SELF-TYING WITH WILLCAT - THE GROUND
Curious about self-tying but not sure where to start? Interested in Willcat’s approach, but don’t have a partner for the weekend?
This evening is an introduction to self-tying for complete beginners. No previous experience is needed — just curiosity and a willingness to explore.
Self-tying is a particular kind of conversation: the hands making the choices and the body receiving them belong to the same person. There is no partner to anticipate or compensate for. Too tight? You know immediately. Not enough? Your body tells you. The feedback is direct.
Over the course of the evening, we'll explore the foundations of working with your own body:
The frame — the square that holds, and the shapes of the body within it.
Pressure and activation — learning to notice what is happening in your body and decide when something is enough.
Flow — staying engaged when you are both the person tying and the person being tied.
Tools and techniques — practical foundations, with room to revisit familiar tools from a different perspective.
Everything is self-managed. You tie it, you feel it, you adjust it.
And because there is nobody else to do the work for you, small details suddenly become very interesting.
PREREQUISITES
No experience required. No partner required. Just you, some rope, and a couple of hours to explore.
Studio rope available to use.
SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY 28/10
Doors open: 19h00
Workshop begins: 19h30
Workshop concludes: 23h30
SELF-SUSPENSION WITH WILLCAT - THE AIR
You've tied a single column. You've experimented with tying yourself. Maybe things worked beautifully. Maybe they worked… well enough. Now you're curious about what happens when your own body leaves the floor.
This evening is an introduction to self-suspension for people who already have some basic tying experience. We won't spend the evening explaining what a knot is or how frictions work. Instead, we'll look at the tools and decisions that become important when you are both the rigger and the person in the suspension.
We'll explore:
Leverage, anchors and pivots — using the environment and your own structure to create possibilities.
Lock-offs and uplines — understanding how to build and manage a self-suspension system.
Spotting and safety — what changes when there is nobody else attached to your rope.
Movement and extension — exploring the edges of what your body can comfortably and safely do.
Dynamic possibilities — looking at how movement changes the experience and the demands on the system.
We'll work towards two types of shapes together: one with a more static character, and another that can become considerably more dynamic.
There will also be plenty of room for refinement. Small changes in angle, tension, leverage or body position can completely change what a suspension feels like.
Self-suspension asks for a particular kind of attention: you are constantly making decisions while also being the person those decisions affect. You are cordially invited to explore that conversation.
PREREQUISITES
Basic tying experience is required. The taught principles are adaptable, depending on your level.
SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY 4/11
Doors open: 19h00
Workshop begins: 19h30
Workshop concludes: 23h30
PRACTICALS
We are here to assist you: Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.
ABOUT WILLCAT
Willcat (William Desjardins, she/her, they/them IG @Willcatropes) is a shibari educator, performer, and author based in Montreal, and the founder of Tension MTL. She came to rope in 2014 and has not stopped since, with over ten thousand hours tying, teaching, and performing. Her teaching grows out of a background in component-based teaching, application of martial arts pedagogy & serious kenjutsu practice. This all evolved into her current practice and Nawajutsu: a martial path through rope, where the body and its mechanics come before the rope itself.
Her practice is organised throughout a thorough curriculum where she talks constantly about three shapes drawn from philosophy & martial arts: the Square, the Triangle, and the Circle. Structure, tension, and flow. The square holds, the triangle chooses, the circle returns. The same framework runs from the first lesson through to advanced load work.
For a deeper understanding, visit: willcatropes.art
BOOKING
International rope enthousiast and looking for payment options? More info here.
Full refund on cancellations up to three months before the event.
After the full refund mark, standard cancellation terms apply, and tickets remain transferable to another participant, meeting the prerequisites.