Bondage education

Some advice and a collection of materials you might need for your shibari adventure.

Written By Godam
Updated 4/11/2023

The key to a long journey in rope bondage is to never stop learning. My advice is to always continue to grow, learn and play in a space of curiosity, wonder, and desire. It's ok to not know something now. Build a practice, be patient with your partners and with yourself. There's no finish line so enjoy each and every moment of it.

I have had MANY teachers and have acquired information, ideas, learnings and examples from people all over the world. I hope to continue to learn and meet many more along the way. I wish I could credit everyone that has impacted my shibari adventure. 

Get inspired! 

I recommend following all the rope content you can find online. Encourage and support artists by liking and sharing what resonates with you. There are some amazing humans in and around the rope and kink community. The best way to learn and grow the community is by doing it together.

If you can, support your local rope studios or teachers. Find local or online rope gatherings or communities and if possible get involved. It's not so scary or overwhelming when you're able to find like minded individuals all on similar but different journeys as you. 

Here are a few resources that helped me on my Adventure. If I'm missing one that you love or recommend, let me know. I am always on the lookout to learn something new and for great material to share.

https://theropebottomguide.com/the-rope-bottom-guide/ The rope bottom guide By Clover is one of my favorite resources available for negotiating and getting on the same page about the risks and vocabulary of rope bondage. I recommend everyone bottom, top, or self tier to read this one! It's available in many languages and is free.

https://rope365.com/ Is an incredible resource available to you and a wonderful place to start for anyone interested in rope. It is a good place to get ideas for your rope practice, find inspiration about something new or just to refresh your memory. 

https://ropestudy.com/courses/101/ Has one of the best nerve charts that I have seen and is a great way to learn at your own pace. Everything is well organized and easy to find.

https://shibaristudy.com/ Shibari Study was a game changer for many during the COVID pandemic. They offer a wide range of instructional videos ranging from beginner to advanced. Great quality videos you are able to pause, rewind, and re-watch over and over until you understand it. They also have a podcast. Shibari study is a paid service but it is very worth it and you can pause the service whenever you need to.

https://soundcloud.com/user-308495249 Rope Podcast is a great resource for rope bondage learning and discussions. I like to put it on when I'm treating my rope or when I'm traveling. It is available on many streaming services. Available for free but welcomes contributions and donations. 

Youtube is about the best source for learning a lot of things for free but you have to be extra careful around learning rope bondage on there. Anyone can post anything and unfortunately it is often hard to tell the good stuff from the bad unless your more experienced.  I recommend checking out and following:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheTwistedMonk

https://www.youtube.com/@WattsTheSafeword

https://www.youtube.com/@RorysBrainworks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk6uPHjJCaA  (If you want to learn to Secure rope ends with the Matthew Walker knot) 

There are tones of resources available on Fetlife but they are often hard to find and share since you have to have an account and the search engine is not that great. Start with the search for writings and search for the “education” tag. Also be on the lookout for rope events and people near you and ask around. When it comes to Fetlife I recommend keeping an open mind and making sure you do your own fact checking. There will always be different opinions and ideals. This is a good thing for the growth and development of rope and its culture but if you're new to rope it can prove to be a very daunting experience.