Rope Podcast

In this second part of our interview with the very accomplished rope switch Gorgone, Fox and May delve into many of her learnings from her teaching practice. Listen to this episode to hear them discuss: • What is ‘conscious rope’, and how can we do it? • Questions to ask ourselves in rope • Ego and rope • Kink as theatre • How our expectations impact our rope • Bringing authenticity to rope partnerships • The most important question in rope • Common rope intentions • How styles of rope partnerships bring different dynamics and pitfalls • Using rescue horses as a practical metaphor for rope bondage • The origins of Shibari Study • Why Shibari Study has so much variety • What she’s currently doing with Shibari Study • How they are improving the usability of Shibari Study • And much more! As always, if you want to add to the conversation, share your thoughts in the comments!

Gorgone (Marika Leila Roux) is one of the OGs of the European rope scene, a French rope switch who co-founded Shibari Study. Fox and Mya were excited to discuss rope bondage with her, and in this episode, discuss her journey. Highly self-aware, they share how they threw themselves into rope, up to where they are today - a very different place. Gogone discovered rope 13 years ago, and dove into the underground world of traditional Japanese rope bondage. They have been a professional Shibari model and rigger since then, performing world wide. They bring this experience, along with their personal practice of yoga and conscious movement, to their approach to teaching. Listen to this episode to hear them discuss: • Her first experience of rope and its powerful impact on her • How she upended her life for rope • Turning a passion into a job • Can bottoms make money in rope? • What she gets from shibari now • The last time she was tied (and why it might be her last time) • Her journey through bottoming, topping and self-tying • The incredible environment in which she learned • Why her teaching of rope is bottom-centric • The downside of intense D/s rope partnerships • Her advice for new bottoms, and how they can learn from her mistakes • How she became the first foreign bottom photographed by Norio Sugiura and what it was like to work with him (and Naka!) • And much more! As always, if you want to add to the conversation, share your thoughts in the comments!

Fox and Mya have been experimenting with performing with rope, and in this episode, share their experiences. Listen to this episode to hear them discuss: • How they decided their theme and approach • Translating the theme into narrative • How rope can be used in a performance • Developing characters • Costumes, props, music • Preparing and rehearsing • Giving the performance • Getting feedback • And more! As always, if you know more or want to add to the conversation, share your thoughts in the comments!

Anna Bones runs the Shibari educational space Anatomie with her husband Fred Hatt. As well as her full-time rope job, she has a toddler. In this episode, she shares openly and vulnerably about her experience of pregnancy and bringing up a child whilst keeping Anatomie running. Mya, Fox and Anna discuss in this episode: • Bringing up a toddler while running a full-time rope business • Balancing rope in work and play • How pregnancy affected the way she did rope • The reason she did more self-tying while pregnant • Venturing into other kink education at Anatomie • The London kink scene and where rope fits in • And much more… Anna Bones discovered rope with her now-husband Fred Hatt, in 2013 and has been in love with it ever since. Rope quickly escalated from a side hobby to a full-time job, culminating in the opening of Anatomie Studio (a sex positive venue and the UK's largest and first full-time Shibari space) which she runs with Fred Hatt. Anna, who has learned from a wide range of teachers, has taught and performed with her partner all over the world. From self-tying, bottoming to rigging, Anna loves it all, although her greatest joy is being tied. Click links or find us on your favourite pod player to listen now! PS - Don’t forget to listen to part 1 of this interview if you haven’t managed to catch it yet, check back to episode 176.

Anna Bones discovered rope with her now-husband Fred Hatt, in 2013 and has been in love with it ever since. Rope quickly escalated from a side hobby to a full-time job, culminating in the opening of Anatomie Studio (a sex positive venue and the UK's largest and first full-time Shibari space) which she runs with Fred Hatt. Anna, who has learned from a wide range of teachers, has taught and performed with her partner all over the world. From self-tying, bottoming to rigging, Anna loves it all, although her greatest joy is being tied. In this episode hear about: • Why rope felt like the ‘safest’ kink to start with for her as a solo female • How she went from a rope jam to running a successful Shibari educational space • Attending her first rope workshop (which happened to be by Naka) • Falling in love with rope (and her husband!) • Developing her career and experience in rope • The early days of the rope scene in Europe • Anatomie Studio and its aesthetic, values and aims • The origin story of the studio’s name • The challenges of success and the expansion of the studio • Balancing being authentically kinky and also public • The influence of her academic career on her rope life and insights • The very down-to-earth nature of her ‘typical day’! • And more! Click links or find us on your favourite pod player to listen now! Part 2 will be the next episode up, so keep an eye on your podcast feed <3

An unusual and somewhat mysterious tie, its origins obscured, the Five Flowers tie was purportedly used for leading Chinese prisoners to execution. Fox and Mya were lucky enough to go to a class on the tie recently and in this episode share their experience and understanding of the tie. As always, if you know more or want to add to the conversation, share your thoughts in the comments! In this episode hear about: • What the Five Flowers tie is • How it can be tied and variations • The pros and cons • How it feels to be tied in • Its risk profile • And more! Ps - Mya used the word ‘terrifying’ quite a few times about this tie in this episode - definitely gives you a clue to her view!

