Rope Podcast

Anna Bones discovered rope with her now-husband Fred Hatt, in 2013 and has been in love with it ever since. Rope quickly escalated from a side hobby to a full-time job, culminating in the opening of Anatomie Studio (a sex positive venue and the UK's largest and first full-time Shibari space) which she runs with Fred Hatt. Anna, who has learned from a wide range of teachers, has taught and performed with her partner all over the world. From self-tying, bottoming to rigging, Anna loves it all, although her greatest joy is being tied. In this episode hear about: • Why rope felt like the ‘safest’ kink to start with for her as a solo female • How she went from a rope jam to running a successful Shibari educational space • Attending her first rope workshop (which happened to be by Naka) • Falling in love with rope (and her husband!) • Developing her career and experience in rope • The early days of the rope scene in Europe • Anatomie Studio and its aesthetic, values and aims • The origin story of the studio’s name • The challenges of success and the expansion of the studio • Balancing being authentically kinky and also public • The influence of her academic career on her rope life and insights • The very down-to-earth nature of her ‘typical day’! • And more! Click links or find us on your favourite pod player to listen now! Part 2 will be the next episode up, so keep an eye on your podcast feed <3

An unusual and somewhat mysterious tie, its origins obscured, the Five Flowers tie was purportedly used for leading Chinese prisoners to execution. Fox and Mya were lucky enough to go to a class on the tie recently and in this episode share their experience and understanding of the tie. As always, if you know more or want to add to the conversation, share your thoughts in the comments! In this episode hear about: • What the Five Flowers tie is • How it can be tied and variations • The pros and cons • How it feels to be tied in • Its risk profile • And more! Ps - Mya used the word ‘terrifying’ quite a few times about this tie in this episode - definitely gives you a clue to her view!

In the second part of our interview with the nylon rope maker, photographer and rigger KnotHead, the focus is more on rope photography. Listen now to hear Fox and Mya ask him about: • How he got into rope photography • How rope photography evolved in the West • Collaborating on rope photography • His photo influences • What he looks out for in a ‘Berry Nize’-worthy bondage photo • Working with the model you have • Great tips for rope photography models to best show off the rope they are in • Model releases and why they are important • The importance of the order of tying in a photoshoot versus play • How rope events have changed over time • The downsides of people teaching too quickly Beginning 30 years ago with a mix of flea market handcuffs, bathrobe belts and neck ties, knot_head has always loved bondage. Although he began with Japanese style rope, he quickly gravitated to the strict, clean, efficient, Western style of riggers like Jay Edwards, Matt Williams, Lew Rubens and Claire Adams. For him it IS about the simple, strict, positional bondage, and “what happens once they're tied”, challenging predicaments being his favorite. About ten years ago he caught the photography bug and loves showing kinksters how easy it can be to get better shots with their gear, even phones, in almost any setting. His schtick is to make bondage (and photography) simple and fun for anyone willing to learn.

Beginning 30 years ago with a mix of flea market handcuffs, bathrobe belts and neck ties, knot_head has always loved bondage. Although he began with Japanese style rope, he quickly gravitated to the strict, clean, efficient, Western style of riggers like Jay Edwards, Matt Williams, Lew Rubens and Claire Adams. For him it IS about the simple, strict, positional bondage, and “what happens once they're tied”, challenging predicaments being his favorite. About ten years ago he caught the photography bug and loves showing kinksters how easy it can be to get better shots with their gear, even phones, in almost any setting. His schtick is to make bondage (and photography) simple and fun for anyone willing to learn. In the episode, Fox and Mya ask him about: • Why he loves Western bondage • Many of his influences in bondage, film, photography, art and more • How he defines Western bondage • Differences between Japanese and Western rope styles • Cool Western positions • Functional rope positions versus positions for photos • His passion for predicaments • Why he started making nylon rope • Pros and cons of different rope materials • Tips on how to tie with nylon • A game-changing knot that changed how he ties

