Practicing shibari without a partner is no detriment; in fact, it is an opportunity—and you should take advantage of it. You are just starting in the shibari world. You have your ropes, you have taken the course, visited a dojo and practiced in this context. At this stage, you have even enjoyed a play. However, now you are concerned because you do not have anyone to practice your skills with. But that is not a problem.
Practicing Shibari Without a Partner: Skill Development
Once you have learned the basic skills of shibari you need to practice and develop your skills. Practicing is what makes the master. In any activity, practice is what makes you be better every time. But how would you practice Shibari without a model? The truth is that you can practice your skills without having to tie someone else. You can practice shibari with yourself! You can practice in your legs, in furniture, in pillows, stuffed animals, or stuffed clothes.
Practicing Shibari Without a Partner = Practicing with Yourself
One of the easiest ways to practice shibari by yourself is on your own legs. You can do single or double column ties, hitches, knots, and all kinds of things by using your body. The point is to practice and train the movements and patterns into your fingers and hands. As a result, when you tie another person, you can do it smoothly.
Furniture is Your Friend
Another option for improving your skills is tying furniture. Computer chairs can work perfectly because they simulate the back of a person. You can practice keeping the tension between wraps and how to tie frictions on the back. It works perfectly for learning patterns of harnesses and ties.
Stuffed Animals Make Good Models
If you are looking to work out a design for a tie, your legs or furniture will not work. The reason is that you need something with arms and legs. In other words, you need a model. But do not despair: a stuffed animal or some stuffed clothes might do the trick. You might be a bit self-conscious about it at first, but we have all been there. Everything you do on your own is betterment for your design.
Practicing Shibari Without a Partner: Conclusions
Although it is not the same, and you do need an actual partner to get to a good level of shibari, you can still practice certain skills without another person. It is an interesting experience and it aims to make you better at what you enjoy.
Image: A Gato Designs