In the second part of our interview with the nylon rope maker, photographer and rigger KnotHead, the focus is more on rope photography. Listen now to hear Fox and Mya ask him about: • How he got into rope photography • How rope photography evolved in the West • Collaborating on rope photography • His photo influences • What he looks out for in a ‘Berry Nize’-worthy bondage photo • Working with the model you have • Great tips for rope photography models to best show off the rope they are in • Model releases and why they are important • The importance of the order of tying in a photoshoot versus play • How rope events have changed over time • The downsides of people teaching too quickly Beginning 30 years ago with a mix of flea market handcuffs, bathrobe belts and neck ties, knot_head has always loved bondage. Although he began with Japanese style rope, he quickly gravitated to the strict, clean, efficient, Western style of riggers like Jay Edwards, Matt Williams, Lew Rubens and Claire Adams. For him it IS about the simple, strict, positional bondage, and “what happens once they're tied”, challenging predicaments being his favorite. About ten years ago he caught the photography bug and loves showing kinksters how easy it can be to get better shots with their gear, even phones, in almost any setting. His schtick is to make bondage (and photography) simple and fun for anyone willing to learn.

Beginning 30 years ago with a mix of flea market handcuffs, bathrobe belts and neck ties, knot_head has always loved bondage. Although he began with Japanese style rope, he quickly gravitated to the strict, clean, efficient, Western style of riggers like Jay Edwards, Matt Williams, Lew Rubens and Claire Adams. For him it IS about the simple, strict, positional bondage, and “what happens once they're tied”, challenging predicaments being his favorite. About ten years ago he caught the photography bug and loves showing kinksters how easy it can be to get better shots with their gear, even phones, in almost any setting. His schtick is to make bondage (and photography) simple and fun for anyone willing to learn. In the episode, Fox and Mya ask him about: • Why he loves Western bondage • Many of his influences in bondage, film, photography, art and more • How he defines Western bondage • Differences between Japanese and Western rope styles • Cool Western positions • Functional rope positions versus positions for photos • His passion for predicaments • Why he started making nylon rope • Pros and cons of different rope materials • Tips on how to tie with nylon • A game-changing knot that changed how he ties

Ceci Ferox is a Berlin based queer, kinky and fat sexologist, kink activist, and rope nerd. They have been teaching Japanese inspired rope bondage since 2014, and are currently working as one of the house teachers at Karada House in Berlin. Ceci is inspired by creativity and understanding the smallest details of tying and communication technique. This has led to Ceci being an expert in tailoring ties for different needs. They are currently stoking a fat rope revolution. In the episode, Fox and Mya ask them about: • What being a House Teacher at Karada House entails • Learning through embodied experience • Why it is important to them to accept failure as part of their learning • How they experience topping, bottoming and self-tying • Why it’s important to use the word fat • Fat as a descriptive word, rather than a moral judgement • Who is fat rope for • The advantages of a fat body in rope • Misconceptions about fat bodies in rope • Rope topping tips as a fat bodied person • Practical suggestions for fat rope bottoms • Different kinds of fat

Anastasia from Voudou Ropes is an international shibari artist. Her 8 years experience in the field includes teaching, exhibitions, events and performances in several countries. Anastasia attracts people who want to feel rope as an art form, and she uses rope as a tool to communicate without words. Voudou Ropes has held three 3 sold out shibari retreats in Mexico, with clients flying in from the US and Europe. Anastasia is also growing a beautiful open-minded community in Playa del Carmen holding classes and events on a weekly basis. In this conversation, Fox and Mya discuss with her: • How she discovered rope bondage and some of the mistakes she made along the way • How she uses learning as a way to connect internationally • Her values in rope • How she has made her rope a business • The importance to her of community and opportunities to learn • Her very active social media presence and how instagram helps her business • Decorative rope and rope for self-love • What she does - and doesn’t post on her rope social media • What makes people share their rope stories with her • What the photoshoot of her dreams would be • Her large collection of rope types and her favourites • The place of rope in her personal life • How she does a couples check in with her husband using rope • Why she sees herself as a ‘rope artist’ rather than a ‘rope kinkster’