Ceci Ferox is a Berlin based queer, kinky and fat sexologist, kink activist, and rope nerd. They have been teaching Japanese inspired rope bondage since 2014, and are currently working as one of the house teachers at Karada House in Berlin. Ceci is inspired by creativity and understanding the smallest details of tying and communication technique. This has led to Ceci being an expert in tailoring ties for different needs. They are currently stoking a fat rope revolution. In the episode, Fox and Mya ask them about: • What being a House Teacher at Karada House entails • Learning through embodied experience • Why it is important to them to accept failure as part of their learning • How they experience topping, bottoming and self-tying • Why it’s important to use the word fat • Fat as a descriptive word, rather than a moral judgement • Who is fat rope for • The advantages of a fat body in rope • Misconceptions about fat bodies in rope • Rope topping tips as a fat bodied person • Practical suggestions for fat rope bottoms • Different kinds of fat

Anastasia from Voudou Ropes is an international shibari artist. Her 8 years experience in the field includes teaching, exhibitions, events and performances in several countries. Anastasia attracts people who want to feel rope as an art form, and she uses rope as a tool to communicate without words. Voudou Ropes has held three 3 sold out shibari retreats in Mexico, with clients flying in from the US and Europe. Anastasia is also growing a beautiful open-minded community in Playa del Carmen holding classes and events on a weekly basis. In this conversation, Fox and Mya discuss with her: • How she discovered rope bondage and some of the mistakes she made along the way • How she uses learning as a way to connect internationally • Her values in rope • How she has made her rope a business • The importance to her of community and opportunities to learn • Her very active social media presence and how instagram helps her business • Decorative rope and rope for self-love • What she does - and doesn’t post on her rope social media • What makes people share their rope stories with her • What the photoshoot of her dreams would be • Her large collection of rope types and her favourites • The place of rope in her personal life • How she does a couples check in with her husband using rope • Why she sees herself as a ‘rope artist’ rather than a ‘rope kinkster’

The Rope Podcast held a special competition recently, where Patreon subscribers could submit a rope story (describing a real experience) to the podcast with a chance of winning the last copy of Fox’s limited edition rope photo book, “Together In The Dark”. Fox and Mya chose a winner and a runner up (sorry runner up, your prize is just props!), and wanted to share these two stories with you, our listeners, to inspire you in both writing about and doing rope. Rope stories are a way of normalizing the rope experience, and sharing with others the how and most importantly, the why, and so can be very beneficial in helping the acceptance of rope bondage more widely. Our two stories contain self-tying, outdoor bondage, and learning a technique then putting it into play. We love them, and hope you do too! If you have a rope story, share a link in the comments below, and we will give you a signal boost <3 And if you want to become a Patron, for future competitions, sneak peeks, behind the scenes, and a deeper connection with Fox and Mya, find us on www.patreon.com/ropepodcast And look out for Fox and Mya’s rope stories book later this year!

This is the second part of our interview with accomplished Shibari practitioner Anna @Noctuelle. In this episode, Fox and Mya hear more about her depth of experience, as well as some practical tips. Listen to the episode to hear them discuss: • How her experience of rope has changed over the two decades she has been practicing • Aging and the impact of female hormone levels on her rope • How she has dealt with rope injuries • Situations she has discovered are more likely to generate injuries • Ties she doesn’t do any more to reduce her risk level • Signs to know when an injury might be happening • A consideration of Rigger vulnerability • Using rope to distract her from IVF, and the challenges that involved • Hormones and their impact on risk perception • Ways to increase longevity in rope • Practicing surrender in rope • Interdisciplinary approaches to rope Anna @Noctuelle is a highly experienced and versatile Shibari practitioner with over 18 years of experience. Her journey with Shibari began as a personal discovery and has since evolved into a multifaceted practice encompassing teaching, modelling and performing. Her dedication to sharing her passion for Shibari has taken her to various rope communities across Europe, teaching workshops and captivating audiences with performances since 2015. Anna’s artistic journey has been deeply influenced by her diverse background. With a foundation in classical dance, she brings grace, elegance, and a keen sense of body awareness to her Shibari practice. Her exploration of Buddhism, tantra and meditation, as well as her commitment to yoga, have shaped her aesthetic and philosophical approach to Shibari, lending it a spiritual depth and tranquility. A linguist in her other life, she’s constantly exploring the communicative aspects of Shibari. Anna’s blend of skills, knowledge, and experience make her an exceptional practitioner and educator of Shibari who understands what it means create safe and inclusive learning environments which reward inquiry, curiosity, courage, experimentation and playfulness.

