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The Core Rope Curriculum

The Best Way to Learn Bondage

The Core Rope Curriculum (CRC) is the most advanced and comprehensive educational system for rope bondage in the world, with a multi-level, multi-year program designed to take students from picking up their first piece of rope all the way through advanced suspension bondage, and encompassing a range of styles suitable for varying body types and risk tolerances.

Since 2010, hundreds of students have learned to tie through the CRC instruction-led program, which is constantly updated to reflect the latest developments in rope bondage and educational methodology. In 2017 CRC began using an inverted classroom format, meaning that students learn the steps for new techniques from videos prior to class, at their own pace. This allows more class time to be spent getting instructor feedback, improving mastery, and experimenting under supervision -- the stuff you can’t get from a video.

Upcoming Classes

The next class for 2020 is on March 15th -- further classes will be announced soon.

Sign Up

To be notified as soon as further classes open for registration, enter your e-mail address below. Some classes may fill quickly, as we limit attendance in order to ensure everyone gets individual attention.

You can also join this Fetlife group to stay up to date.

Class Details

You will need a partner for these classes, but they don’t need to be your romantic partner, and the class is structured to allow time for each participant to practice each technique as both the person tying and being tied. While we recommend that everybody practice both roles in class (even if you don’t normally switch for play), it’s up to you and your partner. If you’re looking for someone to pair up with, we have a group you can post in for just that purpose.

We welcome students with all types of bodies and identities. We’ll spend a lot of time in class talking about how to adapt ties for different people, and I'm always happy to help you modify a technique to meet your needs and desires. If you have a question about your ability to participate in a particular class for any reason, feel free to contact me via the feedback/chat widget at the bottom of this page.

About the Instructor

Topologist has been teaching rope bondage throughout North America since 2009. His non-dogmatic approach to rope combines concepts from Eastern and Western bondage, with a focus on safety, reliable ties, and adaptability to different bodies and play styles. He has invented numerous new techniques, including the popular Somerville Bowline cuff. He pioneered use of the inverted classroom in bondage education, has ties and articles featured in books by at least 3 authors, and is the creator of Crash Restraint.

In teaching rope, Topologist also draws upon his expertise as a photographer, engineer, climber, yogi, and aerialist; he encourages students to explore the mechanics, aesthetics, and experience of bondage from multiple angles, simultaneously developing muscle memory, intuition, and rational understanding. His classes are intensively hands-on while being structured to support multiple learning styles.

The Curriculum

The Core Rope Curriculum is currently organized into 8 levels, each building upon the last. Students may enter at any level so long as they have the appropriate amount of experience, and are proficient in the specific prerequisite techniques for any given class (prerequisites are listed on the registration page for scheduled classes). In general, it never hurts to start with a class one level below the highest level you think you could do; there's no shortage of things to learn at every level.

Level 1: Basic Floorwork

The first level is for those who are just getting started with rope, have only studied casually, or have been trying to learn rope for a while but without much progress. It covers the fundamental ties and techniques necessary to apply bondage in a variety of decorative and restrictive ways, with safety and confidence.

Level 1 consists of the following courses:

• 100 Building a Rope Kit
• 101 Rope Bondage Fundamentals
• 103 Tying for Sex
• 105 Hog Ties & Hair Ties
• 110 Karadas & Basic Decorative Tying
• 115 Rope Corsetting

Level 2: Intermediate & Advanced Floorwork

The second level delves into more complex floorwork techniques that facilitate a wider range of challenging and creative play. This is for students who have been tying for a while, have the basics down, and are ready to begin integrating bondage into multifaceted scenes and original art, while improving speed and starting to develop a personal style.

Level 2 consists of the following courses:

• 201 Advanced Limb Ties
• 203 Demystifying the Takate Kote
• 205 Armbinders
• 207 Ebi & Advanced Hogties
• 210 Advanced Karadas & Hojo Hishi
• 220 Predicament Bondage
• 225 Improvisational Inescapability
• 230 Tying with Bamboo

Level 3: Suspension Basics

The third level is where we begin to leave the floor; it is for those new to suspension, or those who have begun suspending but have received only piecemeal instruction. Using safe, chest and hip harness based techniques, this level explores how to gracefully enter and exit the three basic horizontal suspension positions, and how to integrate suspension techniques into simple scenes.

Level 3 consists of the following courses:

• 301 Intro to Suspension, Part 1
• 302 Intro to Suspension, Part 2
• 303 Side Suspension
• 304 Face Down Suspension
• 311 Partial Suspension for Sex

Level 4: Intermediate Suspension

Where level 3 focuses on safely performing the simplest possible suspensions, level 4 begins to work on developing a complete repertoire for suspension bondage scenes, covering more difficult positions and ties, as well as drilling more demanding safety techniques. Level 4 students are expected to have substantial practice performing basic suspensions, and be ready to learn techniques which apply to more dangerous suspensions and situations.

Level 4+ classes are limited to a handful of students and do not currently follow a set course schedule. Contact Topologist for information about training at Level 4 and above.

Level 5: Adaptive Suspension

The fifth level builds upon the four basic suspension positions from levels 3-4 in examining how to modify harnesses and techniques for particular individuals and special situations. At this level, students should be comfortable with all the basic mechanics of suspension, and ready to focus on developing their practice as a creative art and vehicle for connection, expression, and deeper knowledge of their partner.

Level 6: Advanced Suspension

The sixth level delves into advanced suspension techniques for use with well-practiced bottoms, requiring high levels of athleticism, self-awareness, and pain tolerance. This level begins to use the Takate Kote and other ties requiring rope over the upper arms, to produce both traditional Japanese-style and novel suspension positions.

Level 7: Suspension Transitions

While earlier levels sometimes use simple transitions to enter or exit a position, this is the point at which we begin to use transitions intensively to create extended, flexible sequences, smoothly moving from one position to another in the air. Practitioners at this level must have already mastered a wide variety of static suspension positions, and be ready to tie, untie, and improvise quickly in mid-flight.

Level 8: Suspension Performance

This level covers extremely advanced tricks and techniques, not suitable for general play, that sacrifice comfort, safety, or other concerns in favor of speed and showmanship for use in live performance art.