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If our reduced tickets (low income & hardship) are sold out or still too expensive, write to info@karada-house.de. No one's left behind.
A two-day deep dive into the building blocks of shibari: how structures are created, and how they shape bodies.
This weekend brings together two complementary workshops based on our Rope Structures series, that move from understanding how ties work to exploring what they do. On day one, Building Blocks & Design Choices focuses on the foundations of structure: harness construction, frictions, and the design decisions that make ties stable, adaptable, and expressive. You’ll develop a modular way of thinking about rope, moving beyond fixed patterns into understanding the logic behind them. You will learn a gote (arms behind the back tie), a mermaid tie, and a hip harness.
On day two, Restricting Bodies, we apply those same building blocks to create intentional restriction. We’ll explore how rope can shape posture, limit movement, and create specific physical and emotional experiences, working with positions, connections, and simple setups that bring structure into the body. You will learn Ceci’s arms front harness, a futomomo, a crab tie, and how to connect body parts to harnesses and furniture.
Together, these workshops offer a practical and exploratory approach to shibari: not just learning ties, but learning how to build and use them with intention. The focus throughout is on adaptability, body awareness, and making informed choices, whether you’re tying for aesthetics, play, or deeper exploration.
You can join for one day or both, but attending the full weekend will give you the clearest sense of progression from structure to application. Buy a full weekend ticket here, or navigate to the descriptions of each day for a one-day ticket.
Join us for the full weekend, or pick the day that suits you best:
Shibari is not just about what you tie, but how and why you build it.
The first day of our Toolbox weekend focuses on the underlying structures that make ties functional, adaptable, and expressive. Instead of learning one fixed pattern, you’ll develop a modular understanding of rope: how suspension harnesses are constructed, how frictions shape tension and stability, and how small design choices change both the look and feel of a tie.
We’ll work with core building blocks: wraps, frictions (X, L, half-moon), and basic harness blueprints, learning and understanding how to build a gote (TK/box tie), a hip harness, and a mermaid tie. From there, we’ll explore how different traditions and styles approach similar structures, and what happens when you start modifying the blueprint.
Along the way, we’ll look at body geometry, balance, and how to adapt ties to different bodies and intentions. The goal is not to memorize patterns, but to understand the logic behind them so you can build, adjust, and tie with more confidence.
This workshop is ideal for those ready to move beyond fundamentals into more intentional and structured tying.
What to expect
The second day of our toolbox weekend explores how to use rope to create clear, intentional restrictions in the body — whether through tying limbs together, shaping posture, or connecting a body to itself, another person, or an object. We’ll work with positions such as hogties, folded and asymmetrical shapes, and tying to furniture, using accessible tools like single column ties, basic harnesses, and frictions.
To continue growing your shibari harness toolbox, you will learn Ceci’s arms front chest harness, a structured futomomo, and a crab tie. You can also continue practicing harnesses from the previous day’s workshop. This workshop gives you a first taste of techniques you will need for moving into shibari suspensions.
We’ll also cover practical considerations like transitions, adaptability for different bodies and flexibility levels, and maintaining awareness of safety while working with restriction.
This is a hands-on, exploratory space to better understand how rope shapes bodies, and how to make intentional choices about the kind of experience you’re creating.
What to expect
Please arrive 15 minutes earlier so we can process your ticket and welcome you. Send us a message as soon as you know that you will be late. Once the class has started we do usually not allow entry, unless we know you are late for a valid reason (unforeseeable circumstances). You cannot transfer your ticket to another class. If you are not sure you can come, please purchase your ticket on the day as soon as you are absolutely sure you can make it.
You don’t need to come with a partner! You can find practice buddies at the workshop, and self tying is possible for a big part of the class. However, if you run shy and it takes you time to warm up to people, finding someone in advance is always a good idea.
LGBTQIA+ describes the full spectrum of non-mainstream sexual orientation and/or gender identity, meaning: lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, non-binary, genderqueer/fluid, queer, intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender.
Friends describe people of any and all kinds of gender and sexual identities who are aware and respectful of the necessity, needs, and boundaries of a queer space and its marginalized community.
When you consider yourself a friend you show acknowledgement to and are respectful of everyone's self-expression and do not assume, presume or project non-consensual ideas onto others. You actively request and use people's chosen pronouns. You remain mindful of the fact that Karada House is first and foremost a space for queer people that you are also invited to attend. You have a genuine concern for the well-being of LGBTQIA+ people and remain in awareness of heterosexual and gender-straight privileges.
Friends don't have to be perfect. None of us are. We request that we all proactively work and strive to be good friends and allies to marginalized people.
