Floor-to-Air Curriculum

As long as you want! Some courses will have just one or two videos in them while others will have more. Sometimes at the end of a course you’ll find recommendations to explore related content, and we encourage you to do so if you especially connected with the content or instructor. Some weeks you’ll have an easy time with the material, and some others you’ll have to repeat it over and over for it to stick. Ultimately, we want to equip you with the necessary skills to explore the world of shibari with confidence. We can’t assess your skills to tell you whether or not it’s time to level up or if it’s okay for you to skip some content. The best test of when to move on is how much fun you’re having and confidence you’re feeling. This just so happens to also be the best prize.

Not right away. While the classes are taught by partners tying each other, most of the practices through our Level 1 can be self-tied, including some upper body harnesses and play sessions just for your own exploration. If you need some help adapting for your solo learning, feel free to look around our Getting Started and Self-Tying beginner categories as well. When you’re ready to tie with someone, the skills transfer directly.

No. Hardpoints are tricky to resource and install safely, and most people don’t have them at home. By the time you reach suspension level in your journey, we strongly encourage you to start practicing in community or with an in-person instructor. Your local studio will likely have points for you to practice on and get familiar with, and helpful hands to keep you and your tying partner safe if needed. At this point, you can start exploring the different options available as well: our Suspension Points 101 is a good primer to see many of the safety and functionality assets you’ll need to consider if you choose to set up a suspension point on your own.

Not necessarily. Shibari Study was never meant to replace local communities or in-person learning, but it gives students access to exceptional instruction wherever they live. There is a lot of studying you can do safely from the comfort of your home, including all the material in our Level 1 / Beginner curriculum. Once you reach Intermediate level, we do recommend finding an in-person instructor or community to ensure the more advanced and risky techniques are executed safely.

Absolutely yes! None of the content is locked and if you ever want to skip all or part of a course, you can. Simply mark the course complete and be on your way. However, remember that this curriculum is designed to introduce you gradually to all the skills and techniques that you need to move from floor to air safely, and with a good dose of fun. We encourage you to skip ahead when you’ve learned material in-person, or if something feels not appropriate for you or your play style, but take a look at everything as you move through to make sure you don’t miss any of the information.

Starting out you will only need 1 or 2 hanks of rope. Our Safety 101 class, the starting point of the entire curriculum, will explain how to choose your rope and how to treat jute if that's your choice of material. As you progress and move up to Level 2, 3 and 4 the number of rope hanks you’ll need increases, and we will introduce you to other important equipment you’ll need if you choose to progress toward suspension. No need to get it all together at once: take your time to find the rope that’s right for you, and be mindful of equipment rating when you get to it. Our Safety 301 course covers all of that for you, so all you need to do is follow along.