Madrid Shibari Dojo

Madrid Shibari Dojo presents itself as a traditional school of shibari and kinbaku in Madrid and Spain, with the stated goal of safe, high-quality teaching that respects the art’s origins. Its learning page says the methods it teaches were learned from Japanese masters over more than twenty years and that its introductory course has been refined over more than 300 editions. The site is in Spanish, and its upcoming course listings are published by Carlos (Carlos NawaTanuki); Steff is also named on the site.

The school recommends two ways in. Private classes cost slightly more than group courses but take about half the time, and suit people who need full privacy or have tight schedules. The group route starts with a one-day Level 1 introduction for couples with no experience. Level 2 courses include an erotic shibari day (Shuuchinawa 1) and a semenawa day built around the takate kote; Level 3 introduces semi-suspension for couples who already know the takate kote, and a Level 3.1 day on creativity draws on Kuzushi Ryu. The school also runs a one-day introduction to BDSM.

Teaching is designed so students keep practicing at home: exercises target key skills that students can assess themselves, an online platform holds notes and concept reviews, instructors answer questions by message, and a student group discusses exercises, theory and culture. Members get free monthly supervised sessions to review earlier material, and Thursday and Friday evening practice nights appear on the calendar. Several times a year the dojo invites international educators for advanced students, and it also hosts jams, a Kinbaku Salon, a periodic Shibari Lab where instructors meet, and performances.

The school’s site cautions that patterns and suspensions cannot be learned in a weekend or from videos, that tension, emotional management and nonverbal communication need guided practice, and that shibari teaching is unregulated, which leaves beginners exposed to unethical self-styled teachers. Its shop sells treated jute rope and an Edo-inspired ishidaki board.