People

The artists, teachers and historical figures of Japanese rope.

All nawashi bakushi rigger model teacher performer photographer artist author editor filmmaker musician researcher organizer

_TheBoundRoseTeaches and performs as a pair with HenRigger, focusing on both sides of the rope, and co-facilitates themed workshops at Rope Space.
A-NicolasBrussels rope artist, teacher and photographer, formerly known as Yoroï Nicolas, who started rope in 1999, studied in Japan under Arisue Go, has taught since 2011 and has run a dojo in Brussels since 2015.
aanecrooOne of the organizers of Madrid Ropes, named as the teacher of its Level 1 and combined Level 1+2 beginner workshops in 2026.
Addie TahlVancouver-based rope educator and performer who co-founded Studio Allegory and teaches dynamic self-suspension and bottom-side skills.
Aisha CruzAndalusian actress and rope performer based in Barcelona who has made stage pieces combining theatre, dance and self-suspension since 2018, and teaches ongoing self-suspension and shibari courses at Sala de Luz.
Akechi Denki明智伝鬼Tokyo kinbakushi (1940–2005) active from the 1970s whose stage shows and adult videos helped popularize kinbaku, and whose name passed to a successor in 2022.
Akechi Kanna明智神凪Tokyo-born nawashi who studied with Akechi Denki from 2000, took the Akechi name in 2022 and leads the Akechi-ryū / Kanna-ryū lineage and the Kannawa-kai rope community.
Akira NawaSão Paulo rope teacher who began tying in 2011, has worked full time in shibari since 2016, opened Estúdio Karada in 2017 and Espaço Shibari in 2024, and leads the Escola de Shibari, whose teaching method grew out of Akira Nawa's own style.
Akiyoshi Ran秋吉巒Japanese painter (1922–1981) who, according to Japanese Wikipedia, made covers and illustrations for Kitan Club, Uramado, SM King and other postwar magazines.
Alberto NoShibariBarcelona rope teacher and performer active since the late 2000s who has run the collective Noshibari Art since 2017, presented at EURIX in Berlin in 2014, 2015 and 2026, and teaches an art-led approach built on technique, composition, psychology and ethics.
Alessandro UchCo-founder of whyKnot in Rome. In the same 2025 press feature he pointed to the psychological work that consent in rope requires, noting that many newcomers underestimate how hard it is to say what they do and do not want.
Alex (韓子)Rigger who began tying in 2018 and organizes the men-only rope salon at Cats Downstairs. Has performed and helped teach at several Taipei kink venues, including the 2024 Eyes on Six rope showcase.
Alex DirtyVonPFrench rope artist who trained with Naka Akira from 2013 to 2016, took over the École des Cordes near Paris in 2016 and leads it as head teacher, teaching the Naka-ryu style in group classes, private sessions and workshops.
Alexander MABerlin-based kinbaku teacher, performer and photographer who runs Discover Kinbaku with Natasha NawaTaNeko. He studied Naka Akira's semenawa with Riccardo Wildties from 2016 to 2021 and with Naka in Japan since 2021, and edits the Kinbaku Society of Berlin Magazine.
Alithia MalteseTurin-based kinbaku teacher and educator on alternative sexuality who began studying Japanese bondage in 2015, opened Spazio Corde in December 2022 and has spoken about BDSM and consent in Italian media and at festivals since 2017.
Almond LindenSex educator and ritual facilitator who created the Chronic Pain & Rope Workshop Series; Karada House lists sessions on floor work, adaptive tying and allyship.
Amiya BhanushaliIndian artist and rope educator (she/they) who founded Silly Hands Shibari, began practicing shibari in 2021, largely self-taught, and has taught workshops and private sessions in several Indian cities since 2023.
Andrea RimonMovement artist and educator who offers group classes, private lessons and tutorials, drawing on physical theater, dance, martial arts and intimacy work.
Andy BuruRope bondage teacher and author who travels to teach workshops on power, surrender and shame, and who published the book Rituals and Paradoxes in 2024.
Ange_ShibariRigger since 2017 and shibari teacher since 2022, the teacher behind Corps à Cordes, with an individually paced method that blends play and technique. Also created the Eros Café in 2024.
AngelicDragonCo-teaches beginner rope classes in Portland, covering single columns, chest harnesses and futo. Credits include Rope Arts Group PDX sessions in 2025 and a Portland Leather Alliance Rope Bondage 101 class in January 2026.
Anitta AndersenRope teacher with a background in yoga, meditation and tango, described by House of Play as teaching rope to couples and groups at all levels in a free, creative style. Part of the crews behind House of Play’s weekly Rope Jam and PlayLab.
Anna BonesLondon rope educator who took up shibari in 2013 and in 2015 co-founded Anatomie Studio with Fred Hatt, the Peckham space that describes itself as the UK's first full-time shibari school.
Anna NoctuelleLondon-based shibari teacher, rope model and performer with over twenty years of rope experience, who has studied with students of Yukimura Haruki and Naka Akira. She co-founded Studio Ma, runs its educational programme and teaches several of its autumn 2026 classes.
Anoxia RopeChicago rope educator and performer who, according to a VoxBody Studio listing, works in rope full-time, teaches touring workshops and private lessons, works at Shibari Study and helps organize conferences.
Aotsuki Nagare蒼月流Osaka kinbakushi and bar owner who founded the SM circle ALCATRAZ in 2000, opened Osaka's ARCADIA bar in 2003, heads the ARCADIA group of bars in Osaka and Tokyo, and helped found the Kansai rope gathering Shibunawa-kai.
ArdentPrague rigger who took his first shibari workshop in 2014, has taught and performed since 2017, names Petr Soptík as his main teacher and calls his own emotional, contact-based way of tying Ardent Ryu.
Arisue Go有末剛Tokyo nawashi, born 1954, who has tied for SM magazines since the 1970s, did the rope work for the 2004 film Flower and Snake, and teaches, performs and writes on kinbaku.
Arkadiusz HezlerWarsaw-based breathwork and tantra facilitator who leads Wisimi Studio’s weekly Liny Sensualne rope practice, which combines shibari basics with breath and mindfulness. He also co-hosts the studio’s open days and signs its monthly programme announcements.
ArTong (阿通)Co-founder and current organizer of Cats Downstairs who has tied since 2017, with a calm, enveloping style that the salon recommends for first-timers.
AsianaAmsterdam rope teacher, also known as Eileen, who founded RopeLounge in May 2013, runs its beginner-to-advanced courses and queer-centered Friday classes, and co-hosted the Rope Ramblings podcast with Door from 2020 to 2022.
AsimiraRope switch and physiotherapist whose teaching centers on anatomy and body handling; the Berlin studio Daruma lists her workshops, and the 2026 Danish Shibari Festival announced her as a presenter.
Axel (Queerbaku)Lyon shibari teacher and performer working as Queerbaku since 2017, who names Akechi Kanna and Akechi Kagura, Lief Bound and Icarus, and Ropemarks and Spring as his teachers and has led teaching at the queer collective Coven Cordes since 2020.
Barefoot JulietteA shibari rigger with a studio in Hurstbridge who has taught at Peer Rope Melbourne since 2023 and offers private tuition, workshops and performances. Has performed at Melbourne events since 2021 and teaches the school’s October 2026 intermediate course on diamond harnesses.
BaryssLyon rigger who has tied for about 12 years and co-founded Studio du Parc with Roxanne. A long-time musician and dancer, he compares a rope session to a couple dancing, in which lead and follow can change hands. He has also taught for five years in a Lyon association.
Bas SpacewalkMunich rigger and teacher who calls his modern, Japanese-inspired style emotional-erotic SpaceRope, runs couples' shibari workshops with co-teacher Vero under the name Mein BONDAGE, and wrote the 238-page book Mein BONDAGE on the emotional side of tying.
BenignusTeaches the Knotenpunkt Hamburg workshops and plans its creative events, citing training with Shibari Bremen, Kazami Ranki, Osada Steve and Ren Yagami among others. Also shoots rope photography as a hobby on a trade-for-prints basis.
