaranteed.

Nobody is required to tie, be tied or expose any part of their body they do not wish to expose. Individual exercises may be observed instead.

DURATION

This is a four-hour workshop, including a short break.

Please arrive 10–15 minutes before the workshop begins.

WHAT TO WEAR

Close-fitting, movement-friendly clothing is recommended so that anatomical landmarks, rope placement, posture and changes in movement can be observed clearly.

Short sleeves or a sleeveless top can be helpful when studying the shoulder, upper arm and elbow.

Shorts or leggings that can be adjusted around the knee may be useful for the lower-body section.

Wear whatever allows you to move comfortably and feel like yourself. Adaptations will be made wherever possible.

WHAT TO BRING

• 4–8 rope lengths of approximately 8 metres each
• Safety shears or another appropriate rope-cutting tool
• Water
• A warm layer
• A notebook or another way to take notes
• Any personal comfort or aftercare items you may need

Communal ropes are available for students who do not yet own a set.

Premium Japanese jute rope is also available to purchase from the studio, subject to stock.

SAFETY & ADAPTATION

This workshop provides anatomy-informed risk-awareness education.

It does not provide medical training, diagnosis, treatment or professional certification. The information taught cannot make rope bondage risk-free and should not replace advice from a qualified healthcare professional.

Every participant is responsible for working within their existing abilities, communicating relevant limitations and deciding whether an exercise is appropriate for their body.

All exercises will begin on the floor and will be introduced progressively. Suspension is not required.

Rope will be repositioned, reduced or removed whenever changes in sensation, movement, strength, colour, temperature, breathing or general wellbeing indicate that adaptation is needed.

Persistent numbness, weakness, loss of movement, severe or unusual pain, or significant colour and temperature changes should not be ignored. Where symptoms continue after the rope has been removed, appropriate medical assessment should be sought.

This is a sober learning space.

All studio activities are guided by our Code of Conduct, prioritising consent, respect and inclusion.

MEET YOUR SENSEI

The workshop is taught by Lola Tiger Nawa, founder of RopeJam Studio and creator of Tiger Nawa Ryū.

Lola’s teaching brings together traditional Kinbaku study, somatic communication, movement, anatomy, creativity and the sensitivity of a musician’s approach to structure and improvisation.

The teaching philosophy is simple:

Concepts, not patterns.

We do not learn only where to place a rope.

We learn to understand what the rope is doing, how the body is responding and how to make informed choices in the moment.

REFUND POLICY

Booking fees are non-refundable.

The ticket cost, minus booking fees, is refundable up to 7 days before the event.

Within 7 days of the event, tickets are non-refundable. If you can no longer attend, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can try to help resell your place.

If RopeJam Studio cancels the event, ticket holders will be contacted with refund or rescheduling options.

ADDRESS

RopeJam Studio
Unit 2
7 Fountayne Road
London N15 4QL

⚠️ Please make sure you travel to Fountayne Road, N15, NOT Fountayne Road in N16.

HOW TO FIND US

Enter through the courtyard at number 7. The metal and glass courtyard door is open.

Go inside and follow the corridor on your right. Unit 2 is the second door on the right.

There is no need to ring or message when you arrive.

If you get lost, WhatsApp or call:

07772 955 639

TRANSPORT

Victoria Line

• Seven Sisters, using the High Road / buses exit
• Tottenham Hale

Overground

• South Tottenham, Suffragette Line
• Seven Sisters, Weaver Line

The studio is approximately 10–13 minutes’ walk from these stations.

Stansted Express

• Liverpool Street to Tottenham Hale: approximately 15 minutes
• Stansted Airport to Tottenham Hale: approximately 36 minutes

Read the body. Listen to change. Respond through the rope.

Unconditional Rope Love 🖤🪢