A little out of my comfort zone but the people here surely made the difference. Its a “must try”..

All I can say is Wow! Well that’s not completely true. I can say more and I will.

There is so much fantastic instruction in these courses. From beginning negotiations and proper vetting to planning and execution of a rope scene these courses have it all!

Oh, and I Haven’t even mentioned all the rope skills you will acquire during these courses. The instruction is clear and concise. The instructor is very patient and always produces valuable constructive criticism.

Being able to tie and be tied with confidence is pinnacle and these courses definitely deliver the goods.

All Tied Up SD continues to be a shining example in the rope community! I’m proud and honored to be a part of the ATU family.

As a complete “rope-as-kink” and Shibari beginner, taking the intro class was the perfect introduction to the rope world. The intro class is easy to follow, Dan is ridiculously generous with his time and skills in teaching (and correcting) the ties you learn, and you can learn some basic skills (even without a partner). I learned not only how to use and tie rope properly, but skills that transfer to other parts of kink, like negotiating and communication. I’m definitely waiting for the next class level to open up so I can continue on this journey!

This program is very hands on and interactive, for both the top and bottom.  At first I was surprised how fun it really was for me as the bottom.  I thought going through the class to help my partner learn to tie I would just be standing there while he learns the basics.

WOW was I wrong!

Every week we got deeper into the sensations and the connection between partners during the tie.  I was excited and looked forward to every new lesson.

This course really took my partner and I to the next level in our rope play.  @DaddyBosh has gone from a complete newbie with little confidence in week one to OMG you just did that thing!  We both learned so much in such a short time.

It’s not only about learning “the ropes”. IMO Dan teaches a complete kink course with so many very important valuable lessons that will help anyone play safely in the community. 

This has been an amazing, thorough, methodical, well thought out and well developed course!

I found this to be an outstanding course- there could not be a better introductory course for persons new to rope, as I am. Dan is an exceptional instructor- he teaches rope skills very effectively, but as important, he made me comfortable as a new learner to rope and he teaches an awareness of the importance mutual consent and respect. He is a very good teacher of effective mutual communication and consent. Dan was assisted by several outstanding associates who were very helpful in the learning process- Fairy and Spectrum. Fairy was particularly helpful to me on a one-on-one basis to understand and practice negotiation techniques.

All Tied Up San Diego is an amazing community led by a wonderful guy that knows his stuff without being arrogant. I’ve dabbled in the rope and kink community for over 10 years and when my husband approached me about taking a 101 Rope class, I was doing it just for him. But I learned so much and enjoyed every minute. Dan teaches that it is so much more than just tying and being tied, it’s about connection and creativity. It’s not just learning the basics, it’s learning why something is done the way it is and how it can be incorporated in more advanced settings later. Always, always safety first. Whether you are new to rope, or looking to get back into it; whether you are a top, bottom, or not sure, I honestly couldn’t recommend this class and community any higher. Best thing my husband convinced me to do.

This is a great fundamentals course that covers rope bondage basics. While a majority of this was review, there were some fundamentals I never learned. This allowed me to slow down a bit and really take the time to focus on the basics. It also fostered a greater connection with my rope bottom. A great aspect of this course is explaining things from the rope bottom’s perspective as well as the top. The basics of negotiation and vetting can be used for all forms of BDSM. The course was more interactive that one would think an online course would be. The folks at ATUSD really worked hard in creating a a detailed course and rope community.

The classes are detailed and cover more than just knots in a vacuum. All the soft skills around vetting and negotiations are covered in depth. The exercises help develop the muscle memory you need to advance to the point where you can focus on your partner instead of focusing on the rope.

In the way of criticisms, I fault them for not offering me the luxury of an ATU class immediately outside the doorstep of my Pasadena apartment. Alas, with the advent of their online course, I selfishly couldn’t be happier! 😉 And in an astonishing feat, SirKnottyDan and his cohorts have managed to capture some of the magic of the in-person experience in their new online course. What is that magic you ask? It’s hard to say with words, but I’ll give it the old college try. It’s fun, practical, and approachable.

Fun: It’s not just that it’s kinky, it goes beyond that to create a real sense of community. SirKnottyDan and his cohorts really care about managing the community. To me that feels like it’s at the core of everything. And in my humble opinion, this is really cool because it makes us all feel connected and easy to get along with. It makes it so that the experience of participating feels very connected to what’s going on in the culture and the people you come to know and be friends with.

Practical: In my experience, we don’t beat around the bush. First class we were tying people up. A great experience because the safety is impressed upon you and instructed very well. And then you’re beginning your approach to the stuff you’ve always wanted to. It’s no nonsense. And the craziest thing is that when you learn to tie properly, you can see how it helps other aspects of your life as well… such as tying my queen-sized mattress to the roof of my car like a boss when I moved. That baby was solid!

Approachable: Before I got into the kink world, I thought I needed to be prepared for an intimidating experience a la opening scene of Blade in a dark club with blood pouring down all over me. I’m sure you can find this… but it definitely wasn’t All Tied Up. I’m happy to report that I was warmly welcomed in and assisted with partnering up to ensure I had a great experience.

I hope you found this review helpful. I also hope to see you in the community! Cheers!

-Damien Blank

Very well put together instructional videos covering everything to step into an intimate skill while learning through online.