Show Notes
The Agura tie shows up again and again in shibari - but what makes it so enduring, and how can you work with it more intentionally? In this Rope Focus episode, Fox and Mya break the Agura tie down piece by piece: how it’s built, how it feels, and how small choices in structure, orientation, and intent can dramatically change the experience. They dive into: • What the Agura position actually is - including easier and more demanding variations (and what Fox affectionately calls the leg pretzel) • Different ways to construct the tie, and how those choices affect comfort and control • More sustainable versus less sustainable versions, and when each might make sense • How to increase the strength of the tie to reduce deformation and slippage • Mya’s perspective on what it feels like to be in Agura, and what she enjoys about it as a bottom • Practical tips for helping bottoms relax into the position, and bottoming skills that support the tie • How Agura feels in different orientations, on the floor and in suspension • The five distinct suspension orientations and what each one brings • The overall vibe of the position, physically and psychologically • How Fox enforces the position, and what that adds to the dynamic • Managing safety, risk, and responsibility in this classic tie Whether you’re meeting Agura for the first time or refining a tie you already love, this episode offers both technical insight and experiential depth.
More from Rope Podcast
Do you have to be completely upside down for it to count as an inversion? The answer might surprise you.
Can it be harder for a rope top to stop a scene than for the bottom? Listener writes in to ask why calling a halt can sometimes feel particularly difficult or risky for the person tying. We often talk about bottoms having permission to stop, slow down or change a scene, but tops can face their own pressures: expectations around performance, responsibility for the experience, and the feeling that once a scene has started they should be able to see it through.
Decorative rope can look intricate and intimidating - but what happens when the person wearing it starts moving, or you take it out of a controlled environment and into a busy party? Fox and Mya continue their conversation with Roper_Ducky, a husband-and-wife Rigger/Bunny couple from Jacksonville, Florida, known for their colorful, playful decorative and wearable rope. This time, the conversation gets into the practical side of decorative rope, including: • The risks that can come with decorative ties • How movement can change the rope once it is on the body • The bottom’s role and responsibilities when wearing decorative rope • What changes when you tie at a party rather than at home • The particular challenges of creating decorative rope in a busy social environment • Why decorative rope doesn’t need to be as daunting as it looks • Advice for people who want to start experimenting with it • Roper_Ducky’s cross-legged/agura rainbow weave tie • The community that can grow from sharing ties online and seeing other people recreate them Along the way, they explore the balance between aesthetics and practicality, what both partners can contribute to making decorative rope work, and why you don’t need to start with something enormously complicated to create something beautiful. You can see more of Roper_Ducky’s work on Fet/Instagram at @roper_ducky.
This week, Fox and Mya are joined by Roper_Ducky, a husband-and-wife Rigger/Bunny couple based in Jacksonville, Florida. They’ve been tying together since November 2025, developing a distinctive style centred on decorative and wearable rope, bright colours and playful themes. For them, rope is at once a way to connect through touch, a creative outlet and a collaborative art form - with plenty of experimentation along the way. In this episode, we talk about: • How they got started tying together • The value of rope mentors • Learning to dye their own rope • Why decorative rope can offer more egalitarian opportunities to tie • Using decorative rope as an icebreaker at parties • Swinging, creativity, connection and finding your own way into rope • And plenty more When they’re not tying at home, you can find Roper_Ducky at local rope and kink events around Jacksonville — and you can see more of their colourful work on FetLife at @roper_ducky.
What happens when you add one extra rule to a rope scene? In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss a type of rope game they call stipulations: additional restrictions or conditions that change how a scene works. A top might be forbidden from using their left hand, for example, or the partners might agree on another rule that disrupts their usual way of tying. The fun comes from discovering what that restriction changes. A familiar tie may suddenly require more communication. The top may need to abandon their usual sequence and improvise, while the bottom may become more actively involved through balance, movement, problem-solving or verbal guidance.