KJ & Lily – Announcing presenters

KJ and Lily have been tying together since 2019 and are life partners since 2020. Their approach centers on power exchange and the intimacy of Kinbaku along with a playful take on transitions and a love of semenawa and rope shame.

KJ has been tying for over 20 years, eventually learning the style of Kazami Ranki, from Kazami Ranki and his Deshi JD in Toronto. KJ was asked to teach at the Toronto Kinbaku Salon (Canada’s oldest Shibari school) in 2018, teaching all levels of students weekly for 7 years. More recently KJ has broadened his focus, learning from Tifereth, Kinoko and Ropunawa among many others and now teaches at Toronto’s Birdhaus venue on a monthly basis. KJ also co-founded with Tifereth the Suspended Harmony series of monthly shibari performances set to live music.

Lily has been tying and being tied for nearly 10 years. She has been the rope model during many of KJ’s classes, is a co-organizer of Toronto’s rope bottoming education group and has performed with KJ many times including a year of weekly club performances and at suspended harmony. As a rigger she attended Toronto’s rope school, and more recently has taken workshops from Kanna and from Mango.

Find out more about KJ at Instagram @kj_shibari.

Workshops

Single & Double Ankle Suspension

(Workshop level: L3)

Single and Double Ankle suspension is a visually striking but physically demanding suspension. In this class we will learn safety considerations, the technique of how to tie a single column suitable for single/double ankle, when and how to adjust tension, how to successfully drop-lift directly from ground to single-ankle suspension, how to balance a double ankle, how to setup points/bamboo, tips and tricks for transitioning into single/double ankle from the air and how to use this tie to for fun and connection. (Note: this class will focus only on single column based ties and not gravity boots. KJ really enjoys using these ties and has used them over 1,000 times).

Prerequisites: Riggers: requires knowledge of single column ties, uplines and confident/speedy rope handling. Bottoms: requires advanced body awareness and experience in suspension.

Dynamic Transitions: Movement, Intention and Flow

(Workshop level: L3)

Explore the art of dynamic transitions. In this advanced class we explore how to execute a demanding transition sequence with finesse and connection. We will use rope handling precision, body mechanics, technique and subtle communication. We’ll break down a specific sequence, discuss safety and risk awareness specific to the sequence, and practice techniques that enable connection, supports semenawa-style intensity with slow or fast shifts for psychological and physical effect, and turns rope into a dynamic dialogue.

Prerequisites: Riggers: requires proficiency with TK, uplines and confident/speedy rope handling. Bottoms: requires advanced body awareness and experience in suspension.

Rope Shame: Using Shibari to Evoke Erotic Shame

(Workshop level: L1-3)

In this class we explore rope as a tool for erotic shame, the deliberate use of shibari to create feelings of exposure, bashfulness, helplessness, and shame that many find arousing.

Drawing from both Japanese concepts such as shuuchi nawa (shame rope) / hazukashii (embarrassing or bashful torment) and Western erotic humiliation practices, we will examine how specific rope ties, poses and postures can make the body feel inescapably “on display,” restricted from modesty, or physically reminded of its vulnerability.

Through theory, demonstrations and practice, participants will learn practical techniques for evoking feelings of vulnerability and shame, creating binding open or presenting postures, and creating the physical conditions in which shame responses can arise naturally and consensually.

Prerequisites: Open to all levels, requies comfort with the idea of rope shame and strong communication skills around consent.

Scorpian Pose

(Workshop level: L2-3)

This class will go in-depth on how to achieve the scorpian pose, a demanding and beautiful form with an intense back bend and severe restriction. The class will cover how to breathe through the chest compression and how to balance the body in a sustainable way. We will cover safety, how to quickly escape the pose, and a variety of finishes adding to the beauty and restriction.

Prerequisites: Riggers: requires proficiency with TK, uplines and confident/speedy rope handling. Bottoms: requires advanced body awareness and experience in suspension.

TBS