BetwixtBlushesDenver rope teacher active in the city's rope scene since 2015 who co-teaches Studio Friction's beginner and intermediate curriculum with TheDude, champions bottoms speaking up in class, and presents at Rope in the Rockies and other US conventions.
BH.RopeNamed on the Birdhaus rope education page as one of the studio’s instructors, available for group classes and private lessons.
Bina TavernaZurich bodyworker and shibari facilitator who has trained in shibari since 2017 and teaches private lessons, couples' sessions and tantra-and-shibari retreats in English, German or Spanish, with a stated focus on consent and trauma sensitivity.
Black Angel (Angelo Oscuro)Turin rigger who came to rope in the early 2010s, trained with Italian teachers including Dr. Fatso and QuartaCorda, and since 2020 has taught as Black Angel through Shibari Torino and FunLab Torino, where he is listed as Angelo Oscuro.
BlueThe founder of VoxBody Studio, Oakland’s venue devoted entirely to rope. Blue teaches rope there, including an online beginner course.
Blue (La Virgen Blue)Kink and rope educator who founded Shibari México in Mexico City after finding no rope community there, teaches its beginner courses, labs and online classes, and has worked as a rope stylist for film and music videos.
BluebirdCo-teaches and organizes events at Knotenpunkt Hamburg with an emphasis on community building. Lists courses with Ren Yagami, Kazami Ranki and RopEmotion.
Bondage OtterRope switch and leatherman who started Rope Burn SF, a San Francisco rope jam and skill share for tying masc-of-center bodies, and teaches an approach that brings Japanese rope aesthetics into gay leather culture.
BoundolinoCo-founder and host of Nawaya, in rope for about 14 years, whose style draws on Yukinaga Max, Nicolas Yoroi, Naka Akira and Riccardo Wildties with a focus on one- and two-rope work. He passes on his experience through workshops, performances and private lessons, including Nawaya’s mini workshops.
BraxasKinbaku teacher who began in 2016 at Kinbaku Dojo Berlin, owns Belfast Kinbaku Dojo according to a Daruma bio, and co-teaches workshops with Nëya in Belfast, Berlin and Vienna.
Brianna LeeThe practitioner behind Devotional Alchemy, who presents herself as a rope alchemist and works mostly with floor-based rope in a somatic, healing-oriented style. She runs one-to-one sessions and group workshops in Sydney and on tour.
BrikiRope bottom and rope switch with a background in contemporary dance and yoga, who is billed alongside the rigger Tamandua at workshops and live performances in Zurich and London.
Burgundy RoseRope switch, facilitator and self-suspension performer who began learning shibari at Anatomie Studio in London in 2016 and teaches and performs in the UK and internationally.
ButterflyShibari teacher working under the name ButterflyBondage, whose own site dates the teaching to 2012, with workshops in Utrecht and line-up listings at the EURIX exchange in 2015, 2018 and 2022.
C00Trainer in the Bangkok Shibari collective who taught its Connection workshop on building comfort with a new partner, opening and closing a scene, and a rigger’s physical and emotional care for the person tied.
CaritiaBerlin kink and BDSM educator, artist and coach who co-founded Karada House and OhYesPlease. Teaches in Karada House’s weekly Rope School with a focus on body exploration and adapting to each student’s needs, and offers shibari in private sessions.
Carlos NawaTanukiThe lead instructor at Madrid Shibari Dojo, teaching since 2015 and credited with more than 350 courses. Teaches the dojo’s beginner, semenawa and specialty workshops.
CeCeA Birdhaus rope instructor who teaches the beginner-level self-tie and simple chest-tie classes on the studio’s October 2026 schedule.
Ceci FeroxQueer, non-binary sexologist who has taught bondage for about ten years and is part of the Karada House team. Teaches suspension, harness and rope lab classes there and facilitated at Queerope Berlin 2026.
Chigusa Tadao千草忠夫Japanese SM fiction writer (died 1995) who, according to Japanese Wikipedia, debuted in the February 1960 issue of Kitan Club and had published about 250 books by 2009, counting separate editions.
ChozeCommunity organiser who is taking over the regular Monday jams at Alive Kinbaku Dojo from November 2026. He runs ShibariRigger.cz, a Czech-language hub with articles, an events calendar and a directory of studios.
Christian HaagCo-leader of Conscious Shibari with a background in breathwork and tantra. He teaches shibari courses and also works as a photographer of rope.
Christian RedFull-time rigger from the Nottingham area who teaches rope and takedown workshops across the UK and Europe and wrote the free beginner safety guide Knot Without Risk.
ClaraRosaInstructor at Heartland Kinbaku who leads its rope bottoming education, practicing rope since 2016 and hosting rope events in Chicago since 2018. ClaraRosa co-teaches the studio’s Level 1 to Level 2 weekend workshops with Zach.
Conor AphiliaEast London shibari teacher and artist with a background in design and architecture who came to rope in 2016, runs Aphilia Studio in Limehouse and says he has taught more than 200 private classes in Japanese-influenced rope.
CptFathom (The Captain)A Peer Rope Melbourne beginner instructor who brings a background in maritime ropework to shibari. Co-teaches the school’s southside Beginner 1 course in St Kilda.
Creative MayhemDenver rigger who has tied in a mostly Japanese style since 2008, including study in Japan; he helped found Denver Rope Bite in 2012 and build Studio Friction in 2017, and teaches a predicament lab at Rope in the Rockies.
CwissCo-owner of Tension and the woodworker who built much of the studio’s physical setup; also listed as a rigger and model. Hosts Open Space practice sessions on the studio’s public schedule.
Dan CarabasBerlin artist and former fashion photographer and commercial director who came to shibari in Berlin around 2016, names Nicolas Yoroi and Hajime Kinoko among his teachers, and founded Shibari Studio Berlin in 2024, where he teaches what he calls the art of shibari with intention.
Dan Oniroku団鬼六Japanese novelist and producer (1931–2011) whose serial Flower and Snake, begun in Kitan Club in 1962, became a classic of Japanese SM fiction and a long film franchise.
Dasniya SommerBerlin choreographer and dancer, trained in classical ballet, who has studied and taught Japanese rope since 2006 and brings shibari into stage works such as Bondage Duell, shown at Sophiensæle, and into her teaching at Haus Sommer and Karada House.
Diana VeraPrague rope teacher with a background in therapy training and theatre, who began tying in 2013, has run courses since 2016 and in 2024 launched an eight-day training cycle that treats technique, communication and consent together; she teaches mainly at Alive Kinbaku Dojo and Klub Ateliér.
DocvaleFrench kinbakushi who has taught and performed since 2012, followed Naka Akira's semenawa from 2013, says Naka authorized him in 2019 to teach the Naka style, and runs Atelier Simonet near Paris, opened in 2018.
Dolph VexRope teacher who began tying in 2015 and teaches with Sickducks, including hogties and an uplines intensive called Hammer and Anvil.
Dom HanksAn Austin shibari practitioner who is presented on the When in Rope site as Chris/Dom Hanks. Offers custom one-on-one rope sessions and a beginner lesson.
DoorKinbaku model, performer and blogger who appears with Asiana in demonstration evenings and co-hosts the Rope Ramblings podcast linked from RopeLounge.
Doyama Tessin堂山鉄心Tokyo kinbaku performer who has given rope shows since 2005, owns the Kabukicho SM bar ARCADIA TOKYO, where he and other instructors teach beginner rope classes, and hosts a monthly rope gathering there.
Dual DemonsSanta Cruz rope and kink education duo of Devon and Cass, who list drop-in rope classes and monthly rope jams on their own site and are members of the Twisted Windows troupe.
Ebi McKnottyQuebec City rope educator and performer who writes the free Rope365 practice curriculum, owns the Quebec City studio Cordespace and co-founded Montreal's Nuit des Cordes and the NARIX conference; she studies the Akechi Denki style with Akechi Kanna and Pedro Cordas.
ElleFangA self-tying practitioner who began in Austin in 2019 and has been part of the Denver scene since 2023. She co-teaches Studio Friction’s third-level self-suspension course.
Ena DahlBerlin-based rope switch, author and kink educator who offers private sessions, guidance and small-group workshops, and teaches and performs with Roxu as the duo Ena + Roxu.
