Peel Them Like Fruit

In this shibari tutorial, Thumper and Bondagious present the only slightly ominously titled Peel Them Like Fruit, a playful course focused on rope bondage and clothing play.

What are you wearing? No, really… it might just be a more pertinent question for your next shibari session than you thought. In this multipart class, exposure and restraint are explored through the lens of creatively combining rope and clothing to create different sensations, emotions and trajectories for your rope scenes.

In the first video, Bondagious and Thumper introduce the concept of clothing play, delving into the purpose and meaning of the things we wear, and how we can play with that when we tie. As they explain, each garment will present different possibilities for how it can be incorporated into your ties, and while playing with clothing can absolutely be used to make someone feel exposed or vulnerable, it can also be affirming, euphoric and embellishing.

The second video offers an exercise to begin exploring clothing play with a virtually no-skills-needed tie placed on top of a men’s button up shirt. The purpose of this exercise? Taking “the long way round the barn” – purposefully slowing down, seeing how rope and fabric interact, gradually beginning to play with exposure, and exploring position, layers, distance, breath, touch – all subtle but powerful elements for creating imbalance and tension.

In the third video, you get to ditch the ropes entirely as Bondagious and Thumper demonstrate how clothing alone can be an effective and intriguing tool for bondage – both partnered and even solo. Who knew you could hog-tie yourself with just a T-shirt?

In the fourth video, all the techniques and concepts from the first three classes are combined in a clothing-and-rope bondage sequence that gradually builds up in intensity, intentionally alternating between feelings of security and insecurity, before offering tips for how even “redressing” can become a core part of the scene.

Finally, the pair debrief after the tying session, reflecting on the various themes clothing play can amplify in rope, and offering guidance and important considerations for safer and more aware explorations.

This course is suitable for all levels, focusing less on technique and more on reimagining what we wear as another element that can be incorporated into our ropey play. Please keep your skill set in mind as you apply the concepts taught in this course to your own practice.

* Captions available for this series: English