Shibari - Japanese Rope Bondage for Beginners

For those of you who like the more elegant things in life, Japanese Rope Bondage is a sophisticated version of bondage that has been practiced for centuries in Japan and is becoming more popular on the UK BDSM scene...

Known as Shibari (which literally translates as ‘bondage’), Japanese Rope Bondage is a more accentuated and precise version of bondage. As a result, Shibari takes dedication, patience and imagination to make it work properly.

Even though it may seem more complicated than the ‘Western’ form of bondage you are used to, by learning Shibari you will develop a beautiful skill that will lead to genital stimulation as well as a deeper sense of trust and a greater bond between you and your partner.

Rope bondage is considered an art form in Japan, and many rope artists have developed their own versions of Shibari by mixing it with other forms of bondage. Although some of the techniques used in Shibari originated through the military restraint technique of Hojojutsu (used in martial art training and as a form of punishment and control), Shibari is much gentler and sexually stimulating.

In fact, because Shibari works by using rope to apply pressure and constriction to your genitals, breasts and erogenous zones, some people enjoy wearing the rope and ties underneath their everyday clothes (within reason) as a form of foreplay before sex.

What is Shibari/Japanese Rope Bondage?

There are many theories as to where Shibari, or Japanese Rope Bondage, originated. Many believe it started in the Sengoku period of Japan – one of the country’s darkest historical eras of torture and execution.

It is believed that in 1742 the Tokugawa government introduced a number of punishments and tortures for criminals, with punishments that included slave labour, exile and death, and tortures that included whipping, constriction by rope (early form of Shibari) and hanging.

Others believe that sexual bondage was first popularized in Japan during 1908 by Ito Seiu, generally referred to as the ‘Father of Shibari,’ who started researching Hojojutsu and turned it into an art form. Shibari then became a popular performance art in Japan in the 1960s, eventually making its way over to the UK and America.

How does it work?

Japanese Rope Bondage is based on a series of fairly specific rope patterns, most of them influenced by the Hojojutsu ties.

These involve a length of rope being wrapped in specific patterns around certain parts of the body, and eventually the body as a whole, with varying degrees of pressure and constriction depending on which part of the body is being targeted and stimulated.

Some of the more well-known patterns include the Takate Kote, also known as the Arm Box Tie, which forms the basis of the majority of Shibari ties and provides a foundation for encompassing the whole body.

Another popular tie is the Ebi, also known as the Shrimp, which was originally used as a Hojojutsu torture tie and is one of the most effective methods of bonding and exposing your partner to any kind of activity you wish to perform on them.

One of the main ways in which Shibari differs from Western bondage is that instead of just restraining and immobilizing your partner or ‘bottom,’ by using the ropes in different formations and patterns you can actually stimulate your partner's genitals, breasts and erogenous zones.

Shibari is famous for using asymmetrical positions to heighten the psychological impact of bondage, adding a different level of sensation compared to some of the more straight-forward bondage techniques.

What you need to do it

In Japan, Shibari is practiced with seven-metre-long rope, but anything between five and eight metres will do the job. Traditionally, the rope is made of hemp or jute for a soft yet sturdy sensation, but silk ropes are just as effective and friction-free for a smoother experience.

If you want to explore the delights of Shibari invest in a good quality rope such as the Japanese Silk Rope Cuffs for wrists and ankles, and try combining them with Japanese Silk Bondage Rope, which comes with a complete 16-page booklet explaining in-depth about the art of Japanese Rope Bondage and how to get started.