Erato BänanaParis shibari teacher who came to rope in 2017, followed Docvale's Naka-style teaching from 2018, co-managed Atelier Simonet until 2023 and founded the Paris space La Cabäne in winter 2024; known for semenawa-focused workshops.
Eric ShoreLyon shibari teacher who came to rope through photography in the 2000s, trained with Riccardo Wildties until certified in his Kinbaku Luxuria teaching, and gives private and small-group lessons and weekend workshops with invited teachers.
Esjay the DreamerSeattle circus and flow artist who performs shibari as a duo with Nerves of Purple, co-leads a non-kink beginner class and practice jam at Emerald City Trapeze Arts, teaches Pan Eros Foundation beginner classes and helps moderate Rope In Seattle.
Fehér DaniBudapest rigger, also known as Danny Rigg, who founded the ShibariArt brand and teaches the Hungarian-language beginner and harness workshops, monthly rope jams and talks at the Ministry of Freedom club.
Felix RuckertBerlin dancer and choreographer who ran the venue schwelle7, founded the twice-yearly rope exchange EURIX in 2012 and teaches bondage classes at IKSK, the institute he opened in 2020.
Franck StunnFounder of Corneum, a rope dojo in Lennik, Belgium, who cites more than nine years of shibari and six of teaching and runs workshops in semenawa, hashira, tantra shibari and sensual rope.
Fred HattLondon shibari educator and co-founder of Anatomie Studio, known for a technical teaching style and a preference for dynamic transitions and predicament rope.
Fritz (JuteJitsu)San Francisco rope artist who runs San Francisco Shibari, trains with Hajime Kinoko in Tokyo, is a certified Ichinawa-kai instructor and teaches Kinoko's curriculum in weekly workshops and private lessons in the Mission district.
FuocoFuoco is a rope educator and performer who dates the start of rope practice to 2012, runs Imprint Studio in Northampton, Massachusetts, and is named by FLARE as Shibari Study's Director of Education.
Fuwa Shinobu芙羽忍Tokyo-based kinbakushi who teaches regular rope classes, runs a women-only rope gathering, is known for horror-themed rope performance and co-created the photobooks Kinbaku Danshi (2015) and Kinbaku Danshi 2 (2018).
GandalfShibari artist and educator described by Karada House as based in Shanghai, who founded the Embodied Flow community, teaches a theater-and-dance-influenced curriculum and started the Kinbaku Theatre performance initiative.
GanRaptorPolish rope performer and teacher who has performed at fetish and BDSM events since 2009, co-runs the nawado.pl shibari handbook and the GanRaptor.pl video courses with Slaanesh, and has taught workshops across Poland and abroad.
Georg BarkasVancouver-based intimacy educator, researcher, performer and author of a book on language and erotic rope bondage, who studied with Osada Steve and teaches online and in person through Karada House.
GestaltaBerlin-based shibari artist, performer and teacher who came to rope in 2007, wrote a 2019 guide to suspensions and has run the Berlin studio Daruma since January 2024.
GiottoRigger and rope maker behind deGiotto Rope who, according to the shop, has taught rope for more than 12 years and is known for suspension ties and an emphasis on safety and connection.
GluwurChilean artist and performer in Barcelona (also written Glü Wür) who joined the city's shibari community in 2013, combines contemporary circus with self-suspension and has performed and taught across Europe and the Americas.
GoddessinropeLondon rope switch who has practised shibari since 2016 and teaches at Anatomie Studio, where Goddessinrope manages the store team and oversees rope treatment.
GorgoneA French rope switch, Gorgone co-founded Shibari Study; a Brazilian listing says Gorgone has taught and performed since 2011.
GuignonetteA Montréal rope artist whose published bio describes a technical, expressive and emotionally engaged approach to rope. Gave a shibari presentation and a shibari stage show during Montreal Fetish Weekend 2026, and teaches the ‘Tying Together / Encordé.e.s Ensemble’ class on Tension’s schedule.
Guinju GaijinA rigger who teaches and performs in Madrid as a duo with model gato, in a style shaped by a European approach to semenawa. The duo has taught a suspension intensive at Honne Dojo and performed at a Slutty Events show.
Hajime KinokoA Tokyo rope artist and photographer who founded and leads Ichinawakai, has taught workshops in more than twenty cities worldwide, and stages rope installations and performances in galleries, festivals and fashion events.
Harli AdaliaA Melbourne shibari artist and anatomy specialist who runs recurring introductory and intimacy-focused rope classes at Laneway Learning in the CBD.
Harukawa Namio春川ナミオOsaka-born illustrator (1947–2020) who first appeared in Kitan Club and spent about fifty years drawing female-dominance and bondage art for SM magazines.
Hayakawa Yoshikazu早川佳克Magazine editor and writer known as Hige, who edited S&M Sniper from May 1980 to June 1982 and organized the Hige Salon in Tokyo.
Hedera HelixTeaches a bottom-centered workshop at LA Rope Dojo on consent, communication, body awareness and partner vetting from the perspective of the person being tied.
HenRiggerCopenhagen rope teacher, performer and photographer, also known as Nawa Shashin, who trained at the Copenhagen Shibari Dojo, teaches and performs as a pair with _TheBoundRose, volunteers at Rope Space and has guest-taught in Cape Town.
Honza DarkPrague rope teacher at the studio Subspace since its beginnings, a student of Petr Soptík since 2015, whose dynamic, close-contact Dark-style is taught in beginner, intermediate and advanced workshops.
hua huaShibari teacher, performer and filmmaker who founded Borderline Productions, started public shibari teaching in Shanghai in 2017, and has taught internationally since leaving China in 2022.
HwG-ParisShibari artist, instructor and performer teaching since 2021, with early influences from semenawa and Naka Akira. Offers private lessons in the 20th arrondissement while teaching mainly from Marseille.
Ibinuphis (Markus)Swiss rigger, photographer and Osada-ryū instructor who has tied since a first workshop in 2003, co-founded the Seilschaften rope jam in 2007, helped set up Secret56 in 2010 and has been an official instructor entitled to hold Kyu exams since 2022.
IckyA queer and trans rope educator and performer in San Francisco who teaches with Lief Bound, bringing a rope bottom’s perspective and a focus on consent. Icky co-teaches the 101/201/301 progressive rope series at VoxBody.
Isabelle Hanikamu井佐鐘Montréal kinbaku performer and teacher who studied with Naka Akira from 2014, runs the school Nawakai (formerly Kinbaku Dojo Montréal), teaches what she calls sensual semenawa and created the rope work for the circus show Triptyque in 2015.
IsithPart of the Tying With Friends team, with a medical and scientific background and a focus on rope safety, nerve injury and psychological effects. She mentors people who want to tie safely and responsibly and initiated the founding of ropehelp.ch, a support point for bad experiences in rope.
Itō Seiu伊藤晴雨Japanese painter (1882–1961) whose research into historical rope restraint earned him the title "father of modern kinbaku".
Ivy LimieuxA Bay Area rope figure connected with VoxBody, KinkPOC Bay Area and SOUL, who co-hosts the Folsom Street Fair Bondage Stage with Shay Tiziano. Ivy is also listed as a co-teacher of a VoxBody suspension workshop focused on larger bodies.
J (TheRawKitty)Seattle rope instructor with about a decade in the local scene, teaching group classes and private sessions in a Japanese-influenced style. He runs a monthly first-Friday pole (hashira) session at House of Knotty for intermediate tyers.
Jac FabianCopenhagen rope teacher who is named as the founder and director of House of Play and teaches its suspension-level rope courses and workshops.
Jacques LeBoucOwner of Flower and Snake, listed there as a rope educator who has tied since 2014 and works mainly in the Naka style.
Jade (EuphoricKinks)A rigger with a yoga and somatic sexology background who started tying in 2023. Listed as co-instructor of Peer Rope Melbourne’s southside Beginner 1 course.
James MarshallFounder of Unikink, who approaches shibari as a meditative, community-building practice. Co-leads its beginner workshops and recurring rope social in Manhattan.
