Rope Study Small-Group Weekend Intensive: Tying Well, Not Patterns
If you’ve been tying for a while and have reached a place in your rope practice where you’re looking for a deeper understanding of the choices and decisions you’re making in rope, a greater awareness of yourself and your partners in rope, and an increased competence and efficiency in your rope skills, then we invite you to come study with us for two days of concepts, exercises, and tips to help you improve your experience of rope, whether as someone who ties or who is tied, and independent of any specific harnesses or intentions in rope. In fact, our hope is that you will gain a better understanding of some fundamental concepts that will apply regardless of what you’re tying or being tied in, and that you will be able to use those concepts to more-accurately assess, enjoy, and mitigate risks for your various rope interactions.
Logistics
Date: June 1-2
Time: 10am to 6pm
Location: Richmond, VA
Cost: $150 / tying pair
Limit of 6 tying pairs
Description
During this workshop, we will examine what we consider to be the fundamentals of tying well: placement, tension, and control, along with the ways in which those components relate and contribute to the structure of a tie, when desired. We will explore these concepts through both general concepts and exercises as well as a variety of related tips and tricks.
This examination will include “both sides” of the rope (those who tie and those who are tied) and the ways in which those components are understood by both. We will also consider how these components contribute directly to the level of risk in any tie.
We will apply these concepts to a wide range of common rope components and forms, catering the general concepts to the specific harnesses and methods of tying that each person brings to the workshop, as well as demonstrate how these concepts can exist independent of any specific pattern and continue to apply during more “free form” tying sessions.
(Note: while we work primarily with natural-fiber rope in the Japanese-influenced rope tradition, the principles we cover in this workshop can apply to most rope materials and approaches to tying.)
Experience / Prerequisite
This intensive is designed for people who already have a good amount of experience tying / being tied in rope and are looking to improve their technique, efficiency, and understanding. At minimum, participants should already have a firm grasp of the basics of tying / being tied, a good understanding of safety and consent in rope, should practice somewhat regularly, and should be comfortable with basic components such as single / double / in-line cuffs, at least a few basic harnesses, and general preferences in rope.
This is NOT designed for people who are brand new to rope.
While we don’t find time to be an accurate correlation to experience, we suggest that if you haven’t been tying regularly for at least 6 months, this workshop is probably not for you. On the other hand, we don’t think there is any “upper limit” of experience that couldn’t find value in this workshop.
Instructors
The workshop will be led by Ma’iitsoh Yazhi and Lyrabel, with planning assistance from Bound Light.
Ma’iitsoh Yazhi and Bound Light have been working together in rope for over 12 years. They helped to run Richmond Rope Bite back in the day, founded and ran RVA rope for 6 years, and founded and continue to run Rope Study. They have studied with a wide range of experienced rope tops and bottoms, and have learned a great deal from their local community and the successes and challenges they’ve found through their time tying together.
Lyrabel has been involved with rope for over 8 years. She enjoys being tied and has been learning to tie over the past few years. She has studied with Rope Study and various traveling instructors, and has helped run the Rope Bottoms’ Munch and Rope 101 for RVA Rope. She enjoys problem solving and teaching on both sides of the rope.
Securing a Spot
If you’d like to participate, please apply using the form below.
We will consider candidates on a first-come, first-served bases PROVIDED that the candidates appear to meet the prerequisites for the workshop. If we receive more applicants than spots available, we will add them to a waist list in the order the forms were completed.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please send a message, and we will reply as soon as possible.