BlackBelt Body Mechanics:
Martial Skills for Control, Compliance & Restraint PLUS Hojojutsu ‘Hayanawa’
(Fast Rope Capture Techniques)

BlackBelt Body Mechanics:
Martial Skills for Control, Compliance & Restraint
PLUS Hojojutsu ‘Hayanawa’
(Fast Rope Capture Techniques)

BlackBelt Body Mechanics:
Martial Skills for Control, Compliance & Restraint
PLUS Hojojutsu ‘Hayanawa’
(Fast Rope Capture Techniques)

This playshop is for you if you want to:

  • Gain skills to safely handle, move, and manipulate your partner’s body
  • Explore and enjoy greater physicality, intensity, and dynamic interaction in rope play
  • Increase confidence and control in more physical engagements
  • Relax, knowing your partner has the skills to move and manipulate your body with care
  • Learn quick and simple rope techniques for fast capture and restraint
  • Reduce risk of injury through increased awareness of body mechanics, physical limits and safe practice

Minimise risk of accidental injury, helping you relax, deepen trust and create greater connection

High Risk vs Safety

Exploring body control, joint manipulation and fast rope capture - with a little resistance … playfight … compliance dynamics - can be alot of fun … but can also be very high risk for injury.

Speed x Adrenaline x Competition x Body Manipulation x Rope is an equation with many risk multipliers - especially without any form of training and practice at a slower pace - so understanding and practicing fundamental martial arts body control principles slowly, step by step, under experienced guidance is essential.

Who is this for?

Best suited to established couples/rope partners who are already accustomed to tying/playing with each other.

This playshop is both for beginners, and for those who want to build upon current skills.

Overview

In this introductory training you’ll safely practice and explore basic principles from:

Taijutsu 体術 (literally ‘body technique’ or ‘body skill’)

How to use natural, intentional movement and physiology for relaxed, effortless body control

Ninjutsu 忍術 (‘stealth technique’ or ‘hidden art’)

Utilise unconventional strategy, tactics and deception for compliance, and overcoming resistance.

Hōjōjutsu 捕縄術 (‘capturing / restraining technique’ or art)

‘Hayanawa’ fast rope capture, using loops, wraps and pull throughs for quick and simple restraint.

Plus… Muto Dori 無刀捕 (‘catching a sword with empty hands’)

Part of this training will involve a brief introduction to basic knife defence techniques as a way of learning foundational movement, relaxation and body control principles … and ‘cos it’s a lot of fun!!

Conscious Body Control

For those not so interested in ‘play fighting’, consciously applying these principles makes for safer, more confident body control and manipulation during dynamic rope play, while reducing the risk and fear of injury.

Step by step …

1: You’ll first practice becoming more conscious of your own body, - for weight shifts, balance, coordination, self-control - tracking how you constantly make subtle adjustments as you move.

2: We’ll then explore some partner practices, learning how bodies interact together, and how subtle, effortless changes in position, posture and even focus affect balance, weight distribution and movement.

3: From here we learn about the flexibility and limits of joints and muscle structure in different bodies, and how this can help maximise control and body manipulation while reducing potential risk and injury.

Dojo Training

All of this leads to applying martial principles for both ‘tori’ (the partner who applies a technique) and ‘uke’ (the partner who receives a technique) in dynamic play, which may also involve some form of ‘play fighting’, struggle or resistance.

In dojo practice, ‘uke’s’ role is to help ‘tori’  learn and practice techniques, while ‘tori’ slowly increases intensity, speed and power as their skill improves.

‘Tori’s’ responsibility is to take care of ‘uke’, and to apply techniques effectively yet consciously, to minimise risk of injury.

And then there’s rope …

Resistance and Restraint

In hojojutsu techniques (martial rope capture and restraint) most folks try and apply ‘fast rope’ without first controlling and restraining their partner's body in some way to ensure there is little or no ‘resistance’.

Enforcing some degree of compliance and body restraint before attempting any kind of tie makes a big difference when wanting to apply fast rope.

This key point is often overlooked in exploring ‘hayanawa’.

Feeling safer helps both partners relax, deepens trust and creates greater connection.

Training Overview

Safety

  • Communication, consent, clear boundaries
  • Building trust and cooperation vs competition
  • Understand leverage (body, rope), safety and limits
  • Practice without power or speed for greater control, connection, sensitivity and skill development
  • Non-verbal communication and feedback loops
  • Ukemi: how to fall safely to prevent injury

Confident, Controlled Body Handling: 

Taijutsu 体術

  • Body awareness (self / other): the importance of position, posture, balance and weight control
  • Strength, power and tension vs relaxed, effortless whole body movement
  • The importance of ‘slow is smooth, and smooth is fast’
  • Body mechanics, joint locks and limits
  • Using space, distance and timing
  • Partnered drills focusing on balance, fluidity, and flow
  • Explore different body types, flexibility, weight, structure, response
  • Nuanced control of your own and your partner's body

Ninjutsu 忍術

  • Deception, distraction, diversion
  • Pressure points for compliance and control
  • Applying sensitivity and dynamics in relation to partner’s response
  • Mushin: Emptiness and the Art of Opportunity

Hojojutsu 捕縄術

  • Preparing your rope for fast capture
  • Using taijutsu and ninjutsu to control your partner before applying rope
  • Combining body movement with rope handling skills to maintain tension and for creative compliance
  • Using loops, wraps and pull throughs for fast, simple rope capture and simple restraint

mo latin

Your Facilitator

  • 7th Dan Bujinkan Ninjutsu Black Belt Instructor in unarmed and weapons based traditional Japanese martial arts (Samurai and Ninja lineage) 24 years training
  • 18 years in tantra study and practice (connection, breath work, sexual energy), freeform dance/meditation in movement, and professional work with men and couples (relationships, intimacy, sexual practices, intimacy)
  • 11 years shibari practitioner and photographer
  • Student of flow state neuroscience with the Flow Research Collective

Training under 86yr old Sōke Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, 34th Grandmaster of Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu, at the Bujinkan Honbu (headquarters) in Noda, Japan

Training under 86yr old Sōke Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi,
34th Grandmaster of Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu,
at the Bujinkan Honbu (headquarters) in Noda, Japan

eveNT DETAILS

WHERE

Step Studios - Angel
 259-263 Goswell Road
EC1V 7AH London

WHEN

January 10, 2026

Saturday | 11am - 5pm

TICKETS

Early Bird: £280 / couple

Regular: £320 / couple

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION

Do I need previous martial arts experience to join this class?

No previous experience necessary. You will learn and practice basic skills slowly and safely at your own pace.

What should I wear?

Wear loose clothing you can move freely in, and don’t mind getting a little stretched if pulled …

 Do I need to bring anything?

Bring 2-3 x 8m lengths of rope, plus a couple of shorter lengths if you have them (2m and 4m)

You may want to bring a packed lunch, as well as snacks and plenty of water to keep hydrated

Is there a risk of getting hurt or injured?

When training in something physical like martial arts, or when playing with ropes, there is always a risk of injury. The aim of this class is to minimise risk and injury through slow, controlled, conscious practice. We will be practising on soft mats which also minimise impact and the potential for injury.

RACK - Risk Aware Consensual Kink
PRICK - Personal Responsibility, Informed, Consensual Kink

Can we switch roles during the class?

Yes, of course. There will be certain exercises where we will encourage switching. This will help you understand the perspective and experience from both sides of the training.

Any Questions?
 Click here to contact Mo