JazA Birdhaus rope instructor who co-teaches an intermediate class on harnesses and floor work in October 2026.
Jenni NoonVolunteer teacher at Anatomie Studio who came to shibari as a rope model in 2020. She co-teaches the studio’s leg-ties class with Anna Bones in September 2026.
Jess (Starlove Shibari)Owner and instructor of Peer Rope Melbourne, teaching under the Starlove Shibari name with a focus on Japanese rope styles, somatic awareness and trauma-informed teaching. Co-teaches the school’s southside intermediate course in St Kilda.
Jirka (Alive Ropes)Founder and lead teacher of Alive Kinbaku Dojo, who first photographed rope work from 2010 and began tying around 2019. Draws on a martial-arts background, teaches the Bound Bodies Architect beginner course and regularly hosts the Friday jams.
Joan von BrookPrague rope teacher, rigger, model and performer who has practiced shibari since 2013, taught since 2015, co-founded the studio Subspace at the end of 2018 and is the only teacher of Nicolas ryu in the Czech Republic authorized by its founder.
John WillieSingapore-born fetish artist, photographer and publisher (1902–1962), founder of the magazine Bizarre and creator of Sweet Gwendoline, and one of few Western artists whose work appeared in Kitan Club.
Jonathan RyanPacific Northwest rope artist working as Seattle Shibari who holds a high-level teaching license from Hajime Kinoko, co-directs the Portland Shibari Salon with Sappho and has performed in Tokyo, Shanghai, Paris, Rome, London and Bangkok.
Jörg (InkJokey)Munich rigger tying since January 2019, a private student of Alexander and Natasha NawaTaNeko of Discover Kinbaku since 2020, who has taught in and around Munich since 2023, runs Project:Rope and co-founded the BightNight rope jam.
Julia SeifriedMunich rope and sex coach who came to rope as a model before tying herself, and teaches couples day workshops, private lessons and online courses that treat rope as a tool for closeness rather than power play.
JulietteShibari teacher and performer working in Belgium and France who came to rope as a model in 2016, has performed since 2018, has taught in Brussels since 2022 and leads most of L'Alternée's workshops.
Juniper QuinnRope switch and instructor listed as a Tethered Together presenter and with Parker for New York workshops on beginner rope, predicaments and boot play.
Juno SloaneSan Francisco rope performer and teacher, also known as Dancehalldyke, who is a Twisted Windows troupe member, offers lessons and courses with slab_me_harder as recurrence rope, and is listed in the line-up of Ropecraft Chicago 2026.
KansoBay Area kinbaku artist and educator who started the Rope Circle in 2017 and was interviewed by Kinbaku Today in 2014.
Kasuga Akira春日章Nawapedia records illustrations under the name Kasuga Akira in Uramado in 1960; Dō Shōichi (1926–2011) also illustrated period fiction, including serials by Matsumoto Seichō and Sasazawa Saho.
Kasumi HouraiNagoya-based Japanese kinbakushi who modeled for Akechi Denki and studied Naka Ryu with Naka Akira, and was listed for workshops in Sydney, Berlin and Barcelona.
Kayama Shigeru賀山茂Nawapedia records that kinbakushi and photographer Kayama Shigeru died in 2014. Kayama edited the 1953 album Beautifully Bound, photographed Kinbaku Shashin 4 under Dan Oniroku's supervision, and owned the Tokyo salon SAMM.
Kazami Ranki風見蘭喜Kansai-based kinbakushi who heads the SM circle Circle M's, founded in 1996, and whose way of tying is taught abroad as Kazami-ryū, a graded curriculum known for secure, comfortable chest harnesses.
Kennedy Be MineA keen self-suspender who started rope at Studio Friction in 2022 and now co-teaches the studio’s advanced self-tying course on transitions and dynamic self-suspension.
KirigamiMilan rigger, performer and teacher who has performed since 2011, co-founded School of Rope Milano in 2016, was a certified Kinbaku Luxuria instructor from 2018 to 2022 and in 2025 was invited to tie for Sugiura Norio's Kinbaku Sajiki photo series.
KJToronto rigger who taught Kazami-style classes at the Toronto Kinbaku Salon from 2018 to 2025, teaches at Birdhaus and co-founded the Suspended Harmony performance series.
KnotHeadBondage rigger, rope photographer and maker of hand-dyed nylon rope sold as Knot Head Nylon, who ties in the strict, positional Western style; the ROPECRAFT convention gave him a page for its 2016 New Orleans event and announced a photography intensive with him for 2018.
KnotsnacksLA rope artist who has practiced intensively since 2020 and offers private lessons, rope sessions, photography and performances, with a focus on queer-friendly and trauma-informed practice.
Konuma Masaru小沼勝Japanese film director (1937–2023) whose films included the 1974 adaptation of Dan Oniroku's Flower and Snake; Japanese Wikipedia records more than forty Nikkatsu Roman Porno works.
KurogamiItalian rigger who began studying Japanese bondage at the end of 2016 with Riccardo Wildties and Red Sabbath, has been a recognized Kinbaku LuXuria educator since February 2018 and teaches with Shiawase at Peony Studio in Turin.
Lalhow66Co-organizes Paris Kinbaku Day with the École des Cordes and is featured in a bamboo semi-suspension rope session published on the school’s site.
Lani DeViateSydney rope model, performer and organizer who has tied with Mark DeViate since 2006, co-founded Studio Kink in 2015, organizes the studio's Mardi Gras floats and held the title Sydney Ms Leather 2024.
LaodaiTrainer in the Bangkok Shibari collective who taught its Technique workshop on rope tension, better harnesses, body mechanics, adapting ties to different bodies, and efficient tying and untying.
Lee HarringtonUS-based sexuality and spirituality educator and author of Shibari You Can Use (2006) and More Shibari You Can Use (2015), both winners of the Geoff Mains award, and editor of the anthology Rope, Bondage, and Power.
Léo (ForaIsso)Artist in residence at Shibari House Brasil who came to rope from programming and audiovisual work and now concentrates on shibari. He leads the studio’s two weekly study groups: Teoria das Cordas on Mondays for people who already tie, and Sobre Nós on Wednesdays for beginners.
LevirietSão Paulo rope artist, teacher and performer who began shibari in 2019, is an artist in residence at Shibari House Brasil and produced the first edition of the Nakama Nawa art-and-shibari exhibition with Mariana Rodeso.
Lief BoundA queer and trans rope educator and performance artist based in San Francisco who teaches a connection-focused approach to rope with Icky. Lief also offers private lessons and online tutorials, and performed on the 2026 Folsom Street Fair Bondage Stage.
Lily Gray BansheeOne of the founders of the whyKnot space in Rome. In a 2025 national press feature she stressed that rope carries real risk and that students learn from the first lesson to avoid compressing nerves and to prevent circulation problems.
Lison VincentLyon visual artist and performer trained at the Beaux-Arts de Sète and ENSAD Nancy who runs shibari initiations, classes and themed workshops (self-tying, self-suspension, rope and movement) in Lyon and on trips to other French cities.
Logan LeidenRigger, rope bottom and bondage model active since 2018 who teaches at FunLab Torino and specialises in self-suspension. Lists Davide La Greca and Beppe Ambrosia as teachers.
Lola Tiger NawaLondon kinbaku teacher who founded Ropejam Studio and created Tiger Nawa Ryū, a teaching system that joins aibu nawa and seme nawa and that the studio traces to Osada Steve, Yukimura Haruki and other Japanese masters.
Louis KordexeTokyo-based rope artist, photographer and apprentice of Hajime Kinoko who holds a semi-first-class Ichinawa instructor license and has taught private lessons in English, French and Japanese at his Studio Y7 since 2023.
LuvielaHotaru Centro Cultural’s staff page lists her as its shibari teacher. She has practised since 2018 and runs her own performance project, Purifying, and she holds degrees in philosophy and dance research.
Madeline DahlCo-owner of Flower and Snake, where she is listed as a rope model and fine artist who is also learning to tie.
Magnus RopeA shibari teacher and performer at Peer Rope Melbourne whose approach centres on connection and emotional intensity in rope. Teaches the school’s northside Beginner Two course and co-teaches the southside intermediate course.
