During the pandemic, I’ve taken a lot of classes with ATU — Intro & Safety (now Getting Started), Negotiation, Vetting, and with my partner, the 101 and 201 series.

The advantages of the Intro & Safety class as well as Negotiation and Vetting for everyone are that you learn skills you can apply both with rope play and mostly with any other kind of BDSM play, too. You’d think that a bottom could get pretty much everything he or she needed to know through those three classes, right? The essentials of safety, plus how to vet a potential partner and negotiate a scene — that’s all a bottom really needs to know about rope, right?

I’m here to tell you that’s a big nope! While those classes are highly recommended, they are only the first few chapters of the story. The advantage of going through the 101 and 201 series with my partner — the live classes, watching all the videos, and doing all the ties — is that I am now a far more informed and knowledgeable bottom than I was before. I know how to tie a single column — and I can barely tie my shoes, so that’s no small feat — (hah!) but much more importantly, I now have the knowledge to evaluate the my partner’s skills.

I adore my partner ( ❤ you Ari! ) but it is possible that someday I might want to try tying with someone else. And I will need to know if it’s safe to do that, because rope play can result in injury if a top is trying to tie above their skill level. Going through these classes with my partner has given me the ability to evaluate a partner’s skill, beyond what I learn though vetting and negotiation, in about 5 minutes during a basic tie. I know what to look for now, and that has made me much safer.

It’s also made me a better partner, because these classes have taught me a lot about communication before and during a tie. I’m not all the way there yet, but I’ve started to be able to evaluate things like the evenness of tension on a rope. I know where the nerves are (in my upper arms especially) so I can tell a partner how to avoid them.

As bottoms, a lot of us want nothing more than to be able to relax into the rope and zone out. But you can’t do that until you trust your partner, and these classes have started to give me the skills to evaluate whether a partner is deserving of that trust.

It’s been a LONG pandemic year and I’m so very thankful to have had this amazing community to connect with throughout it all. Between virtual Munch events, group Slack conversations and virtual classes, ATU has kept us tied together (see what I did there?). And last night -OMG FINALLY – our first in-person Munch in what felt like forever! What a fabulous night! Thank you, Sir Knotty Dan and Renee for organizing our first in-person event after such a long hiatus. It was SO FREAKING EPIC to hug friends again, catch up with people in a way that is just so challenging to do online and meet new folx as well! You helped us feel safe and supported. I’m so thankful for this amazing community that you’ve created and I’m still in afterglow from the evening.

Where to begin, I must stress that this is the only place I’ve found that has done something like this. A place where you can learn a skill that isn’t widely available. But it’s much more than that, it’s a place to learn skills and meet amazing people that have a common passion, and also learning at a pace that you can control. I highly recommend All Tied Up to anyone that’s interested in shibari.

I took the 201 course after taking the 101 course and it didn’t disappoint. It dove deeper into the fundaments that one needs to really lock in your ties, communicate with your partner, and have a deeper meaningful experience with your partner. The soft skills sections of the course such as anatomy, negotiation and intent went deeper as the risk level and of tying increased. Most importantly it forced me to relearn some forms I “thought” I already knew. Although I may have known the form from an elementary level, I realized I needed more work and practice on tension and frictions. It’s definitely a journey that requires time and patience.

The work Dan puts into his classes is second to none. This class was online yet I felt I knew all of the students because of the discussion forum we used for assignments and other discussions. There’s more than enough training material provided to get you going deeper into the journey.

At first I was a little worried about taking a rope class online. After the second class I realized this format actually works better with my life. Being able to go through the modules on my own learn and practice on my time, was a new way of learning for me. Pleasant surprise that it worked. Dan has done A great job thoughtfully curating the most important content and presenting it in fun inspiring ways. Also a plus for me is the ability to go back over and over again and refresh my skills. I highly recommend this class and I think it’s a tremendous value for the little that he charges.

The 201 sequence builds nicely off where 101 leaves off. While there is no shortage of foundational patterns and elements, the real star of the 201 series is the aspects that take the focus off the rope and give you more tools to explore your partners state in the ropes as well as the larger scene the two of you have built together. This is where the many drills recommended in 201 pay off and you get to lean on your muscle memory allowing you to see through the ropes as you try out a number of different scene intentions. The work won’t do itself though, so be sure to earmark the necessary time to get the most out of the course. While there is a lot of flexibility with regards to making up work if life happens and you can always go back to the recorded modules, I think you will get the most out of it if you can do the exercises along with your class cohort.

A little out of my comfort zone but the people here surely made the difference. Its a “must try”..

All I can say is Wow! Well that’s not completely true. I can say more and I will.

There is so much fantastic instruction in these courses. From beginning negotiations and proper vetting to planning and execution of a rope scene these courses have it all!

Oh, and I Haven’t even mentioned all the rope skills you will acquire during these courses. The instruction is clear and concise. The instructor is very patient and always produces valuable constructive criticism.

Being able to tie and be tied with confidence is pinnacle and these courses definitely deliver the goods.

All Tied Up SD continues to be a shining example in the rope community! I’m proud and honored to be a part of the ATU family.

As a complete “rope-as-kink” and Shibari beginner, taking the intro class was the perfect introduction to the rope world. The intro class is easy to follow, Dan is ridiculously generous with his time and skills in teaching (and correcting) the ties you learn, and you can learn some basic skills (even without a partner). I learned not only how to use and tie rope properly, but skills that transfer to other parts of kink, like negotiating and communication. I’m definitely waiting for the next class level to open up so I can continue on this journey!

This program is very hands on and interactive, for both the top and bottom.  At first I was surprised how fun it really was for me as the bottom.  I thought going through the class to help my partner learn to tie I would just be standing there while he learns the basics.

WOW was I wrong!

Every week we got deeper into the sensations and the connection between partners during the tie.  I was excited and looked forward to every new lesson.

This course really took my partner and I to the next level in our rope play.  @DaddyBosh has gone from a complete newbie with little confidence in week one to OMG you just did that thing!  We both learned so much in such a short time.

It’s not only about learning “the ropes”. IMO Dan teaches a complete kink course with so many very important valuable lessons that will help anyone play safely in the community. 

This has been an amazing, thorough, methodical, well thought out and well developed course!