School of Rope Milan was created as a space dedicated to the study and teaching of Shibari and Kinbaku, combining hands-on practice, technical knowledge, direct experience and an understanding of Japanese rope culture.
Our courses are primarily led by Kirigami and Tenshiko, who work together in teaching, research and artistic projects related to Kinbaku. Over the years, their work has brought them to teach and collaborate with organizations and professionals in Italy and internationally, while maintaining an ongoing relationship with the Japanese Kinbaku scene.
Alongside the main teachers, School of Rope works with collaborators and professionals with specific areas of expertise. Our aim is to provide students with an education that goes beyond reproducing patterns, developing instead the ability to observe, adapt, communicate and understand the body.
Kirigami
Kirigami has practiced Japanese bondage since 2011 and is one of the founders of School of Rope Milan. His work includes teaching, performance, research and the organization of events dedicated to Kinbaku, both in Italy and internationally.
His approach has developed through years of continuous practice and through contact with different interpretations of Japanese bondage. A central part of his work explores the relationship between technical structure, intention, communication through rope and the ability to adapt a tie to the person and the situation.
His work begins with technique but considers it primarily a tool for constructing an experience through rope. An important part of his research concerns how tying, intention, body language, presence and the use of space can contribute together to creating a situation and telling a story.
At School of Rope, Kirigami contributes to the development of the teaching programs, from introductory courses to advanced work involving suspension, semenawa and different Kinbaku structures. His aim is to teach not only how to construct these structures, but also how to use and adapt them to the person, the intention and the context.
Learn more about Kirigami’s work
Tenshiko
Tenshiko is a teacher, performer and rope bottom. Her work with rope begins with close attention to the body, perception and communication between the people involved in a tie.
At School of Rope, she brings her direct experience as a rope bottom, model and performer into her teaching. Her work includes technique, the management of positions and tensions, communication, body awareness and the ability to understand how a tie is experienced and transformed by the person receiving it.
Her experience in performance and body-based disciplines also contributes to an approach to Kinbaku in which rope is not considered merely a technical tool, but a medium through which relationship, movement, stillness, vulnerability and expression can be created.
Tenshiko works regularly with Kirigami in teaching, performances and international projects developed through School of Rope and Yugen Studio.
Learn more about Tenshiko’s work
How We Teach Shibari and Kinbaku
Learning Shibari does not simply mean memorizing a sequence of steps. Structures are important, but they represent only one part of the learning process.
During our courses, students learn to understand how and why a tie works: how tension is distributed, how forces are directed, how body position changes the structure, how to communicate with the person being tied and how a tie can be modified when circumstances require it.
This approach gives students tools that remain useful beyond the individual patterns studied during a lesson.
Part of the training is also dedicated to understanding the historical and cultural context of Japanese Kinbaku, together with the different philosophies that have influenced contemporary approaches to rope.
Teaching Based on Experience
School of Rope was founded in Milan as a project dedicated to continuous education. Over the years, we have worked with students coming from very different backgrounds and have been able to observe which tools help people become progressively more independent in their work with rope.
For this reason, our programs are designed to build skills progressively rather than simply presenting a succession of figures.
Our activities also include workshops, performances, photographic projects, encounters with international teachers and artists, and events dedicated to the study of Kinbaku culture.
Other Teachers and Professionals
School of Rope also works with other teachers and professionals who contribute to classes, seminars and specific activities.
This allows us to approach rope from different perspectives and, when useful, integrate complementary expertise related to the body, safety, communication and practice.
Some of the professionals we work with regularly include:
- Anna Castagna — psychologist, involved in sessions focusing on the psychological and relational aspects of rope practice.
- Claudio Morandini — physiotherapist, involved in classes and discussions on anatomy, movement and body management.
- Debs — yoga teacher, contributing complementary work on mobility and body awareness.
- Jacopo A. (a.k.a. Jakozilla) — Japanologist and specialist in Japanese language and culture. He works with Yugen Studio as an interpreter and translator. A former university lecturer in Japanese culture, he also contributes through language teaching, cultural mediation and presentations of Yugen Studio Magazine.
Guest Teachers and International Collaborations
Over the years, School of Rope and Yugen Studio have had the pleasure of hosting numerous figures from the Japanese Kinbaku scene and collaborating with them on educational, artistic and cultural projects.
These encounters are an essential part of our development: opportunities for study, exchange and direct exposure to different approaches, techniques and perspectives on rope.
- Sugiura Norio — Japanese Kinbaku photographer active since the second half of the twentieth century and creator of the Kinbaku Sajiki project.
- Hajime Kinoko — Japanese rope artist and teacher internationally known for his work in Shibari and Kinbaku.
- Murasaki Haruan — kinbakushi and Yukimura-ryu teacher, and a student of Yukimura Haruki.
- Ren Yagami — Japanese kinbakushi and teacher, founder of Yagami Style.
- Kitaro Kasukabe — Japanese artist and publisher, founder of Roca, a magazine dedicated to Kinbaku photography and culture.
- Akane — internationally recognized Kinbaku and Shibari model who has worked with legendary figures of the Japanese Kinbaku scene, including Naka Akira and Yukimura Haruki.
A separate mention belongs to Naka Akira. For several reasons, we have not yet had the honor of hosting Naka Akira at Yugen Studio. Over the years, however, we have collaborated with him on numerous online events and photographic projects in Tokyo, and we have also had the opportunity to perform alongside him in Osaka, Japan.
Shibari and Kinbaku Courses in Milan
School of Rope offers programs for beginners, classes for intermediate and advanced students, intensive workshops and supervised practice sessions.
Our Italian-language activities take place primarily at Yugen Studio in Milan, home of School of Rope.
International teaching is also an important part of our work. We regularly teach workshops in English throughout Europe and in other parts of the world, and every year we organize at least two intercontinental teaching tours dedicated to Shibari and Kinbaku.