MamanaNon-binary therapist and artist on the Karada House team who teaches the ‘Rope for Absolute Beginners’ class there.
MarcosRope practitioner of more than six years with a quiet, trust-focused style and a known interest in face bondage. Teaches KOR berlin’s weekly beginner class and offers private rope sessions there.
Mariana RodesoSão Paulo artist and rope teacher who began shibari in 2019 and co-runs Shibari House Brasil, where she curates the program at Estúdio Ifigênia and teaches the studio's full course with Rigger Maia.
Mark DeViateSydney rope educator and performer who co-founded Studio Kink in 2015, presented at ShibariCon and other North American events from the mid-2000s, and traces his rope to mentorship with Osada Steve and the Akechi Denki line.
MashaMontreal shibari teacher, rigger and model, also known as Katmiss, who has tied regularly since 2017 and co-owns the Tension studio, where her teaching centers on communication, consent and boundaries.
Master KPen name of the author and kinbaku teacher behind The Beauty of Kinbaku (2008), an English-language history of Japanese erotic rope bondage later translated into Japanese, and the earlier book Shibari: The Art of Japanese Bondage.
Master RCo-facilitator of Taut & Bound at Temple, a study group aimed at experienced tiers that looks at tying male-identified, masc-presenting and non-binary bodies.
Matís d’ArcRope and BDSM workshop leader based in Zurich and Berlin who found rope in Berlin’s fetish and queer kink scene and at Felix Ruckert’s Schwelle7, co-founded the label luhmen d’arc in 2013 and runs its Zurich bondage jam and shibari workshops.
Matsui Kenji松井健二Amateur rope tier who tied for magazines and books without public credit, taught at the Ginza bar Black Heart from 1998, and influenced Kamui Jubei.
Matthias T. J. GrimmeHamburg author, publisher and rope teacher who wrote German handbooks on SM, bondage and Japanese-style bondage and has taught rope-focused workshops since 2001, today with Nicole (Rope-Cat) at Bondage Project Hamburg.
May DosemRigger and occasional model in rope since 2014 who co-founded Port d’attaches in 2019 and teaches its floor-play class every other Friday. Also gives private lessons and travelling workshops.
MidoriSan Francisco sex educator, author and artist whose 2001 book The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage is credited as the first English-language guide to Japanese rope bondage; she leads the Rope Dojo intensives.
Mie NekoRope switch from Germany whom Daruma in Berlin describes as teaching and performing at events at home and abroad since 2020, and for whom the studio and Rope Rebels Vienna list guest workshops from 2024 to 2026.
Milla ReikaRope practitioner in Japan who founded the Senkaku studio space in 2013, teaches private lessons and a salon, published the photo-book The Descent of Inanna and produced the Kinbaku Diaries video series.
MimiValencia-based rope teacher and performer who performed with Pablo (RopesSculptor) at Reisei Studio in July 2025 and co-taught a two-day shibari intensive with him in Ibiza in June 2026.
Minomura Kō美濃村晃Kyoto-born illustrator, editor, writer and rope tier (1920–1992), real name Suma Toshiyuki, who worked on Kitan Club and founded Uramado.
Miss LinaTaiwan-based kinbaku practitioner trained by Tenma Haru who runs the Taipei rope salon Salon Isshion, teaches the Tenma-ryū ushirote in small-group workshops and private lessons, and has performed in Taiwan and Japan since 2024.
MisunguiPerformer and activist whose shibari workshops on stools and using the rigger's weight have been listed by Daruma in Berlin and Querverbindungen in Vienna.
Miura Takumi神浦匠Nawapedia records Miura Takumi's years as 1964–2021; Miura formed the Bakuyukai rope circle, welcomed Akechi Denki as its first head, and described a graded practice dojo in a 2008 interview.
Molly SjöbergStockholm shibari teacher and somatic practitioner, also presenting as Molly Maria, who has tied since 2015, taught since 2019 and runs Sensual Shibari, with workshops, weekly classes, private tuition and online courses.
MonadLisbon rope practitioner active since 2017 who, together with Morgana, teaches workshops and gives performances as part of the Knot Lounge project.
MOrE (墨耳)Rope artist, teacher and photographer who came to rope in 2014 while photographing the Japanese rope artist Kannagi, runs the Shushi studio in Banqiao, New Taipei, and was among the nominees for Best Action Choreography at the 2024 Golden Horse Awards for rope work on the film 破浪男女.
MorganaLisbon rope practitioner active since 2017 who, together with Monad, runs workshops and performances within the Knot Lounge project.
MrghyA Temple founding member who teaches its foundation courses, including Rope0, the Beginners Rope Lab and the Roped-In weekend intensive.
Ms. ReemahAtlanta rigger and rope educator who entered the kink scene in 2017; the Shibari Study podcast introduced Ms. Reemah as an organizer of Rope Bite Atlanta and rope track coordinator of Southeast Leather Fest, and Karada House in Berlin has listed suspension classes with Ms. Reemah since 2023.
Muku Yōji椋陽児Osaka-born bondage illustrator, comics artist and writer (1928–2001) known for his drawings in Uramado and later SM magazines and comic lines.
Murakami Nobuhiko村上信彦Japanese writer and historian of clothing and women's history (1909–1983) who, according to Japanese Wikipedia, contributed fiction and criticism to Kitan Club from 1953 to 1961 under the pen name Azuma Shin.
Murasaki HaruanYukimura-ryu instructor who, according to Karada House's profile, began studying under Yukimura Haruki in 2003, was certified in 2014 as Instructor No. 10 and has taught workshops in cities including Los Angeles, Shanghai, Milan, New York, Berlin and Bangkok.
Mx KnottyA rope teacher billed as the owner of Knotty Productions. In 2026 they taught hands-on fundamentals, suspension fundamentals and advanced suspension-hanger intensives at Sanctuary Club.
MxBlissProduces and teaches the monthly Boundless Rope Experience at Sanctuary Club, a drop-in class series that runs from basic ties to an introduction to suspension. The series is aimed especially at queer, trans and POC rope practitioners.
MyLavanderMoonTrainer in the Bangkok Shibari collective who taught its Awareness workshop for riggers and bottoms on personal risk profiles, checks, risk reduction and communication before, during and after a rope session.
Naka Akira奈加あきらJapanese kinbakushi and adult-video director, born 1959, who trained under Nureki Chimuo at the Kinbiken and developed the precise semenawa style known as Naka-ryū.
Nakagawa Ayako中川彩子Nakagawa Ayako was a name used by painter Fujino Kazutomo (1928–1980) for magazine illustrations; Nawapedia dates the debut to 1953, and Kawade Shobō Shinsha published a collection under both names in 2002.
NamáriëCo-owner and community builder at Kinbaku Lounge who has taught from the rope-model side since 2013. Co-founded the Kinbaku Lounge community and venue with Scot and co-teaches their international workshops.
NaokoLondon-based shibari artist and educator who studies under Naka Akira, founded Hong Kong's Kokoro Studio and opened London's Studio Yukari in 2022.
Natalie RosePortland, Oregon rope educator and lifestyle coach who offers private lessons and the Bondage Soup cohort program and describes a platonic approach to rope.
Natasha NawaTaNekoBerlin-based rope bottom, teacher and author who teaches and performs with Alexander MA as Discover Kinbaku, wrote Somatics for Rope Bottoms (2020), co-hosts the Model Behaviour podcast and runs a free monthly online book club on embodiment.
Natsumi ScarlettAmsterdam-area shibari performer and teacher who also works under the name Natsumi no Ito. Led a beginner workshop and took part in a demonstration evening in the WorldPride Amsterdam 2026 programme, and runs levelled beginner workshops in the city centre.
Nawa MusubiRope-teaching partnership of Jake and Laced in Australia, which Studio Kink says opened in June 2018 to teach the Ichinawa-kai curriculum of Hajime Kinoko.
NëyaPrague-based rigger and model originally from Ostrava, who has tied since 2018 and teaches at Subspace and elsewhere in Europe.
