Shibari Syllabus
Courses
Shibari or Kinbaku is the art of erotic Japanese Rope Bondage – beautiful and engaging, it has a rich history and deep roots in Japanese culture.
From artistically intricate knot work through to aerial suspension.
With a focus on connecting with your partner and enjoying the process, not just the end result, Shibari is becoming increasingly popular in mainstream culture.
At Studio Kink, we have designed a progression to ensure that you have the opportunity to learn Shibari in a safe, fun and structured progression. To do this we have broken our syllabus down into 6 different levels of study. Each level has set content and is taught as a course over several classes.
Our Syllabus is broken down into 6 levels:
Introduction to Shibari
Level 1
This course is aimed at anyone looking to get started with Japanese style rope bondage. We will focus on the basics of rope bondage, teaching people the foundation ties that are used, talking about safety and how to use the what you have learnt. Once you are proficient at the content of this course you will have the skills necessary to have fun practicing Shibari or progress to more advanced courses.
Starting from the most fundamental components, this course requires no previous experience and has no pre required skills or knowledge. You do not need any rope or prior experience. In this course you will learn to tie by practicing on your own legs or a piece of furniture.
Format
We deliver this course in two formats.
Monthly Tuesday night series. The first format is a progression of 4 Tuesday night classes, weekly from 7pm to 9pm. The course begins on the 1st Tuesday night of each month. Each class builds on previous Tuesday night classes from that month.
Saturday Intensive. The other format we run this in is as a single intensive class on the fourth Saturday of each month from 10am to 12pm. This class covers the same content that we teach over the four class progression that we run on Tuesday nights. This is also a great refresher for those who haven’t tied in a while and are getting back into it.
Shibari Fundamentals
Level 2 and Level 3
Studio Kink Shibari Fundamentals focuses on putting together the elements learnt in Introduction to Shibari to form the Takatekote. We use the Takatekote as a foundation to build skill and learn the fundamental techniques of shibari.
The Takatekote, sometimes referred to as a boxtie (or TK), is the iconic Japanese style chest harness.
Learning a Takatekote will teach you many elements of Japanese style rope bondage used for other forms. Considered by many as the bedrock of an education in Japanese Rope Bondage, this tie is perfect as a foundation for learning many other concepts of Shibari such as tension, connection as well as other technical skills.
For this course you will need at least 4 pieces of Jute (7-8m each) and we highly recommend having someone to practice with.
We deliver this course in two formats. Weekly Thursday night classes or a weekend intensive.
Format
Thursday nights classes will be split according to students ability between Level 2 and Level 3 . Each level will be run in a different classroom. Both Thursday classes run from 7pm to 9pm and consist of an hour of instruction and an hour of supervised practice.
Thursday night Level 2 starts with an hour of instruction and demonstration from 7:00pm to 8:00pm and in it we will teach the first half of the Takatekote (often referred to as the ‘two rope TK’). This is followed by an hour of supervised practice where you will get a chance to practice and receive feedback on the content just covered.
During Thursday night classes, Level 3 will focus on the second half of the Takatekote (often referred to as the ‘three rope TK’). Level 3 class will begin with an hour of supervised practice/warm up from 7:00pm to 8:00pm. The supervised practice will be directed at skills taught in the previous week. Then from 8:00pm to 9:00pm will be an hour of focused, instructor led tuition.
Depending on how you learn, practice and study, it usually takes a minimum of 4 classes to complete each level. Our instructors will advise you of what you need to do in order to progress from studying at these levels. You can attend on any Thursday night and our team will direct you to the class appropriate to your skill.
The other format that we teach Shibari Fundamentals content is a weekend intensive format. These classes run on the 4th Saturday of each month. Level 2 content will be taught from 1pm to 3:30pm followed by supervised practice from 3:30pm to 5pm. Level 3 content will be taught from 3:30pm to 5pm. Students at level 3 can use the time from 1pm to 3:30pm to join in and refine and receive supervised practice on their level 2 skills.
Intermediate Shibari
Level 4
With our Shibari Fundamentals as assumed knowledge, these courses will focus on a different harness each month. For this stage you will need a minimum of 4 pieces of Jute (7 to 8m each) and we highly recommend having someone to practice with.
