Physical Rope: Partials

In this shibari class, Tifereth explores techniques for physical rope in partial suspensions with her model Irkalla.

Building on the elements of using both your rope and your body for pushing, pulling and stretching as taught in Tifereth’s ‘Physical Rope: Ground’ class, the second part of this series adds an extra dynamic to your physical rope toolbox: gravity.

The first drill, ‘Playing With Gravity’, is designed to help you find flow and movement in a partial suspension starting out with some simple wrist cuffs. As Tifereth explains, you should stick to this drill for as long as you need to get a feel for this dynamic and connective way of tying. For the person being tied, this is also an opportunity to practice active participation, communication and awareness of how you hold yourself in these types of ties.

The second drill, ‘Making Connections’, expands on the skills you practiced in the first, adding more rope and getting deeper into this style of rope with Tifereth demonstrating where you might find opportunities as well as how to playfully exploit them. Be prepared to feel awkward at first, she says. The rope is simple – wraps and single-columns – but the technique is what comes with time and practice. The more you practice the deeper mechanics of body manipulation play, the more confident you’ll become. For Tifereth and Irkalla, this hands-on type of tying is one of their favorite ways to connect, allowing their dynamic to shine.

This class requires some experience with partial suspensions and tying suspension lines. To explore play with these techniques for any level of experience, check out the Physical Rope: Ground’ class.

This is the second of three ‘Physical Rope’ focused courses led by Tifereth. Keep an eye out for ‘Physical Rope: Suspension’ – coming soon!

* Captions available for this series: English