Rope Tales (Milan)
Federico Kirigami & Marta TenshikoFollowing an extraordinary debut Australian tour in 2024,
the Rope Tales duo return in 2025 to deliver their next instalment of tuition on their iconic style and share their unique insight into this mysterious Japanese artform.
about
Kirigami and Tenshiko are a couple, both in ropes and in life.
They’ve been teaching and performing around Europe since 2012. In 2016, they founded School of Rope Milano, where they run weekly classes in traditional Japanese rope bondage for both local students and international guests.
Their style is rooted in classical Japanese Kinbaku, shaped over the years through stage performances, private sessions, and photographic work. Alongside rope, their path has been deeply influenced by the study of traditional Japanese arts — especially the tea ceremony, which they continue to explore as part of their personal and artistic growth.
In recent years, they expanded their reach beyond Europe. In 2023, they were invited to teach in Latin America and Australia, and started collaborating with Sugiura Norio Sensei on an international workshop and a series of visual projects, both online and in print.
In 2025, Kirigami became the first non-resident of Japan to be invited to tie for Kinbaku Sajiki, the iconic photographic series curated by Sugiura Norio.
Melbourne Workshops
September 5-7
Workshops
There will be 3 unique workshops delivered over 3 days.
Each workshop will have a maximum of 12 couples participating -
Friday Sep 5 - (evening - 3 hours)
Saturday Sep 6 (day - 6 hours)
Sunday Sep 7 (day - 6 hours)We will approach traditional semenawa from a practical and theoretical point of view, understanding the iconic patterns of the style, and the philosophy behind them.The Friday session will focus on the Gote (TK/chest harness), a central feature of Ropetale's style.While this first session is not a prerequisite for attending the saturday of sunday sessions, it is highly recommended training for exploring their iconic aesthetic.The Saturday and Sunday Workshops will be unique, and couples are encouraged to attend both weekend sessions.
The focus will be on:
Basic patterns
Some iconic patterns will be taught and put in use. Both floorwork and simple suspensions will be part of the schedule.
Each basic pattern will be used to teach a skill that can be carried over and used in several other ties.Variations
Depending on the level of participants, some basic ties will be variated and transformed into new shapes. Variations are didactically skill-oriented, and participants will improve rope and body handling while experimenting with new ties.Prerequisites
Tops:
Solid tk any style
Safe and efficient upline management
Some experience with easy suspensions
Bottoms:
Feeling comfortable in a gote
Understanding the difference between comfortable and sustainable, and being willing to explore both
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-RD