Petite Pretzel & BoundBoar – Announcing presenters

Petite Pretzel is a shibari artist from NYC, teaching at Anatomie Studio London since 2019. She performs live at London nightlife events and British festivals, and has presented shibari abroad in 14 countries. Her commercial credits include music videos (Charli XCX, Christine + the Queens), fashion shoots (Sir Nick Knight), art galleries and full-length film. In 2025, she began recording video tutorials for ShibariStudy.com. She plans to open E13 Playhouse, a new rope venue in London, in July 2026.

BoundBoar, now living in Dublin, started his Shibari Journey in Manila (Philippines) where he co founded the ĹGood Boyĺ all-male Rope Jams as well as a number of performances to bring Shibari to a larger audience in a predominantly conservative country. As a gay Rigger he focuses mainly on male bodies in rope, ‘bears and otters’ and the challenges that come with it.

Find out more about Pretzel at her Instagram and website.

Workshops

Tying Men: A Practical Guide to Rope on Masculine Bodies

(Workshop level: L2-3)

Most shibari patterns have been created for women’s bodies. But what changes when the rope bottom is a man?

In this intermediate class, Petite Pretzel explores the practical, aesthetic, and psychological considerations of tying masculine bodies. From body proportions and flexibility to the emotional experience of vulnerability, we’ll look at how rope can highlight different strengths and challenges when working with male-presenting partners.

We’ll examine ways to emphasize masculine lines and features — such as the belly, chest, and shoulders — while adapting common ties to accommodate differences in flexibility, muscle distribution, and centre of gravity. You’ll also learn techniques for managing heavier bodies, planning efficient uplines, and adjusting traditional patterns that were originally designed with women in mind.

Beyond physical technique, this class also addresses the psychological landscape many men encounter in rope. For some, submission and loss of control can sit outside traditional ideas of masculinity. We’ll discuss ways to create a playful, supportive environment that allows challenge, vulnerability, and exploration while maintaining clear communication and consent.

Petite Pretzel’s teaching approach emphasizes adaptability: rope is a conversation, not a fixed set of shapes. Students are encouraged to experiment, adjust ties to suit their partners, and focus on the shared experience rather than achieving a single “correct” result.

Prerequisites:

• Confident with single and double column ties
• Able to tie a basic chest harness (TK)
• Familiar with fundamental rope safety, including nerve safety, and risk awareness

In this class, you will learn:

• How body proportions and centre of gravity affect rope technique
• Ways to highlight masculine aesthetics using rope placement and structure
• Adjustments for common flexibility differences in shoulders and hips
• Strategies for managing heavier rope bottoms and planning efficient uplines
• Practical considerations such as body hair, rope diameter, and hip placement
• Communication techniques for navigating vulnerability, challenge, and trust in rope

This class is suitable for intermediate rope practitioners who want to expand their skills and feel more confident tying partners with different body types. Come prepared to experiment, adapt, and rethink familiar ties through a new lens.

Trampling, Constriction & Rope

(Workshop level: L1-3)

This class will explore the potential for combining rope bondage and trampling in BDSM play. Some rope bottoms enjoy the idea of and/or the sensation of being stepped on, squashed or otherwise squeezed and we will discuss how to plan a rope scene with this in mind. We will demonstrate floor work and partials suitable for the rigger to apply force with their feet, knees, elbows and other parts of the body.

Please wear clothes that you are comfortable in moving around in.

While we will discuss the use of high-heeled shoes, boots and other footwear in trampling, the class will be practiced barefoot or in socks.

No pre-requisites. This class will be educational, but also have a strong social component. We encourage more experienced folk to also attend and participate – it will also have a strong peer-to-peer learning component. The first hour will be dedicated to absolute basics for those who are completely new, and then after that we will move on to a specific topic or technique – suitable for all levels.

Breathplay Predicaments

(Workshop level: L3)

This class will play with breathplay on the floor and in partial suspensions. Rather than creating exact visual symmetry, we are aiming for harmony and balance. Rotating the neck, the shoulders, the hips in different directions can create physically demanding positions which exaggerate the model’s proportions.

In this class, we delve into predicament bondage: crafting dilemmas that force the rope bottom to choose between different forms of pain, exhaustion, or humiliation while they struggle to breathe. This is not a collaborative tie; it’s a constantly evolving game of cat-and-mouse. The rope bottom seeks escape or respite, and the top skillfully removes those options, creating a captivating dance of control and surrender.

We will start with open shapes and back bends, pulling the model’s shoulders back and exposing the throat. Then we will move into more crumpled-up, closed shapes where the knees and chest come together. Each set of positions has its own challenges, for model and for rigger.

Pre-requisites:

Riggers will need to already be familiar with partial or full suspensions. You’ll need to be comfortable tying structured harnesses for suspension and tying up-lines safely to suspension points.

Bottoms/models should have some degree of familiarity with their bodies in rope and understand risks such as nerve impingement. Bottoms/models should be able to communicate with their riggers regarding limits, boundaries, likes/dislikes and any other feedback during and outside ties.

Psychological Sadism

(Workshop level: L3)

In this class, we delve into the realm of psychological sadism and explore the possibilities created by combining shibari and interrogation play. With a strong emphasis on consent, communication, and mutual enjoyment, this class aims to enhance the intensity and connection between partners through carefully crafted rope techniques and psychological play.

During the course, participants will learn about various approaches and strategies to create intense sensations, heighten psychological arousal, and explore power dynamics within the boundaries of consensual play.

Petite Pretzel draws inspiration from her master’s thesis on terrorism and her lifelong fascination with fear. She is fascinated by what causes people to feel afraid and how they behave when stressed or frightened. The class draws inspiration from CIA interrogation manuals as well as medieval methods of extracting confession. Please note that this class is strictly dedicated to consensual BDSM practices.

We prioritize the physical and emotional safety of all participants, promoting open communication, negotiation, and the use of safewords. Consent and the well-being of all individuals involved are fundamental pillars of this educational experience.

RIGGERS

• be familiar and comfortable with partial suspensions or full suspensions.
• be comfortable tying structured harnesses for suspension
• tying up-lines safely to suspension points T
• able to read body language, negotiate clearly and treat their rope models needs and boundaries with kindness.

ROPE MODELS

• be able to communicate with their riggers regarding limits, boundaries, likes/dislikes and any other feedback during and outside ties.
• should have some degree of familiarity with their bodies in rope
• understand risks such as nerve impingement