In the Japanese tradition, the relationship between rope and knot is so deep. Gifts are wrapped and tied in Furoshiki is normal in Japan.”Shibari” simply means “to tie”. The contemporary meaning of Shibari describes an ancient Japanese artistic form of rope bondage.
The origin of Shibari comes from Hojo-jutsu, the martial art of restraining captives. In Japan from 1400 to 1700, while the local police and Samurai used Hojo-jutsu as a form of imprisonment and torture, the honor of these ancient Samurai warriors required them to treat their prisoners well. So, they used different techniques to tie their prisoners, showing the honor and status of their captured prisoner.
In the late Edo era(1603-1867), bondage was used to torture women who were taken prisoner of war or girls of rival masters. Tying has often turned into forms of humiliation in very open spaces and squares.
Beginning in the 1800s, high social class members connected nude women with soft and degrading positions, drawing their pictures and using them sexually in the eroticisation of tying. Wealthy and noble people were also invited to these events in later periods. These invitations and events were called Komon Sarashi Shibari. Very rare examples of these drawings appeared in Ukiyo-e (17th century erotic wood print) collections.
The aesthetic arrangement of ropes and knots on the model’s body in Shibari rigging emphasises characteristics like sensuality, vulnerability, and also strength. The positioning of knots in appropriate places stimulates pressure points on the body, very similarly to acupuncture techniques and Shiatsu, a form of Japanese massage. Some believe a shibari experience also stimulates Ki energy flow and transfer.
Shibari rigging induces physiological conditions known as “sub space” and “top space”, which are similar to the “runners high” experienced by athletes. A Shibari experience results in an increased level of endorphins and other hormones, creating a trance-like experience for the bottom/model and an adrenaline rush for the Top/rigger. When a shibari scene is performed with appropriate ambience, these effects are actually visible in the face of the model. The term “rope drunk” is sometimes affectionately used to describe the euphoric condition of the model after a shibari experience.
In my daily routine, I carry a gym bag on my back, which I consider as a box containing two different ropes. One is an elastic band, a fitness tool, and the other is a hemp rope used for binding. Interestingly, while fitness is widely recognized as a healthy lifestyle, rope bondage tends to be associated with eroticism and often carries negative connotations. When engaging in fitness activities, the body may experience soreness as the muscle fibers are strained, ultimately leading to strength improvement. Similarly, being tied up can evoke feelings of restraint and discomfort, but many individuals actually find a sense of calm and security in the experience, and it provides them with psychological support.
For the first unit of discussion, I aim to explore whether rope bondage is stigmatized by the public and whether it can be considered a healthy activity comparable to fitness.
When I hit the gymMe working as a rope bondage model
How I have achieved this learning
1.I continuously refine my research questions through primary and secondary research both online and offline. After discussions with the tutor, the research question I came up with was more specific and understandable than it was initially.
2.Throughout this unit, I have deepened my understanding of rope bondage by conducting online searches for relevant historical information, reading literature and watching movies on the subject. I have also conducted interviews with individuals involved in the field of rope bondage, gathering their feedback and summarizing it in the form of a chart. Additionally, I have learned rope bondage skills and practiced them with my friends.
3.In the process of how to design interventions, I first think by myself, and when I encounter problems, I communicate with friends, classmates and tutors and get feedback, so as to support my thinking.
4. I gather the necessary data from Google Trends, organize and analyze it, and present it through charts. Furthermore, I describe the charts in my own words, summarizing the evidence I found to support my viewpoint that “most Chinese people hold erotic stereotypes about rope bondage.”
My priorities during tutorials will be as follows…
As an international student who is not a native speaker, language is a huge challenge for me. To overcome this, I have developed strategies to make the most of my tutorial sessions. Before each tutorial, I will sort out the content that needs to be updated with the tutor this week, and list the questions I want to ask. In the tutorial I try to take notes as much as I can. At the beginning of the semester, I even asked tutor’s permission to record it to make sure I could over and over again until I really understood it.
Now I will ask the tutor to repeat the sentence if I don’t understand it. Fortunately, the tutor is happy to repeat the sentence every time and explain it patiently. This made me not afraid to ask questions and deepened my understanding of my research questions.
I also find feedback from my classmates in the group very important. I like studying in a group because I got to hear about different research topics from my classmates, which expands my knowledge. I also receive feedback from classmates with different backgrounds and, and this helps me improve my research question a lot. I have learned a lot from talking to students who are older than me and come from different places.
These are some of the questions/problems/subjects that I care about, the things that make me feel excited or angry or disturbed or happy – or just curious…..
Rope bondage from Japan, also known as shibari or kinbaku. Literally means “to bind”. In ancient times, it was originally used to bind prisoners and later evolved to have more diverse forms of expression and usage scenarios.
My research question is“How To Change THE Erotic Stereotypes of Rope Bondage?” and this question needs to be solved as soon as possible.
I have always been interested in bonding and joined a famous rope bondage community in China—Heiwushe. I am working in the community as a rope bondage teaching model Since 2022. Work experience has given me a deeper understanding of rope bondage culture. As an East Asian woman who has experienced being tied up, it has sparked my curiosity about the power dynamics in rope bondage.
These are the capabilities which I already possess or would like to possess, which may be useful in addressing the subjects or questions above…
I believe I have the capability to propose and develop well-informed research questions by evaluating relevant current research and models of practice. I utilize primary and secondary research to refine and clarify my research questions, making them more specific and easily understandable.
I possess the skills to research and analyze various up-to-date knowledge and practices. Throughout this unit, I have deepened my understanding of rope bondage by conducting online searches for relevant historical information, reading literature and watching movies on the subject. I have also conducted interviews with individuals involved in the field of rope bondage, gathering their feedback and summarizing it in the form of a chart. Additionally, I have learned rope bondage skills and practiced them with my friends.
