This level includes a single required offering: Rope0. This class is a prerequisite for all core curriculum classes at Temple.

Rope0 introduces our foundational framework and context, including expectations on community responsibility, consent-based interactions, Temple’s collective values and practices of mutual care, and basic risk management. It also includes a brief introduction to the history of Japanese rope bondage.

Designed for those new to rope bondage, Level 1 establishes essential knowledge and hands-on fundamentals.

Topics include historical context, inherent risks, basic anatomy, and practical risk management. Students will also develop core technical skills: knot building, a variety of frictions, basic rope and body handling, and the construction of simple ties.

Classes: Roped In, Ipponawa  

Lab: Beginner’s Rope Lab

Level 2 builds on foundational skills and introduces greater complexity in both technique and partnership.

Students will learn introductory harness construction, expand rope and body handling skills, and begin combining knots and frictions into cohesive full-body ties. Additional concepts include structural variations (such as diamond patterns) and the use of body bamboo. Equal emphasis is placed on “soft skills”: communication in rope, partner awareness, intentionality, and applied knowledge of anatomy and nerve safety.

Classes: Hogtie Rodeo, Hishi Logic, Body Bamboo, Tk Foundations

Lab: Tips&Tricks

Level 3 explores the transition from floor work to suspension, focusing on partial suspensions, predicaments, and the introduction of uplines.

This level features a rotating set of classes from multiple instructors, offering varied approaches to uplines and the expanded possibilities they create. Students will deepen their understanding of structural harnesses, refine advanced rope and body handling, and strengthen their communication and decision-making skills. Strong emphasis is placed on anatomy, nerve safety, and risk recognition and management in more dynamic contexts.

Level 3 prepares students to take their tying off the ground and progress toward full suspension.

Classes: Pick Me Up, Flight Path, Gravity is the Enemy, Under Construction

Lab: Maintenance

Level 4 moves fully into the air, including static and dynamic suspension and advanced upline management.

At this level, students apply and refine the full range of skills developed in earlier levels. Classes focus on in-air body handling, efficient and responsive decision-making, strong in-scene communication skills, suspension-specific safety and risk mitigation, and the ability to adapt ties to different bodies and situations. Creative and aesthetic choices are also explored, supporting the development of an individual tying style within a strong technical framework.

Classes: FORMS, One Thing After Another

Lab: Group Project

a note on prerequisites:

Our core curriculum is meant to be progressive. Each student or pair is meant to take several classes from each level, in any order, before moving on to the next. However, we know that there are many, many resources for rope education. Because of this, we do not require students to make their way through the curriculum from start to finish but rather ask that they assess their skill level and fit themselves into our curriculum based on the skill prerequisites provided for each class. Please see the flow chart above for guidance on how to follow the offerings of our core curriculum, and review the prerequisites of each individual class closely before registering.