Portland Shibari Salon Presents Ippon-Nawa Shibari: Sensual Single Rope Play
with Jonathan & Sappho

Step into the art of immediacy and connection with Ippon-Nawa Asobi—the practice of single-rope play—with Jonathan & Sappho at Portland Shibari Salon. This three-hour workshop invites you to explore how creativity flourishes within simplicity, using just one piece of rope to create sensual and expressive ties.

Together, we’ll dive into foundational forms and discover how body positioning and manipulation can transform even the most minimal setups into compelling experiences. Through guided exploration, you’ll develop improvisational skills, refine your aesthetic eye, and learn how to move fluidly with your partner.

We’ll also cover essential discussions around consent, anatomy, and safety, along with practical tips to help your tying feel smooth, intentional, and connected. Whether you’re new to rope or looking to deepen your practice, this workshop offers a focused and inspiring space to play, learn, and grow.

Prerequisites:

People Tying should be comfortable tying a non-collapsing single column tie.You should feel comfortable communicating with your tying partner.

People Being Tied should have good body awareness and be familiar with signs of nerve impingement, You should feel comfortable communicating with your tying partner.

This workshop is appropriate for all genders, sexual orientations, and body types, and is limited to 6 tying pairs.

Please bring:

• (1) 26'-30' length of soft rope, about 6mm/1/4" in diameter

Need Rope? We have quality jute rope available for sale that can be delivered to you at the start of the workshop. Please contact us for details.

About the Educators:

International rope artist Jonathan Ryan (Seattle Shibari) performs on stage, ties for photoshoots, and teaches the art of Shibari worldwide. He has taught & performed for sold-out audiences in 15 countries and 24 cities, including Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Barcelona, London, Shanghai, Los Angeles, & many more. As an educator, he draws on 20 years of professional work in education, specializing in curriculum design and differentiating instruction for diverse learning styles.

Jonathan has been deeply involved in Japanese cultural arts for more than 40 years, and holds a high-level shibari instructor license awarded by his teacher Hajime Kinoko of Tokyo, Japan. Jonathan’s personal style of rope combines his knowledge of body movement principles, psychology, and rope art to create his distinctive style of tying. His website is SeattleShibari.com.

Sappho is an unabashed lover of rope who brings expertise in Latin dance forms and a spirit of sensual inquiry to her kinbaku. She and Jonathan have taught & performed together in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. 

As a doctor specializing in neuro-anatomy, Sappho expertly combines her professional knowledge of the body with a dancer's awareness of physical movement. She is passionate about sharing this knowledge with others. Together with Jonathan, she directs activities at the Portland Shibari Salon.

For Jonathan & Sappho, rope is more than a beautiful & sensual art form; it is the invisible connection between two people made visible.

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Please note that that this is small curated event, and therefore no refunds or credit will be issued within 14 days of the event