My Shibari Journey

My journey with Shibari began in 2013 when my partner asked me if I would be interested in getting tied up for private lessons. Up until that point, I only knew Shibari from photos and documentaries on TV. And while I found the aesthetic of this form of bondage very appealing, I had never really understood what was so intriguing about going through such an elaborate process to tie someone up for a bondage session, when other tools would be simpler and how I thought back then “more effective”.

Already in the first private lesson – when the ropes got wrapped around my body – I understood immediately. I felt not only the physical tying on my body but was emotionally captivated by how the ropes on my skin made me feel. There was so much more to it than pictures or videos could convey. I was hooked since then.

At first, I simply enjoyed the feeling of being tied. Then, one day procrastinating at home, I began experimenting with the ropes myself, trying to remember what I had learned by listening and practicing self-bondage. But I didn’t feel confident enough to go further.

Around this time, the rope scene in Europe experienced a remarkable rise in popularity. It was the period when Japanese teachers came to Berlin to teach Shibari for the first time. Being a curious beginner, I would sometimes move through these spaces, observing quietly from the sidelines. While this small but emerging scene was highly inspiring, it was also very elitist and filled with a lot of judgmental attitudes. Having difficulty finding a connection in that scene, I lost sight of the topic for a while.

But the interest has never disappeared since. Eventually, I became intimate with another person who was very enthusiastic about rope bondage. I accompanied them to a rope jam being an observer on the sidelines again. There I watched them getting tied by someone more experienced and was captivated by the intense session unfolding before my eyes. This fueled my desire to be able to give such experiences, too. That’s when I started seriously learning how to tie.

By now, I can look back on several years of intense practice, studies, and research about Shibari. Since 2019, having co-founded Karada House, I’ve had the opportunity to directly learn from internationally renowned rope teachers such as Akechi Kanna & Kagura, Addie & Barkas, Naoko, and most recently, Murasaki Haruan. Over the years, I’ve also learned a lot from and with the people I’ve tied or been tied by, like Mamana, Caritia, Sophia Rose, and Ceci Ferox.

My tying practice is heavily influenced by the fact that I am what people refer to as a rope switch. I tie and get tied myself. While I do not strictly follow any specific style, certain areas of interest have emerged. I admire the dynamic in which emotions can unfold when there is a contrast between slow and mindful pacing and intense sensations. Therefore I am drawn to the idea of Aibunawa (caressing rope) that fluidly shifts back and forth to moments of Semenawa (tormenting rope) while I am tying.

The more I’ve learned technically, the less important the technical side has become to me. When I tie someone, I want to reach the heart of that person at that moment in time. I am striving to understand how I can move somebody emotionally with the ropes. This can also evoke erotic and sensual feelings. My style of tying is therefore merely a reflection of the person I tie with. Sharing these intimate moments and often very vulnerable feelings is something that I cannot describe as anything other than magical.

These photos are from a tying session on Amrum with Mara Gelato
captured by Anna Strizhkova.

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