Nicole (Rope-Cat)Hamburg rope teacher known as Rope-Cat who has co-led Bondage Project Hamburg's workshops with Matthias T. J. Grimme since the early 2000s and performed with him on stage from 2000 until a farewell show in 2025.
NikoletaPrague rope teacher, rigger and model at Subspace studio who has tied since 2018, has taught there since 2020 in Czech and English, and co-teaches Nicolas ryu and active-bottoming workshops with Joan von Brook.
Noir_fixTaipei rigger who first explored rope in Berlin, co-founded the rope salon Cats Downstairs in 2018 and The Suspended Canvas in 2023, and teaches and performs in Taiwan and elsewhere in East and Southeast Asia.
Nuit de TokyoLicensed instructor of the Yukimura Haruki style under the name Haru Kakeru, interviewed by Kinbaku Today in 2015 and announced for a London workshop and show program in June 2025.
Nureki Chimuo濡木痴夢男Tokyo writer, magazine editor and rope tier (1930–2013) who edited Uramado, tied for SM magazine photo shoots and founded the Kinbiken study group.
NyxAthenShibari team member for five years as of September 2026, a milestone the team marked with a public aibunawa rope session by WisDomme and Nyx before its regular Saturday jam. Nyx also took part in the team’s 2023 shibari presentation at AthensPFF.
OdysUS kinbaku artist and educator, also known as RiggerOdys, who founded the KinbakuOdyssey studio in 2017, studies with Naka Akira and says Naka endorsed him in 2022 to teach basic Naka style, which he now teaches in a four-workshop series.
Oki Shōji沖渉二Oki Shōji was an illustrator whose work appeared in Kitan Club, Uramado and Fūzoku Kitan and in later SM magazines, including illustrations for stories by Dan Oniroku. Vanilla Gallery in Ginza presented Oki's art in 2012 and 2017; Nawapedia records the years 1922–2018.
onebrattysubPortland rope teacher and community organizer who came to rope as a bottom in 2010, has co-hosted the Rope Arts Group and teaches beginner rope classes at Sanctuary Club and for the Portland Leather Alliance.
Ori RopeartNorthern German shibari artist tying since 2016 who teaches mainly in Hamburg and the Rhine-Main region, performs as an aerial rope dancer and runs shibari and yoga workshop weeks on the Baltic coast.
Osada Eikichi長田英吉Japanese kinbakushi (1925–2001) whose Osada Seminar and strip-theater rope shows made him a pioneer of kinbaku as stage performance.
Osada SteveBerlin-born photographer and kinbaku teacher in Tokyo who inherited the Osada name from Osada Eikichi in 2001 and founded the Osada-ryū school in 2007.
Otonawa (おとなわ)A Tokyo rope performer and teacher at the Kabukicho bar Titty Twister who debuted in 2009 in a show with Hajime Kinoko and has trained with him since, toured Europe, Australia and North America, and whose students teach the Otonawa-kai classes.
Pablo (RopesSculptor)Rope teacher and performer who, with Mimi, gave a couple’s rope performance at Reisei Studio’s ‘Tardes de Shibari’ in July 2025. In June 2026 the pair co-taught a two-day shibari intensive in Ibiza covering basic knots, tension lines, floor work, safety and non-verbal communication.
pandoradreamsDenver rope educator and event organizer who since 2013 has helped create Denver Rope Bite, Ropegasm parties and several editions of Rope in the Rockies, and has taught curriculum classes and advanced intensives at Studio Friction.
PapaBear (Papa Bear Shibari)In-house rigger at Kotori People Studio with about four years of practice. He focuses mainly on suspension and is still learning floor work and decorative ties. He offers private classes and performances and has hosted the studio’s mini class and rope jam and life-drawing evenings.
PapiliciousQueer Amsterdam rigger who founded Iridescent Studio and leads many of its beginner, self-tying and ‘Level Up’ rope sessions, and also offers one-to-one instruction.
ParkerA queer, non-binary rope educator with more than 16 years of experience who teaches Coil & Cord’s four-hour Beginner Rope Intensive, covering hitches, column ties, chest harnesses and consent basics.
Pauline MassimoBrazilian interdisciplinary artist and rope educator based between Spain and Brazil, founder and director of Espacio Nos in Barcelona, with a performance record since 2015 across Europe and the Americas and a gender-neutral approach to who ties whom.
Pawin KinbakuBangkok-based queer rigger and in-house rigger at Kotori People Studio who specializes in rope with men and queer bodies and treats rope as shared exploration. He offers private classes and performances and has hosted the studio’s mini class and rope jam nights.
Pedro CordasLisbon-based rope artist, performer and educator who began studying rope in Tokyo in 2003, took classes with Akechi Denki from 2004 and later with Nawashi Kanna, and has taught across Europe, North America and Australia.
Pen (KinkNamePending)UK rope switch, mainly a rope bottom, who teaches at Anatomie Studio in London with a focus on bottoming, anatomy and safety, and has performed and taught across the UK, Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia.
Petite PretzelLondon-based rope switch from New York who has taught at Anatomie Studio since 2019, performs at nightlife events and festivals, and works on commercial rigging.
Petr SoptíkCzech rope teacher who has led workshops at home and abroad since 2011, co-founded the Prague studio Subspace at the end of 2018, organizes the Prague Shibari Festival and names Naka Akira and Riccardo Wildties as the main influences on his style.
PeymalikaMember of the Knotenpunkt Hamburg organizing team who started rope at the studio about three years ago and also models for camera work.
PrecipiceSydney rigger and co-founder of Studio Kink in 2015, known for a clean, methodical style centered on dynamic suspension and for partial-suspension intensives drawing on his study in Japan.
PrimalBightFounded BightBound and has practiced rope since 2017, drawing on several styles rather than one school. Private lessons and rope photography are offered through primalbight.com.
PsychopsisThe psychologist on the AthenShibari team, who teaches its Intro to Shibari Modelling workshop on the role of the person being tied. The workshop covers safety checks, nerve and circulation awareness, body exploration, communication, consent and aftercare.
Randa Mai乱田舞Tokyo kinbakushi and adult-video director (1959–2022) who called himself an SM entertainer, ran SM bars in Roppongi and helped bring SM rope shows to a wider audience.
Red Lily (Beatrice Gigliuto)Italian-born, Copenhagen-based shibari teacher, sexologist and relational coach who has taught and performed across Europe for more than a decade, runs queer-centered courses and founded the Copenhagen Queer Knots Festival.
Red SabbathKinbaku teacher and model who co-teaches the Kinbaku LuXuria workshops of Riccardo Wildties in Europe and North America, including regular advanced weekends at Heartland Kinbaku in Chicago, and taught Kurogami and Shiawase from 2016.
RedRopeTiger (Amber)Co-lead of Secret56, in rope since 2012 and active on both sides of the rope. She holds Kyu 6 in Osada Ryu and brings that technical base and a model’s perspective to the dojo’s training.
RenéTrained shiatsu practitioner and teacher who started Qibari in 2020 and took over its Kreuzberg studio in 2023. He has taught the studio’s Rope-Shiatsu foundation training since 2023 and is the contact for workshop bookings.
Renée de SansBerlin filmmaker and visual artist who co-founded the queer rope space Karada House in 2019, has taught shibari there since 2021 and co-directed the award-winning documentary The Artist and the Pervert (2018).
Riccardo WildtiesItalian rigger and rope educator who studied with Naka Akira, is presented by workshop hosts as Naka's first disciple, and teaches his own Naka-derived system, Kinbaku Luxuria, at workshops across Europe.
Rigger MaiaSão Paulo rigger active since 2016, managing partner of Shibari House Brasil, where Maia makes the handmade jute rope and co-teaches the full shibari course at Estúdio Ifigênia with Mariana Rodeso; main interest is semenawa.
Rina TreviShibari artist and intimacy guide who runs the Intimately Tied rope retreats, frames her practice as Shibari as Ritual, and has co-taught beginner workshops in Austin.
RíoShibari artist credited with Estudio Jorogumo in rope performances and audiovisual collaborations. Credits include a music video with Daniela Spalla and the performance San Pedro – Carrera de Patos.
