Creating Balance

In this Shibari tutorial, Docvale and Bänana discuss the influence of technique in rope, focusing on three areas where mindfully adjusting your approach can create better balance in your shibari practice.

As soon as you need to use force as a rigger, says Docvale, there’s probably a trick you’re missing that could make it simpler. Good riggers, he says, are lazy – they understand that the less complicated you make things and the less you force, the easier it will be to tie. This course is intended to help you bring intentionality into aspects of your rope practice where it’s easy to develop bad habits, and while the lessons covered in these classes may be tricky to implement at first, they will have a positive impact on your practice in the long run.

The first class focuses on the position and posture of rigger. In this tutorial, Docvale will discuss the pros and cons of different positions in terms of exertion, how dynamic they are, the level of stability they offer, and how impactful they are or what they communicate to the person being tied.

The second part of this course looks at tips and tricks for better rope handling, as this is an aspect of your practice that can both generate balance as well as create imbalance, particularly in partial and full suspensions. We all tie in a sequential way, says Docvale, but it’s good rope handling that gives our tying a sense of fluidity.

The final two classes focus on body manipulation with essential advice for how to use less force for greater results both when the person being tied is seated as well as when they are standing up. In these classes, Docvale discusses how too much superfluous movement can lead to imbalance and mixed messages while clear and intentional movement can effectively communicate intent and make for a better bondage practice.

This course is suitable for all levels and is recommended for anyone looking to refine the way they communicate through their tying.