Cells
The Cell is dead, long live the Cell...
Now what?
In 2024, after 10 years of teaching this curriculum, Ojipan and goodmosttimes phased out the tying Cell program from their local instruction. As always, the documentation for the curriculum remains freely available.
📁 Access the Google Drive folder with all of the tying Cell teaching materials.
Please use and adapt it to your own needs. We only ask that you attribute us where appropriate and please do not use the Devil Mask Society or Cell names to refer to your program.
Furthermore, the entirety of the 11th Cell cohort classes were broadcast and the recordings are available on the Devil Mask Society YouTube channel. Additionally, the accompanying video tutorial for each class is available to learn the pattern(s).
Beyond that, we are honored that other rope instructors adopted and adapted our teaching methodologies in their own areas. We hope you can locate one close to you.
- Chicago, IL - Second City Kinbaku
- Oakland, CA - -ORC-, The Oakland Rope Collective
- Portland, OR - Bondage Soup presented by ROpenspace
What is a Cell?
The Devil Mask Society instructs locally in what we refer to as Cells. These Cells consist of multiple tying pairs arranged in a cohort. The curriculum is iterative. The tying Cell explained individual component purposes. These components are then contextualized to allow students to create the aesthetic of their choice.
What is a cohort?
A cohort is a group of students undergoing a curriculum together. Cohorts allow individual students the benefit of a larger support structure than a single instructor, or instructor and teaching assistant. Additionally, the cohort allows students to learn from each other. This grouping also creates a community of encouragement and group discovery that can assist different learning modalities.
What is the curriculum?
The Devil Mask Society tying Cell curriculum focuses on understanding components essential to patterns, contextualizing those patterns to express aesthetics, and mastering techniques for effective communication between tying partners. These three focus areas are taught simultaneously, with each lesson building upon the previous. The end goal of the curriculum is to create a student with the ability and context to continue to learn in whatever manner they see fit, from whomever they see fit, to express themselves in this medium. The tying curriculum spans 20 months with classes meeting formally once per month.
How did tuition work?
The Cell curriculum was offered without charge. The expectations of tuition were:
- Students arrive promptly, prepared for class. (Not more than 15 minutes early.)
- Students respect the instructors and their fellow students during class.
- Students attend all scheduled classes with no more than three absences (must notify instructors by email in advance).
- Students were granted no more than three make up lessons during the 20-month class cycle.
- Each lesson was taught no more than one additional time as a make up. All students who missed the regularly scheduled class were expected to coordinate amongst themselves to schedule the lesson with the instructors.
How often did new Cells open?
Due to the limited availability of the instructors and the 20-month curriculum, new tying Cells opened at most once per year - when the current Cell graduated or decreased in size enough to open an additional block of time.
Who were the instructors?
The primary instructors of the tying Cell from 2014-2024 were Ojipan and goodmosttimes (both are cis-gendered switches of European descent). TAs hailed from various ethnic backgrounds, ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-50s, and representing different sexual orientations and D/s identities. We worked to foster an open and inclusive atmosphere where all felt welcome and respected and expected the same from our students.
How did someone join a Cell?
Public applications were taken for each Cell several weeks before the cohort began. (Access the template for our application form on Jotform.) After applications, there was an interview process. This was to ensure that participants understood the learning commitment fully. Once interviews and deliberations concluded, invitations were extended to potential members of the new cohort and lessons began.
Are there more details about the classes?
Tying Cell classes were held monthly for 2 hours in a private residence in Downtown Los Angeles.
For more specifics, read the comprehensive
Cell class expectations.
Get the tying Cell curriculum collateral
It's all freely available to use or adapt as you see fit.
BUT THE TEACHING CONTINUES...
The tying Cell has ended but Cell X persists
Cell X - for those learning to be in rope
goodmosttimes and Ordinals teach a 12-month curriculum for those wanting to hone their skills being in rope. Like the tying curriculum, these classes are free-of-charge for qualified applicants. They are taught at Devil Mask Studio.
Follow Devil Mask Society
Learn when the next Cell X cohort is taking applications by following our social media.
Cell X curriculum collateral
The Cell X curriculum is also open-source. We hope people will adopt and adapt it for use in their communities. 📁 Get a copy of the Cell X collateral.