RopeknightRope teacher who became Osada Steve's official student in 2012, studied with Yukimura Haruki and combines the Osada and Yukimura styles in workshops across Europe.
RopuNawaBasel rope teacher who first saw shibari in 2008, began with the Osada Steve style taught in Switzerland and later drew on Naka Akira, Tifereth, Yoroi and Yagami Ren; he teaches at Tying With Friends and gives workshops abroad.
Roqueved ZagalDescribes himself as a kinbakushi from Mexico City and is featured on Mukade Kinbaku Dojo’s official link hub. A Vice report named him as co-teacher, with Erick Kriminal Descente, at the earlier Tengu Shibari Dojo.
Rory RopesVolunteer teacher at Anatomie Studio, where he first discovered shibari in 2020.
Roxanne (Roxanne-Red)Co-founder of Studio du Parc who has practised shibari for about three years and co-teaches its courses with Baryss. She treats rope as a practice of connection and shared meditation, and puts particular weight on emotional safety and communication before, during and after a session.
RoxuBerlin-based rigger with an Aibunawa and Semenawa background who co-founded the studio Espacio Takibi and teaches, performs and gives study groups together with Ena Dahl as the duo Ena + Roxu.
Ru SagarisA professional shibari instructor (billed simply as Sagaris on some 2026 listings) who leads Espacio Nos’s beginner and intermediate courses, including a self-tying course. They have also hosted the studio’s skill-sharing rope salons; classes are taught in Spanish, with English editions on request.
Ryuzaki Asuka龍崎飛鳥Ryuzaki Asuka is a Kyoto kinbakushi who runs BAR-BARA the Bizarre and collaborated on Christian Jankowski's 2018 Traveling Artist project. Japanese Wikipedia records the bar's opening and guest shows in Germany in 1996.
Saara ReiBerlin performance artist and kinbaku educator who has practiced rope since 2014 as both bottom and rigger, co-founded the rope-bottom curriculum Embodied in Rope, co-hosts the Model Behaviour podcast and has presented at EURIX since 2018.
Sai Jaiden LillithMelbourne- and Sydney-based rigger, educator and performer who began shibari in the mid-2010s, co-founded the ritual performance collective Infernal Desire Machine and the workshop collective Sacred Primal Arts with Eve X, and teaches rope intensives through the Australian School of Sexuality.
Saikatsu才勝Tokyo amateur nawashi (died 2024) who assisted Akechi Denki from the early 1980s, taught the kinbaku class at Ginza Black Heart, advised Bakuyūkai and wrote a how-to series for the magazine Mania Club.
Sam JayNew York rigger and co-creative lead of NYC Shibari with Zero-Gi, trained at the Osada-ryu-based Melbourne Rope Dojo from 2011, known for the NYC Street Shibari public suspensions and suspension-transition workshops.
SanseiPrague rope teacher, rigger and model in rope since 2017 who teaches at Subspace, has been announced as a Prague Shibari Festival presenter since 2021 and studies the Kinbaku LuXuria style with Riccardo Wildties and Red Sabbath.
SapphoCo-directs Portland Shibari Salon with Jonathan Ryan and co-teaches its workshops and Seattle Shibari's group classes, bringing a dancer's sense of movement and medical knowledge of neuroanatomy to rope bottoming. She is Ryan's usual stage partner.
SarafNew York rope switch and self-tier practicing since 2018, listed for a calf-rope workshop at Coil & Cord in April 2026, a course at Temple Bushwick and an AirFlow suspension workshop in January 2027.
Sarkadi Eszter MirkaBudapest facilitator, trained in expressive and dance therapy, whose shibari-based somatic self-awareness work, The Healing Art of Shibari, uses rope to explore boundaries, consent and trust rather than to teach technique.
ScarlatanaLed a queer-inclusive semenawa workshop at Honne Dojo aimed at LGBTQIA+ participants and hosted one of the dojo’s open shibari jams.
ScotCo-owner and instructor at Kinbaku Lounge in Copenhagen, listed as starting rope in 1997 and teaching since 2012. With Namárië, Scot founded the Kinbaku Lounge community in 2013 and its Valby venue in 2015, and teaches and performs in Denmark and abroad.
Seb KinbakuParis shibari teacher and photographer who came to rope through a photo assignment, co-wrote the Shibari Guide Book (2019), teaches private lessons in French at the Kinbaku Nest and selects the rope sold by La Boutique du Shibari.
SelkieLA-based rope artist and educator (also a yoga instructor) with more than six years in shibari. Offers private sessions, workshops and live performances, and performs at events outside LA as well.
Serkan TaşçıCo-founder of ShibariTürk, now ShibariTurkey, in Istanbul. The studio’s site says he has more than twenty years of experience, leads its training program and teaches its advanced techniques; he also gives private sessions.
Shay TizianoSan Francisco bondage educator, performer and producer known for dynamic Western bondage and self-suspension, author of Tying & Flying (2019), which event hosts call the first book on the subject, producer of Twisted Windows and stages co-lead of the Folsom Street Fair.
SheeeeePart of the Knotenpunkt Hamburg organizing team, focused on helping newcomers find their way into rope practice.
ShiawaseItalian kinbaku teacher and performer who began studying Japanese bondage with Kurogami at the end of 2016 under Riccardo Wildties and Red Sabbath, co-founded the Kinkyphilia project and co-teaches Kinbaku LuXuria workshops with Kurogami at Peony Studio in Turin and abroad.
Shibari ShawnSeattle rope educator who began tying in 2016, started teaching in 2019 and founded House of Knotty, a gay rope studio, in 2023. He has taught at events across the US and Canada, with a focus on queer rope and on tying the masculine form.
Shigonawa Bingo紫護縄びんごShigonawa Bingo was a Tokyo kinbakushi who opened the UBU and mitsu rope bars, taught the Ubu-nawa course, and, according to the official career page, gave workshops and performances in Paris.
Shin Nawakiri小林繩霧Kinbaku performer, teacher and writer, author of Essence of Shibari (2017) and an advocate for BDSM rights in Taiwan, whose 2020 university lecture examined Orientalist views of Japanese rope bondage.
ShishiwakaKinbaku performer whom SMpedia records as active mainly in Kansai, founder of Shishi Nawakai in 2011, and a workshop teacher and performer at a London festival that year; Salon Isshion listed Shishiwaka for a Taipei show in 2026.
SickducksRope bottom and co-teacher who came to rope through photography modelling and teaches and performs across Europe with Dolph Vex.
SimFounder and director of Shibari Sydney who drives the studio’s community mission. She has performed as a rope model for national and international audiences.
SinSin is a rope practitioner and author of Year of the Bakushi and The Psychology of BDSM & Rope Bondage who interviews artists for Kinbaku Today, designs KOUMANAWA jute rope and teaches advanced classical kinbaku.
slab_me_harderSan Francisco rope performer and teacher, listed on the Twisted Windows troupe page as Juliette (slab_me_harder), who runs recurrence rope with Juno Sloane and is listed in the line-up of Ropecraft Chicago 2026.
SoaTaipei rope artist and teacher who has planned or performed in more than 100 rope shows since 2016, including the self-produced 狂繩夜宴 series, has advised theater and television productions on rope and teaches Mandarin-language courses in Taiwan.
Sogui (Soga Shibari)Buenos Aires tyer who works as Soga Shibari and teaches the ‘Taller Kaishi’, a two-day introductory shibari intensive in a switch format at Club Soguita Shibari in Almagro, alongside private and live sessions and jute rope sales.
SolanumCo-founder and co-lead of Nawaya who shares her experience as a rope model in its workshops to give participants a fuller picture of shibari.
Sophia RoseLondon-based rope educator and performer who has practiced rope since 2013, was announced as a performer for Prague Shibari Festival 2018, and is listed in the Queerope line-ups of 2022 and 2026.
SoraYokohama-based kinbaku artist and Gensō Nawakai instructor who studied under Tenma Haru and was listed as a performer by Salon Isshion in Taipei.
SparksRope teacher who runs the Adelaide studio Shibari Adelaide and, according to the studio's team page, is a deshi of Akechi Kanna with a teaching certificate in the Kanna-ryu style.
