Brief History

by Chicago BDSM

Originally Japanese bondage was used my samurai and police as a form of incarceration and interrogation between the 1400's and early 1900's, this was called Hojojustu. Body harnesses and other types of restraints were made for transporting and imprisoning offenders, and for interrogating prisoners by putting them into unique positions to hinder breathing. But the bondage could not cause any physical or mental damage. Even today, police in Japan are taught hojojustu and carry a bundle of hemp rope in there trunks to use if needed.

4 laws of hojojutsu:

1. Do not let the prisoner to escape his bonds
2. Do not cause any physical or mental damage to the prisoner
3. Do not allow anyone outside the clan see the hojojustu technique.
4. To be Artistic about the design

In the early 1900's a newer form or Japanese rope bondage formed for erotic pleasure, and this was called kinbaku-bi. This has been documented in magazines as early as the 1940's and 50's, but cant be traced back to about 1900 give or take. In the 60's and 70's there was a large explosion with kinbaku photography in Japan, which was called the golden years or SM rope bondage. Since it has become more of an art form, and keeps growing in practice around the world.

Now in the western world / US, Japanese rope bondage (kinbaku / hojojustu etc.) is referred to as "shibari" which in Japanese is a word that just means "tie" or "bond". I believe this came about because of a Website that misused a Japanese word that didn't truly know its meaning, and it caught on with westerners. Today even some of the Japanese rope artist (nawashi) will even call it shibari. But if you say "shibari" to a vanilla Japanese person they wont understand what you are talking about.

English Terms

Rope = The most versatile, most easily obtainable and cheapest toy and can be used by anyone once a few simple knots are mastered.

Solid Braid = Rope that is made with a solid braid (tons of strains woven together), This is general best for rope bondage.

Cored = Mean the rope has a hard core inside it. These tend to be very bad for erotic bondage because it hard to tie knots and but more pressure on the skin surface. Some ropes can be de-corded and become hollow cores and came be used for bondage.

Hollow = means the rope has no center, so it O shaped, like a garden hose.

MFP = Multi Filament Polypropylene (basically plastic that feels like silk)

Manila / Sisal / Hemp / Jute / Coir = Natural fibers used in traditional Japanese rope bondage. Unfinished they can be ruff, and if finished get a smooth and golden brown surface.

Cotton = Most commonly used natural rope type used for bondage in the US.

Nylon = Most common synthetic rope used for bondage in the US

Bight = A section of rope between two ends that forms a U shaped bend. In typical rope bondage, a bight is formed by taking up the length of rope by the mid point, and doubling it over, forming a loop, or bight at one end and tails at the other.

Tail = A rope ends or the ends that stick out of a knot.

Standing part = The part of a rope that is not actively in use in making a knot or tying

Slippery knot = a knot that is easily exploded, or released. It is set by pulling a bight through the final turn of the knot, rather than the entire tail, thus a tug of the tails releases the knot.

Mummification = A specialized kind of bondage in which the whole body is secured under layers of restraining fabric, latex, leather, tape, plasticwrap, shrink wrap, (etc.) or even saran wrap (clingfilm). The aim is to completely immobilize the subject, or mummee. Will you be my mummeeeee?

Japanese Terms

Shibari = Japanese term used mostly by westerns (and now some Japanese) to refer to Japanese style rope bondage.

Hojojutsu = Traditional style of military incarceration and torture used in feudal Japan by samurai and police.

Kinbaku-bi = the art of erotic/sensual Japanese rope bondage (formed early 20th century)

Nawa = rope Asa or Asanawa = traditional Japanese bondage and torture rope made of hemp

Musubime = knot

Musunde = tying a knot

Nawashi = (general) Rope bondage artist.
(purist)Rope bondage artist who only uses natural [traditional] forms of bondage, wood beams and hemp rope etc, no metal.
Sensei = Literally, 'One who has gone before'. (a Teacher/Master)

Nawa Sensei = Rope Bondage Master/teacher.

Dojo = Literally, 'Place of the Way', or place of learning. (a school)

Gakko = School

Gei = artistic skill

Unsui = Literally, 'cloud and water'. In Japanese it means seeker of truth. (a student)

Tori = One who demonstrates an action or technique.

Uke = passive partner in the demonstration of technique. (the bottom)

JuJun = Submissive

Dorei = Slave

Shibari = In japanese means "tie" or "bind" but in the western is used as "the action of tying someone up"

Shibaritai = a top indicating his/her desire for bondage action

Shibararetai = a sub indicating his/her desire for bondage action

Shinju / Mune Nawa = breast bondage (the pearls)

Karada = means "body", refers to torso/body bondage

Kikkou = Tortoise shell body harness

Mata Nawa or Sakuranbo = crotch bondage (the cherry)

Kotori = suspention bondage

Tsuri = "to hang", partial rope suspension

Kaikyaku Kani = Crab Leg

Gyakuebi = Japanese Hog Tie

Agura = crossed leg position (like a lotus position)

Ushirote Munenawa = Arm and Chest bondage