Anna Noctuelle is a highly experienced and versatile Shibari practitioner with over 18 years of experience. Her journey with Shibari began as a personal discovery and has since evolved into a multifaceted practice encompassing teaching, modelling and performing. Her dedication to sharing her passion for Shibari has taken her to various rope communities across Europe, teaching workshops and captivating audiences with performances since 2015. Anna’s artistic journey has been deeply influenced by her diverse background. With a foundation in classical dance, she brings grace, elegance, and a keen sense of body awareness to her Shibari practice. Her exploration of Buddhism, tantra and meditation, as well as her commitment to yoga, have shaped her aesthetic and philosophical approach to Shibari, lending it a spiritual depth and tranquility. A linguist in her other life, she’s constantly exploring the communicative aspects of Shibari. Anna Noctuelle’s blend of skills, knowledge, and experience make her an exceptional practitioner and educator of Shibari who understands what it means create safe and inclusive learning environments which reward inquiry, curiosity, courage, experimentation and playfulness. In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss her rope journey and experiences. Listen to hear them talk about: • How she started her two decades of rope • Opportunities for nuanced communication in rope • The richness and depth of Shibari and why she loves it • Exploring living room rope • Marrying a non-rope person • Her links with Anatomie Studio • The place of rope in her life now • How she became a rope educator • Making sure she doesn’t let rope take over her life • The importance of a ‘beginner’s mind’ in rope • The pros and cons of a classical dance background for rope

A note from Fox and Mya: We’re not medical professionals, so this episode doesn’t constitute medical advice. We’re also aware that there are many sensitivities around ASC/ASD that we may overlook. Bear with us, and feel free to gently and kindly provide feedback in the comments if there’s something we didn’t get right. We also aware that [‘Aspergers’][https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome] as a term is now outdated, and has now been merged into Autism Spectrum Disorder, but we reference it in the episode as the listener’s email referred to it. A listener reached out to ask about tying with someone with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Fox and Mya aren’t experts in this area, so they reached out to their listeners to ask them to share their experience. In this episode, you can hear from seven listeners who either have themselves, or have a tying partner, with ASC, and were kind enough to record soundbites for us. They share tips, challenges, pros and cons of the condition in the context of rope. The WHO estimates 1 in 100 people is a person with the condition, and so even if you aren’t currently tying with someone in this category (as top or bottom), you might find it interesting to help your rope practice in the future. We hugely appreciate the vulnerability of the listeners who shared thoughts, and are so grateful for such a wonderful community prepared to share their experience.

Ep166: Working as a Rope Bondage Pro and the Place of Social Media - Knotty Devil (pt2) by rope partners Fox and Mya, The Rope Podcast is an adult podcast about rope bondage, Shibari and Kinbaku. Listen for discussions of ties, rope topics and news, interviews, reviews of events and rope gear, and listener questions.

Knotty Devil is a rope switch out of Portland, Oregon, USA who produces a lot of amazing rope content on social media and Only Fans. He aims to tie for connection, purpose and aesthetics, with a primal edge. In addition, he is the House Rigger for the latex company, Reflective Desire. In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss with him his rope journey and rope style. Listen to hear them talk about: • The first Shibari performance he watched and why it hooked him • His incredible drive to learn and how he threw himself into rope • Learning from different sources and how he integrated these • How learning from both sides of the rope helped him grow • What ‘tying with flow’ means to him and how he does it • The hotness of mutual suffering and struggle • How rope and s3x interact for him

Happy New Year dear listeners! Today we continue with our wonderful guests sharing one of their favourite rope scenes. It’s always an inspiring episode for our play - what ideas will you get?! Fox and Mya also share one of their favourite scenes of the year, plus a little bit about their hopes for their rope bondage in 2024. The episode includes scenes from: Thepope Theaccidentalrigger thewickedwren FoxofBangkok MyArms_Bendback We also introduce a competition for our patrons to win a signed copy of Fox’s book - join the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/ropepodcast now for the opportunity to win!

