Tying With Friends
Rope studio in central Basel with tatami floors, exposed wooden beams and a full suspension setup (room for up to 10 bamboo poles or 12 single rings), run by RopuNawa and Isith.
Tying With Friends (TwF) runs a studio in central Basel with an open tatami floor, exposed wooden beams and a full suspension setup with bamboo and rings. The space is also used for yoga, aerial arts and meditation and can be rented for practice, photo shoots or small events (CHF 60 an hour or CHF 200 for four hours, as listed in November 2026).
Team
RopuNawa first saw shibari at a performance in Australia in 2008 and began tying after returning to Switzerland, starting from the Osada Steve style then taught there. He names Naka Akira as a lasting aesthetic influence, Tifereth as a recent one, and Yoroi and Yagami Ren as the source of his less-is-more approach; he adapts his tying to each partner and also teaches abroad. Isith has trained with Japanese, European and American riggers, brings a medical and scientific background and specializes in rope safety, nerve injury and the psychological effects of rope; she mentors people who want to tie responsibly and founded the support point ropehelp.ch.
Program
Regular evenings include a kinbaku study group focused on suspension, Partial Class sessions on uplines and harnesses kept close to the floor, FloorWork training for people alone or in pairs, and occasional hashira training. TwF rope jams run on weekday evenings and on Sunday afternoons. As listed in November 2026, regular evening workshops cost CHF 100 per couple or CHF 60 for one person, and jams CHF 25–30 (CHF 20 for students). Guest workshops are priced individually. Private lessons can be booked on weekdays and weekends, the studio can help find a local model, and it also offers group lessons for one to four couples and private sessions by arrangement. The website is in English and German.