Moving The Body

In this shibari course, hua hua teaches Moving the Body – without rope, with rope and in suspension – with her model Dantianshi.

Rope skills without body manipulation are fine if you, you know, want to turn your partner into an elaborately tied paperweight. But for finding your flow in shibari and moving the body with ease, you’ll need to understand body mechanics first. In this three-part class, hua hua offers a grounding in the core principles for moving your rope bottom smoothly, efficiently and without force, before showing how those principles can be applied tying on the ground and in the air.

In the first video, hua hua demonstrates how to move the body without ropes, based on where you apply force, what type of movement you use, and how weight distribution can be used to your advantage. As she explains, if you can do this with just your hands first, applying the same with rope will come more easily.

In the second video, hua hua invites you to see the rope tail as an extension of your hand, applying the concepts from the first class with rope in hand. Additionally, she offers tips for how to use opposing forces to guide the body, incorporating a suspension point, and more.

In the final video, moving the body in space is levelled up, literally. As hua hua explains, suspending supports the weight of the body, meaning less energy and effort and more movement potential. This class builds on the skills explored in the first two classes, with tips and tricks for position, suspension line placement, and how to create space for movement.

This course is suitable for various steps along the way in your shibari journey. The first class is ideal for beginners, the second for those with a little more tying and rope handling experience, while the last class is aimed at those with plenty of floor play experience who are beginning to explore suspensions. Keep your skill set in mind when applying techniques from this course and only take your body manipulation skills into the air if that is already a part of your rope practice.

* Captions available for this series: English