Intro to the Box Tie

About the Class

The box tie is a classic rope bondage form. The modern version of this arms-in chest harness has been repeatedly updated and honed to provide more comfort, safety, and coherence of techniques. In this day-long workshop we will:

• Learn about safety concerns with any box ties and how we can mitigate them while tying
• Explore the basic structure of a box tie/TK
• Learn a specific two rope and three rope version of the box tie that works on most bodies
• Cover modifications we can introduce to make the tie more sustainable as we adapt the tie to different individuals
• Use the box tie in some basic ties to see how it operates once under strain

Pre-requisites: for those tying, you will need to know basics of tying other harnesses, understand tension, be able to use L and X frictions as well as munters, and be able to tie the Somerville bowline. This workshop is not going to serve you well if this is the first harness you are learning, but you should be fine if you have tied other upper body harnesses before. For those being tied, experience in sustaining rope on your upper body for prolonged periods of time will be very useful as we will be in and out of the tie several times throughout the day as we drill different forms of it.

While the box tie can frequently be used for suspension, this particular workshop is not focused specifically on suspension. Instead we will focus on getting the basic form of the tie correct, including individual-specific modifications.

About the Presenter

Corwin is a rope top with a particular interest in dynamic suspension. He spent over half a decade refining his particular style of topping with rope which includes lots of transitions, unusual shapes, and a healthy dose of visual and sensory elements. His focus when tying is first and foremost on creating an experience for both the rigger and the person being tied, while always focusing on tying with a smoothness and efficiency that helps enhance the experience.