Crafting transition sequences
Model: Soft Armor
In shibari, a transition is the movement from one position to another. When tying, it is easy to fall back on familiar sequences and repeat paths we already know, rather than exploring what else might be possible or making our technical choices match our intentions.
This workshop is about developing the ability to build transitions as we go, rather than following a predetermined sequence. Through a series of exploration exercises, we will create transition sequences and analyse them in real time. Starting from the sensations and reactions of the person in the ropes, we will look at body mechanics and how each technical choice changes the situation and how it can open or close different possibilities for what comes next. We will also explore how a sequence of transitions can have its own progression and narrative, and how technical choices can contribute to what we want to express.
The goal is not to learn a set of transitions, but to develop a broader toolbox and a more efficient way of thinking while tying: observing, making choices, adapting, and finding new paths instead of automatically returning to familiar ones.
Prerequisites:
This course is suitable for riggers who are comfortable tying in suspension. Having already been tied several times in suspension is necessary for the models.
Communication being a central element in shibari it is always preferable to come with a partner with whom you already practice in order to allow a good experience. It's important to have already discussed the framework of your practice (desires, intentions, limits, ways of managing consent)
Bios:
Bänana (she /they) has been practicing bondage since she was young and discovered shibari about ten years ago, drawn to its raw and authentic nature. Fascinated by the expression of emotion, she sees rope as a space for exploration, intensity, and creativity.
As a switch in her personal practice, she brings both the rigger’s and the rope bottom’s perspectives into her teaching, paying close attention to the experience of both sides of the rope. She explores rope beyond fixed roles and expectations, making space for different bodies, experiences, and ways of practicing.
As a teacher, Bänana emphasizes understanding the reasons behind techniques rather than simply learning them by rote, encouraging students to develop a deeper understanding of what they practice.
Drawn particularly to semenawa and emotional exploration, she regularly teaches internationally in both French and English, while remaining deeply attached to her cozy Paris space, La Cabäne.
Soft Armor (They/Them) is a NYC based rope bottoms and self-tier who travels and ties in LA, Paris, and beyond. They found rope later in their life and immediately fell in love with the ways rope allows for explorations in their body-trust, art making, and interpersonal connection. As a queer, chronically ill rope model, they love to nerd out about pain processing, internalized ableism, and the ways that the containers we make together in rope can feel like "aftercare" for vanilla life.