StabbyCo-founder of Second City Kinbaku, a free, application-based 18-month suspension course in Chicago, and of a similar program in Reno. The instructor bio lists teaching at Chicago venues and events, and Stabby is a listed instructor for the Men Roping Men 2026 conference in New York.
SteffListed by Madrid Shibari Dojo as instructor and model on its beginner and Agura workshops, co-teaching with Carlos NawaTanuki.
Stella SpeiShibari artist whose biography says she has taught beginner and intermediate classes since 2018, performs in several roles, and has led ASKA since 2019.
Stuart (A veces)Barcelona-based rope teacher who practices aibunawa and Naka-style semenawa and has been listed for events in Barcelona, Amsterdam and France.
SydonaBrooklyn rope artist and former professional dancer who is a resident educator at Temple, has performed in the assistant role at Hajime Kinoko's web shows, and studied privately with Kirigami and Tenshiko in Milan.
Sylb (SylbRope)A Peer Rope Melbourne instructor teaching since 2021, known for self-tying and self-suspension and for adapting rope to different access needs. Leads the school’s October 2026 northside Beginner One course.
Takase Shinnosuke (たかせ秦之助)たかせ秦之助A Tokyo bakushi who runs the Shibaraku salon, project and school, teaching an embrace-centered, dialogue-based style of rope. He also organizes rope safety and first-aid courses, study groups and show events, and writes on rope technique and culture.
TamanduaBerlin-based traveling kinbaku educator who has worked with rope professionally since 2016 and teaches a style centered on seme and the ritual beauty of classical kinbaku.
Tenma HaruYokohama kinbaku artist who runs the rope salon Gensō Nawakai, teaches Tenma-ryū in graded workshops, and was listed for events in Baltimore and Taipei.
TenshikoMilan rope teacher, model and performer, also credited as Marta Tenshiko, who has worked with Kirigami since 2011, co-founded School of Rope in 2016 and runs the rope venue Yūgen Studio with him, teaching workshops in Europe and beyond.
The Accidental RiggerRope professional, introduced as Mel, who began as a rope bottom and model around the shibari shop of Anatomie Studio, has offered rope customization, teaching and rigging for productions since 2021, and is a certified teacher of the Shibari Score Notation.
TheDudeA long-time Denver rope practitioner who has tied with BetwixtBlushes for more than ten years and co-teaches Studio Friction's entry-level curriculum course with her. The pair have presented at rope conventions around the US and are on the Rope in the Rockies 2026 presenter list.
TiferethToronto rigger and performer, co-owner of the alt-community venue Birdhaus and one of its rope educators. Tifereth co-directed a rope production at the 2026 Toronto Fringe and created the Peach Tie hip harness, which other teachers have taught from Tifereth's online video.
TiliaHosts the Queer Rope Night at Kinbaku Studio Vienna, an open rope evening for LGBTQ+ people and allies built on peer learning.
Topp ShibariBangkok-based rigger behind Bangkok Kinbaku Lab, which organizes guest-teacher performances, workshops and rope jams such as Hajime Kinoko’s Amazing Tied-Land and Kasumi Hourai’s visits.
Toronawa (Toro, トロ)Tokyo-based rigger who began learning rope in 2019, studied for three years under Waka at MilkyWay in Gotanda and in 2023 became its first non-Japanese instructor; he runs a weekly salon and performs and exhibits rope photography in Tokyo.
ToujinRope practitioner who led a full-afternoon beginner shibari workshop at CRUCIBLE/Vienna in April 2026, taught in English or German.
Trouble-CatCo-leads BightBound and has tied and been tied since 2019. Became a leader in Austin’s rope community in 2021, starting with Austin Rope Slingers before moving to BightBound.
Tsujimura Takashi辻村隆Osaka-area writer and kinbakushi (1921–1987) who helped make Kitan Club's bondage photo features and wrote its long-running SM Camera Hunt series.
UnnamedMinorTrainer in the Bangkok Shibari collective who taught its Spontaneity workshop on improvised one-rope (ichinawa) tying, flowing ties and experiments with bamboo. The same trainer taught a public shibari class at the Patpong Museum in August 2022.
Urado Hiroshi浦戸宏Japanese editor and rope tier, born 1933, who edited at Uramado and from 1974 to 1988 handled the rope work on about fifty Nikkatsu films.
Valentine AmarteyTeaches SHAG's introductory shibari classes for couples in Williamsburg and has led them for over 15 years. A costume and knitwear designer, he first met shibari through downtown performance art in the late 1990s and studied with Tyutumi, a student of Midori.
Valley_RosesSeattle rope bottom, kink educator and organizer who teaches movement-based and improvisational rope with the rigger Provocations, co-founded Ropes in Motion and runs the PNW Rope Group Discord server.
VallsBarcelona rigger, founding member of Rope Jam Barcelona (2017) and researcher of bamboo-based rope work since 2018, who launched the participatory bamboo jam Invasión Panda in May 2024 and has also run it in Madrid.
VinciensVienna rope teacher and licensed Osada-ryū instructor since 2011, co-founder of Kinbaku Studio Vienna and, according to Secret56, the highest-ranking and longest-serving Osada-ryū instructor, who leads the school's annual European Kyu examinations.
WildPort d’attaches teacher who began rope in 2018 and campaigns for the inclusion of all body types in shibari.
WillcatCo-owner and educator at the Montreal rope studio Tension, tying since 2015, who teaches a component-based method modeled on martial-arts training, has written a book for the studio's course and was the rigger in a shibari scene of Denis Côté's 2022 film That Kind of Summer.
WilliamBrooklyn artist, designer and rope teacher who founded the Bushwick kink and rope space Temple New York in 2019. William has studied shibari since meeting Midori in 2003, mainly in Naka style and semenawa, teaches harness and takate kote classes at Temple and hosts its rope jam, The Hang.
WisDommeAthens rigger and core AthenShibari member who has performed at the team’s shows since at least 2019. Her performances include an interactive stage piece at Booze Cooperativa in December 2019 and a shibari presentation at an Athens film festival in 2023.
Yada KinbakuBangkok-based shibari artist and educator who has explored Japanese rope since 2015, studied with the Japanese kinbakushi Yoshida Yoi, began teaching in 2018 and has run workshops under the Kotori name since 2019.
Yagami Ren鵺神蓮Tokyo rigger and performer, a former apprentice of Nawashi Kanna, who calls his approach sekibaku and founded the Yagami-ryū school with licensed instructors in Europe, Asia and Australia.
Yoshida Yoi (吉田よい)Tokyo organizer who founded Onawa Asobi, a two-day kinbaku performance festival held every year in Tokyo since 2009, and created its European edition in Antwerp, first held in 2020, where Yoshida has also presented, led the Japanese team and performed.
Yukimura Haruki雪村春樹Japanese kinbaku master, photographer and performer (1948–2016) whose approach became Yukimura-ryū, a gentle, emotion-centered style of rope.
ZachFounder and lead instructor of Heartland Kinbaku in Chicago and a certified educator in the Kinbaku Luxuria style of Riccardo Wildties. Zach began learning Japanese rope in San Francisco in 2015 and has since studied with teachers in North America, Europe and Japan.
Zero-GiRope model, performer and co-creative lead of NYC Shibari with Sam Jay, known for public suspensions in New York, a regular cabaret series in Bushwick and suspension workshops at Coil & Cord in Brooklyn.
Ziggi WillpowerRope practitioner based in Malmö who is listed as co-teacher of Red Lily's Malmö shibari courses and of rope workshops at Karada House in Berlin.
ZIMADeputy head of Ichinawakai’s Tokyo classes and one of the school’s first-class licensed instructors. ZIMA teaches the weekly group lessons together with Hajime Kinoko.
ZtellaBerlin-based rope teacher who offers study groups and weekend intensives and is listed as a presenter at Prague Shibari Festival in 2026.
ZuberiLondon rope teacher who began studying shibari in 2014, draws on martial arts, tantra and shiatsu, teaches at Anatomie Studio and leads rope sessions for the Noire people-of-colour kink community.