One of our - and your - favourite episodes of the year is here! Get comfortable and listen to four of our fabulous guests telling us about one of their favourite rope scenes. Understand what matters to them in a scene, and what they remember - and get ideas for your own play. The podcast hosts also include a review of their own rope year, with some personal reflections on what changed in rope for them in 2023. The episode includes scenes from: Midori -Fuoco- Assistant The silence

Rope Podcast hosts Fox and Mya talk to rope podcast host Wicked Wren, in this second part of their interview with her. The conversation also includes an interesting discussion where all three hosts share some ‘hot takes’ on some more nuanced rope topics, like implied power dynamics. While none of us felt like we representing this complex topic perfectly, perhaps it can start some discussion among your rope family and friends to explore the ideas further! Listen to the episode now to hear more about: • How Wren got involved with the @Shibari_Study podcast • How her ideas for the podcast evolved, and why • How she chooses her guests • What she’s learned through the podcast • Her goals for the podcast • Tips on managing implied power dynamics • Types of questions to ask in negotiations • The place of agency in rope consent

Wren (she/her) is a rope switch and artist, as well as being the host of the Shibari Study podcast and The Corn Corner podcast. She joined us from Los Angeles, California, USA. Mya and Fox have a lot of love for the Shibari Study podcast and Wren’s energy and interviewing style, and enjoyed reflecting that back to her and finding out the story behind her journey with rope. Listen to the episode now to hear more about: • How she discovered rope bondage through NRE • The challenges of not joining a scene when she started rope • The benefits of seeing a lot of role models of all shapes, sizes and abilities in rope • Her journey to switching and why these days she is mainly a bottom • What she likes about rope now and its space in her life • Her favorite rope intent and what she gets out of it • What she wants to hear when she’s in rope • Performing and what she gets out of it • Her engagement with rope education (including how she prepares for bottoming for a class)

Ep160: Together in the Dark - Creating an erotic rope bondage book: an interview with Fox The one where Fox makes a book… Fox’s latest creative project is a book of erotic rope bondage, called ‘Together in the Dark’. Here Mya interviews him about the background to this gorgeous artefact, and tries not to blush when talking about the subject matter. Mya and Fox even get to surprise each other with some of their questions and answers! Listen to the episode now to hear more about: • The ‘why’ behind the book • What the exploration of the physical medium brings over digital photos • The focus of the book and what makes it unique • Why those ties? Why those pictures? Why that order? • Which is Fox’s favourite photo? • How the creation process worked • The inspiration behind the erotic art in the book • How to go from no book to a book! • What Fox learned about himself through the rope book’s creation • The beliefs he challenged with the book - of his own, and those he hopes to challenge of others • His learnings and what surprised him when making the book

This is a rope focus episode, chosen by our lovely Patrons! In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss a tie that Fox created, that involves a lot of bamboo, and a sense of entombment…perfect for Halloween! Listen to the episode and discover plenty of information about this innovative tie, and even enter a competition to win a copy of Fox’s new rope erotica photo book, which is in (very) limited run right in its current format. Hear the podcast hosts discuss: • What this tie actually is • Risks and safety considerations to be aware of • Where the bamboo comes in and alternatives you could use • What it feels like to experience as a bottom • Who might enjoy this kind of tie • Thoughts on suspending a Hitsugi

Listener gggwolverine asks on behalf of a friend, what do rope bottoms do while the rope is going on, especially if the person is naturally a little self-conscious. To someone new to rope, the rope top has a more ‘obvious’ role in terms of the scene, but it can be intimidating as the bottom in the scene to know what to do. The most important thing is ‘there is no should’ - it’s very personal as to what works for one rope bottom, one rope top, and also that specific combination of rope bottom and top, on any particular day. However, in this episode the hosts give some suggestions to choose from, and discuss: • The pros and cons of watching others for ideas on how to behave • How what you see outside (‘rope face’!) might differ from what’s happening inside the bottom • The importance of context in terms of influencing behaviour • Intent and scene purpose • Active bottoming and anticipating • Changing your behaviour according to different types of scene or people • Examples of how you *could* behave in rope • Outcome versus process orientated tying • Managing anxiety in rope As ever there are plenty of ideas and practical tips for bottoms and tops, so listen now!

In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss mummification with rope - the Mummy Tie! The podcast hosts discuss what it means to mummify a (live!) person and how you can do it with rope. They offer tips and tricks from their experience. Listen to the episode to hear them discuss: • Body placement • Characteristics and aesthetics of a Mummification Tie • How it feels to be in a Mummy Tie • Safety and risk considerations of this tie • Different positions of the bottom while tying and how these work • Pros and cons of forward versus reverse tension • Likely pain points in the tie and possible adjustments to help • Ways for the top to avoid RSI • What kind of top and bottom might enjoy this kind of tie • How to (or not to) include sexytimes in this tie • Extra considerations if you want to suspend the Mummy Tie