Positioning Between Partners

In this shibari course, hua hua teaches a series of classes exploring how positioning between partners can influence your ties and sessions, with input from her model Olivia.

Think ‘position’ in shibari and you’re likely to imagine it’s all about the model and the shapes achieved in the course of the tie. As hua hua explains, though, while we might think less often of how the rigger is positioned in response to the bottom, it can still greatly affect the mood and experience of your rope sessions. Before you even lay the first rope, your starting positions can begin to communicate intent, create a sense of vulnerability or dominance, and allow you to introduce more or less challenge early on.

In the first class, hua hua explains the benefits and drawbacks of beginning your sessions seated or starting them standing. As she says, starting seated can help establish a greater sense of ease and intimacy; standing offers more space and options to play with proximity.

In the second class, hua hua explores how the rigger’s positioning behind, beside or in front of the bottom can be used to enhance engagement, amplify power exchange, or simply be more or less practical for different types of play.

In the final class, two seated starting options for bottoms are compared: kneeling (or seiza position) and cross-legged (or agura).

This course is suitable – and enocouraged – for all levels, and will help you approach your tying sessions with greater awareness and intention.

* Captions available for this series: English