February - Hishi Takatekote
March - 3-point hip harness
April - Hishi Fusion
May - Teppou Gote
June - Strapardo
July - Mermaid Hishi
August - Hojo Hishi
September - Teppou Shibari
October - Hands in front harness
November - Peachy Butt tie
You do not need to complete these courses in order. Any of the Intermediate Shibari (Level 4) courses can be attended after completing Shibari Fundamentals (Level 3).
We deliver this course in two formats. Weekly Wednesday night classes from 7pm to 9pm and in a weekend intensive format.
Wednesday night classes will teach that a specific harness (listed above) over the course of four weeks. Each month we will focus on a new harness, beginning on the first Wednesday of each month. Class is from 7pm to 9pm.
We also run a Saturday Intensive version of these courses on the fourth Saturday of each month. This is perfect if you can’t make the Wednesday night classes. Class runs from 1pm to 5pm.
Shibari Suspensions
Level 5
For those who wish to learn to suspend, these courses will focus on rope suspension skills and safety.
When well executed the beauty and power of Shibari suspension enables the rigger to form an intense connection with the bottom which allows the bottom to surrender fully into their subspace. It is a form of edgeplay because of the significant risks that are present.
For these courses you will need to have completed at least Shibari Fundamentals (Level 3) and any three or more of our Intermediate Shibari (Level 4) courses. Students may be able to do these courses after completing Shibari Fundamentals with the express approval of one of our instructors.
You will need at least 10 pieces of jute (7 to 8 metre lengths) and one large suspension ring. We highly recommend having someone to practice with. Please check with us to see if your suspension hardware is appropriate.
These courses are suitable for those who are ready for their first suspension, people wanting to learn a new sequence, or those who want to increase the fluidity and grace of their suspensions.
These courses are taught as a Sunday Intensive, from 11:00am to 5:00pm with breaks. Each intensive course throughout the year will focus on a different suspension position.
April - Side Suspension
May - Vertical Suspension
September - Face Down Suspension
October - Face Up Suspension
November - Inversion Suspension
December - Torsion Suspension
Shibari Specialisation
Level 6
These are special intensives run by different members of the Studio Kink Team. Each intensive will focus on the instructor’s Shibari passions and specialities. Each course will have its own content and specific prerequisites which will be advertised along with the specific focus of the course.
Certificates
While not compulsory, students may wish to get certificates indicating their competency in a completed course. To do this you will need to demonstrate to our instructors a thorough understanding of the content of the course. You do not need a certificate in order to progress to later levels of the Studio Kink Shibari program. A satisfactory level of understanding of the content of a course is sufficient to progress to the next level. A certificate indicates a thorough understanding of the content and high competency, it does not indicate an ability to teach (this requires a completely different skill set).
Shibari is a practical, evolving and hands on activity. Without ongoing practice and dedication, skills and knowledge can deteriorate. As such certificates are given a timeframe which is indicated on the certificate. Certificates are renewed at our instructor's discretion.
In addition, students holding certificates have their accomplishment acknowledged next to their preferred name or pseudonym on the Students section of our website. This listing serves the purpose of verifying their certificate.
Safety, consent and ethics are of the utmost importance to Studio Kink. Therefore, in order to receive a certificate, students must also agree with and accept our Code of Consent and Ethics. This code can be found on our website. Students must have also demonstrated an attitude of pursuing safety and responsibility.
Senior Students
Students completing Level 5 and showing a high level of dedication to Shibari may be acknowledged as Senior Students. They are expected to be dedicated to actively progress their skills, uphold Studio Kink’s values and comply with our code of conduct.
Senior Students may help Instructors run classes, as well as supervise and assist with supervised practice sessions. Senior Students are listed on the Students section of our website.
Junior Instructors
Our junior instructors have shown dedication over a number of years to Studio Kink, as well as a passion for teaching. They have received specific training on how to teach our Shibari classes at Studio Kink.
They teach classes from the Studio Kink Shibari program shadowed by a Studio Kink Instructor.
Studio Kink Instructors
With years or even decades of Shibari teaching experience, our Instructors are world renowned practitioners of Shibari. They have countless hours practicing Shibari as well as designing and teaching courses.