Shibari Study, photo: Viktor Herak.
Berlin is known for a lot of different things: the history and the wall, Berghain and techno, döner and currywurst, just to name a few. But two elements central to the culture in the capital are sex and art. These two intriguing aspects of life in Berlin perfectly unite in Shibari, a type of Japanese bondage that focuses on the aesthetics of the bound body. Although we’re in the middle of a pandemic and sex clubs and museums are closed, Shibari is a great way to satisfy your craving for something both kinky and creative. There are a number of organizations and instructors still offering workshops and courses about the art of Shibari during the pandemic.
Shibari (縛り), translating to “binding” or “tying,” is the art of bondage originating in Japan as early as the 1600s. The word Shibari was adopted by Western BDSM subcultures while the Japanese word Kinbaku (緊縛), meaning “to tie tightly so that there is no movement after the tie,” is also sometimes used. Coco Katsura, a Japanese Shibari performer and instructor based in Berlin, describes Shibari as carrying a slightly “lighter” connotation than Kinbaku, making it more accessible to the casual student. “Kinbaku is a deeper, harder form of sexual bondage,” said says. “Shibari is more open to everybody.” Most of the organizations discussed here refer to their art as Shibari, so we will continue to use this word throughout the article. Shibari explores the aesthetics of the bound body through different positions and suspensions (often asymmetrical) and focuses on the process of binding not so much as the final product. Consent, trust, and boundaries are vital to the practice.
A few of these organizations had to switch to a virtual format when the pandemic hit, others always operated through video instruction and some instructors had to resort to only private sessions. The ropes scene in Berlin is incredibly inclusive, welcoming, and safe. All of the experts I spoke with stressed the importance of consent and that sexism, ableism, racism (or any other nasty ism for that matter) would not be tolerated under any circumstance.
Here are some options if you’re looking to practice Shibari in Berlin during the pandemic:
Karada House
“Karada” means body in Japanese but also refers to an intricate binding, so it’s no surprise that the Karada House here in Berlin would offer Shibari workshops. Karada House is a body-positive art space that welcomes and supports queer people. To provide equity in their classes and services, they “concentrate [their] attention mostly on the bodies and people that are not favored by the current system but policed, rendered invisible, undesired or even dangerous and whose demographic [they] are also a part of LGBTQIA+, BiPOC, womên.” Karada House has switched to teaching online during the pandemic; “Virtuality and intimacy are not mutually exclusive at all,” a rep said. “It just requires small technical adjustments, understanding the emotional nature of the moment, and creating a safe(r) space for people to feel good in. We know how to do that.” Despite the complications of teaching online, the organization is “still happily tying and learning.”
Karada House offers a variety of Shibari workshops (currently online) for a small fee of 15 euros. They also have adjusted ticket prices in solidarity (slightly cheaper) or support (slightly more expensive.)
photo: Karada House
OhYesPlease
In addition to these online classes, Karada House has also created OhYesPlease, a video service teaching the fundamentals of consensual kinks (not just Shibari). They provide “diverse, undogmatic and playful online education on a variety of kink and sexuality topics,” while prioritizing marginalized communities in their work. In line with this philosophy, their facilitators keep all instruction gender-neutral to maintain the importance of their diverse audience. Their courses aren’t only concerned with the erotics of kinky subcultures, but also work to make sure everyone is safe and satisfied with their play
OhYesPlease offers long-form videos courses (5-11 hours of content) covering a variety of topics. They cost up to 100 euros per course.
photos: Ohyesplease
Shibari Study
Shibari Study is an online subscription service that is “dedicated to making high-quality rope education available and affordable to anyone interested in learning the art of Shibari.” They offer courses for all levels (so they’re perfect for beginning your Shibari journey) and also sell ropes in collaboration with Anatomie Studio. Their courses focus on aesthetics and power-exchange seriously increasing the sex appeal.
For 25$/month, you can access all of Shibari Studies courses in video format (and there’s a ton!) You can also do a seven-day free trial.
photos: Viktor Herak for Shibari Study
Ann Antidote
Moving away from organizations and online databases for Shibari practice, there are also lots of individual artists and instructors based in Berlin, one of them being Ann Antidote. Pre-pandemic, Ann and her partner Lun Ario offered public and private lessons in their home for all levels of Shibari as well as consulting for films and art projects. During the pandemic, they’ve paused their public lessons but still teach privately upon request when lockdown measures allow and have continued working on various art projects.
Consent is absolutely mandatory during their practices and they invite all participants (including themselves) “to check discriminatory or violent behavior: racism, ableism, sexism, etc.” adding, “people not following this are not invited.” Ann is attracted to Shibari because of the practice’s numerous aesthetic expressions, “I like that rope is a banal object full of associations,” she says. “You use it for sailing, tying a package, climbing, putting a coffin to earth.”
You can contact Ann Antidote for a quoted price for private sessions.
photo: Jo Pollux
Coco Katsura
Coco Katsura has been performing in Berlin in the underground body modification and Shibari scene for the past decade. Unfortunately, she hasn’t been able to perform at all since the pandemic began and instead started teaching classes online this past December. “It’s difficult,” she says, “because during this pandemic we really have to reduce our human contact.” Coco views Shibari as more of an art form than a sexual practice; she claims that for her, rope play is a beautiful body decoration more than an element of BDSM. Safety, chemistry, aesthetics, and human feeling are all central to her Shibari practice.
Coco is currently offering virtual workshops every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday for 25 euros per person. You can book here.
photos: Dominik Schulthess
Tamandua
Tamandua is the only artist on this list that specifically refers to the practice of Japanese rope play as Kinbaku. Tamandua is both a rope artist and instructor based in Berlin. He describes Kinabaku as a meeting of “aesthetic expression and emotional or erotic intention.” In addition to performances and photoshoots, Tamandua offers classes for groups or couples in Berlin. He also provides online mentoring for students looking to advance their Shibari/Kinabaku practice. Students of all levels are welcome
You can find his pricing here.
photo: Tamandua
Dasniya Sommer
With a background in classical ballet, Dasniya Sommer knows the importance of aesthetics in the practice of Shibari. Her approach to the art form is a combination of different styles from over ten years of experience. She also has a small dojo in Uferhallen Kulturwerkstatt where, under normal circumstances, she teaches both group and private sessions.
At the moment, Dasniya is not offering any public classes and asks students to contact her for inquiries concerning private sessions.
photos: Dasniya Sommer
