Workshop: Semenawa, Introduction - Basics

Organizer: JacL & Nadie

This is an introductory workshop about rope that causes pain. Instruction with simple ties, where we focus on what happens when you tighten a little more. You do not need any prior rope experience, but you need a willingness to experiment with pain, both as a rigger and as a model.

About the session

Semenawa (責め縄) roughly translates to "torture rope". It is a style where the rope is meant to be challenging, and where discomfort, endurance, and intensity are part of the experience. Pressure, tension, and time do the work, and the body's physical responses are the whole point. This workshop is about pain. We do not cover predicaments or positions that become difficult over time; instead, we focus on the direct: how the rope is placed, tightened, and used to cause pain in a way that both partners desire. We work on techniques for how to dose the intensity, which body parts can tolerate what, how much force is required, the difference between pain that builds up and pain that shuts you down, as well as how to read your partner when they can no longer speak very much. The ties are simple. You do not need any prior knowledge, nor do you need experience handling rope. We demonstrate everything from scratch, and what you learn can be used straight away at home. However, both of you need to want this. As a rigger, you should have a sadistic curiosity, a desire to see what happens when you tighten just a bit more. As a model, you should have a masochistic inclination and enjoy being challenged and receiving pain. If you join without this mindset, the experience will likely just feel uncomfortable for both of you, rather than feeling close, intimate, and beautifully vulnerable. Be aware that semenawa often evokes strong emotions. Some participants cry, some find a headspace they cannot reach any other way, and others conclude that it simply hurts, which is also a valid response. Hopefully, you will learn something about yourselves and your relationship with giving and receiving consensual pain, in addition to the techniques and tips you will get to observe and try out. Curious to try, or are you already converted? Sign up. We hope to see you there.

Practical information

• —You register together with the person you will be tying with. We do not match participants at this workshop, as it requires that you already have a foundation established between you.
• —Bring 2–3 ropes of approximately 8 metres (preferably jute or hemp; synthetic ropes are not allowed), safety shears or a seatbelt cutter, and clothing you can move in that can handle getting creased.
• —If you do not have rope or safety shears, they are available for purchase in the studio shop.
• —The café is open during the break. Coffee and snacks are paid for with Swish or card and must remain in the café to prevent stains on the rope room mats.
• —Feel free to bring your own water bottle, as only water in closed containers is allowed in the rope rooms. Water bottles are also available for purchase in the studio shop.
• —As a receiver, you should expect visible marks. Rope marks and bruises are common, especially on the legs and feet.
• —Agree on both verbal safewords (e.g. yellow, red, and blue) and a non-verbal safeword (e.g. dropping a set of keys on the floor so they jingle) before you start, and test that it works. This is because the model may need to pause or stop without speaking.

Rules

• —Everyone abides by the code of conduct at Nawa Studio.
• —You only tie with each other. No swapping partners during the day.
• —No suspension or semi-suspension at this workshop, even if you have experience with it.
• —No deliberate targeting of nerve pathways. The pain we work with is applied to muscles, skin, and breath, not nerves.
• —Tell us immediately if something feels wrong, for you or for anyone else in the room. We are there the whole time.