Learn Shibari With Us
Our Teaching Approach
Daruma aims to provide teaching and practise opportunities for people who want to foster a really solid technical understanding of rope, and a high level of skill when applying that knowledge. This is hard to achieve alone, so we also want to help students find a community through our regular courses and events.
The core program at Daruma draws on a fusion of different tying styles, always with a strong focus on developing body awareness (of your own body and the body you are tying with), understanding the mechanics of the body in rope, and adapting ties to fit your partner in order to create the best possible experience.
Each of our regular teachers has been chosen because they have an obvious passion both for shibari as a tool for play and connection, and also for the craft of rope itself.
Regular Shibari Classes at Daruma
Our regular weekly classes progress through different skill levels to take you from absolute beginner through to suspension level. We believe that practicing shibari on a regular basis is the best way to build essential rope skills, muscle memory, and safety awareness. Daruma also offers regular rope jams, and open practice evenings to help you meet new people, practice your skills together and form community.
Our step 1, 2 and 3 courses all run in 6 week blocks on Monday and Tuesday evenings, so that the same group of students stay together for the entire course helping them to build connections with each other, and progress together. Some people may wish to repeat each step more than once, and because our teachers rotate between different courses, you will gain different perspectives, insights and teaching styles each time. Other people may be ready to progress to the next course straight away.
The six week courses all have a set curriculum, designed by Gestalta, to make sure that they all have a coherent logic that prepares you to move onto our more advanced classes later on.
On Wednesday evenings we run a variety of session for intermediate level and above; these range from tutor-lead open practice sessions, to structured classes on a range of different floor, suspension or hashira ties.
Step 1 & 2
The goal of these six week courses is to facilitate regular, structured shibari practice, that aims to go deep rather than broad, helping you to develop a really firm grasp of rope bondage basics, build muscle memory, and get to know other participants. The classes runs weekly from our studio in Neukölln, Berlin.
Absolute Beginners (Step 1) is for those who are either completely new to shibari, or have a little prior experience but are feeling a bit rusty on the basics. The course covers simple knots, frictions, patterns, harnesses, and introduces participants to important skills such as rope handling and tensioning. By the end of the course, participants should understand how to construct a short rope scene that brings together technical and playful elements.
Beginners (Step 2) builds on the content of the Step 1 course, deepening and expanding on what you’ve already learnt. By the end of the course, participants should have a wider range of technical elements in their rope tool kits, a deeper understanding of common safety issues, and should be able to construct a range of floor ties, and use them in play.
When? Tuesday evenings: 6pm-8pm and 8.15pm-10.15pm
Step 3
Toward Suspension (Step 3): Uplines, Partials and Crafting a Rope Session is a 6-week shibari course designed for those who are ready to start learning (partial-)suspensions. This closed-group format fosters a supportive learning environment, allowing you to build connections with peers at a similar skill level.
Led alternately by Gestalta and Ztella, we strongly encourage taking this course twice (once with each teacher). Although both courses are aimed at preparing you for suspension, the content is in no way repetitive; each course covers very different shapes/positions, harnesses, and different ideas for incorporating uplines into your play. We also believe that learning from different stylistic perspectives can help you deepen your knowledge, better adapt to the needs of the person you are tying, and help you discover your own unique tying style.
When? Mondays at 7pm
Intermediate & Beyond
On Wednesday evenings, we offer a range of classes and open practice sessions for people who already have suspension skills (equivalent to those taught in our Step 3 course) and want to continue progressing.
Study Groups
These sessions take a deep dive into specific topics: from technical aspects of suspensions and more advanced shapes, to how to connect while tying and build better rope sessions for everyone involved. Content will vary between Level 1 and Level 2 equivalent, but all skill levels are welcome. Newer participants are invited to work at their own pace within the session’s theme, while more experienced participants may use the material as inspiration to explore and experiment.
Open Practice Evenings
Open practice evenings give you the chance to refine your skills and build on your existing knowledge in a safe, creative environment. There’s no formal demonstration, but teachers will be available to offer personalised guidance, answer questions, and suggest variations.
When? Wednesdays at 7.30pm