For those of you who like the more elegant things in life, Japanese rope bondage may be a sophisticated sexual sensation that is right up your street.
Known as Shibari (which literally translates as 'to bind'), Japanese rope bondage is a more accentuated and precise version of regular restraint. As a result, Shibari takes dedication, patience and imagination to make it work properly.
Even though it may seem more complicated than many 'Western' forms of bondage, by learning Shibari you will develop a beautiful skill that will lead to fantastic genital stimulation as well as a deeper sense of trust and a greater bond between you and your partner.
What is Shibari?
Shibari is an artistic kind of rope bondage that originated in Japan and consists of many special ties and bindings that allow the genitals to be stimulated.
There are many theories as to when Shibari started and what reigion it came from. 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 (a form of restraint often used in martial arts) 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 most 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 new 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 ten 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're just starting out, it is probably worth experimenting with shorter lengths of rope or pre-tied rope such as the Japanese Silk Bondage Wrist Rope Cuffs. This allows you to become accustomed to the feel of rope on skin and to figure out the basics.
If you want to explore Shibari even further, invest in a good quality rope such as the Bondage Boutique Cotton Shibari Rope or Japanese Silk Bondage Rope, the latter of which comes with a complete 16-page booklet explaining in-depth about the art of Japanese Rope Bondage and how to get started.
Tell me how to tie!
Learning how to perform Shibari rope bondage is pretty difficult but not impossible!
There are so many techniques that we sadly can't cover them all in this guide but it is worth checking fetish clubs or looking online to see if there are any Shibari classes in your area. Alternatively, we recommend the Erotic Bondage Handbook as it has some great tips for getting started.
Although we can't give you a step-by-step demonstration of each technique, here is a little advice on how to do Shibari successfully:
- Make sure your partner is comfortable and ask them to manipulate their body as you tie them up to get the best grip on their limbs (wrapping the breasts is easiest when they're leaning forwards, for example.)
- Do not over tighten! You want to restrain your partner but not cut off blood circulation.
- Be careful when using rope around the neck. It is an extremely sensitive area and even if you tie loosely, it can still cause breathing problems.
- When tying the wrists and legs, try to make then tension equal on both sides. This will not only make your Shibari look good but it should feel good too!
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