I am adept at using suitable formats to effectively communicate my intentions, sources, and arguments. I gather the necessary data from Google Trends, organize and analyze it, and present it through charts. Furthermore, I describe the charts in my own words, summarizing the evidence I found to support my viewpoint that “most Chinese people hold erotic stereotypes about rope bondage.”
However, I do acknowledge that I lack some proficiency in planning a series of external interventions within complex and evolving situations. I often encounter difficulties when designing intervention steps and find it helpful to discuss them with friends and classmates before proceeding.
As an East Asian woman, I have lived in China for a long time and am currently residing in London. The change in my geographical location has allowed me to observe many cultural and ideological differences related to bondage between Eastern and Western societies, particularly in attitudes towards gender and bondage.
In China, when you search for the term “捆绑” (bondage) on the mainstream search engine Baidu, the results are filled with images of men gazing. In the Chinese community, I feel that there is a low level of societal acceptance for bondage. People lack confidence and recognition for the legitimacy of rope binding in their social environment, leading to a concealed state in both aspects.
In contrast, when searching for “rope bondage” on the Western mainstream search engine Google, the images presented are markedly different, with women appearing very confident and poised. In London, my friends and I joyfully participate in LGBTQ Pride parades, expressing ourselves fully.
Additionally, I attended a kinky party at Fetish Club, dressed in clothing that incorporated rope elements. The party had a strict dress code, requiring participants to wear outfits deemed “kinky.” During the party, I observed a Chinese guy being asked by staff to remove his long-sleeved shirt to continue participating. Here, wearing “kinky” outfits seemed like a necessary uniform for certain occasions, and no one felt ashamed. Everyone expressed themselves openly and generously praised others. In this environment, everyone adheres to the principle of “informed consent,” respecting each other, making me feel safer than in the outside world.
After coming to London, due to people being more open-minded, community-driven, and newbie-friendly, with participants being more equal between males and females, there is a focus on art and beauty rather than sex. In my social circle, it’s challenging to find people who stigmatize rope bondage, and it seems that everyone is willing to try it. Perhaps because I am in art school, my social circle lacks cisgender straight males with a negative impression of bondage, and there are no individuals who stigmatize the practice. Gradually, I realize that attempting to make cisgender straight males who stigmatize rope bondage accept it and undergo gender power shifts might not be a wise direction in London.
I was in the rope bondage subculture community for about six months before I left Hangzhou to study in London. During this time I observed the community and the people and realized that there was a strong male gaze in the rope bondage community. I often received messages about rope bondage that suggested male dominance and the objectification of women. In my observations, the roles of men and women have always been unequal, and women, trans women or non-binary women have always been scrutinized. I am trying to experiment with gender shift in the realm of rope bondage in order to realize power shift, artistic expression, intimacy, and sensory exploration.
I was tied up
As a rope bondage model, I have been bound to cis-gender straight men. Why don’t I try to learn rope bondage and bond with some cis men and see what happens? I actually tried to attempt this before when I was in China, I had two ex-boyfriends who were both rugby players and standard masculine cisgender straight men. I tried to try rope bondage on them, one was very resistant, and the other was willing to try but kept emphasizing that I didn’t really like being tied up and that you could just practice your technique on me.
Last semester I discussed my project with guest Expert Sarah-Lou Newman, an artist, mother, feminist, and founder of The Minefield, a Feminist Thinking resource and Meet-Up group for people and parents. We talked by email, and Sarah shared some books with me that helped me learn more about feminism. I shared my experience of bonding cisgender straight men with Sarah and she listened and said “Because cisgender straight men associate sex with rope bondage, they usually see bondage in pornography. They stigmatize rope bondage, and in porn, the woman being bonded is usually the object and the cisgender male is the subject, and when they watch porn they know exactly what’s going to happen down the line in the film, so they’re extremely afraid when they’re on the receiving end of scrutiny.”
But not all cisgender straight men are necessarily like that, Sarah told me. He suggested I could go to another comprehensive university and find some cisgender straight guys and ask them if they’d be willing to try rope bondage. Make it academic, tell them they can just tie their hands up instead of tying their whole bodies, and keep it private and out of the way of other people.
After my discussion with Cecilia, I have determined my place in the rope bondage field. I want to challenge the sexualized perspective of rope bondage, which is a result of the male voyeuristic perspective. Creating a safe space that focuses on well-being while also challenging culture.
For the public, I hope to popularize knowledge about rope bondage and educate participants to break free from patriarchal culture and adopt a diverse perspective towards rope bondage culture, including women and non-binary. In Asian culture, people who bondage is usually viewed as an object of the gaze, and I hope to have the opportunity to facilitate a power shift.
For participants within the community, I hope that they can drive industry innovation through change. For example, by exploring diverse forms of bodily expression, emphasizing intimacy in rope bondage culture, aim to “touching is more important than tying.”
In the bustling city of London, where I initially found myself without any friends, the serendipitous creation of Luckypot became a pivotal chapter in my life. The brainchild of Lik, my roommate, and Luckypot’s co-founder, our paths crossed when she heard about my venture into rope bondage. Intrigued, she willingly stepped into the world of knots and ties with me, marking the beginning of a profound friendship.
Lik became the first person I practiced rope bondage in London, and her response encapsulates the essence of our shared experiences: “Expressing my feelings has never felt so easy. The process of rope bondage makes me feel cared for and relaxed – I don’t have to worry about a thing.”
This pivotal moment led me to join Luckypot, a mobile and decentralized art group committed to on-site creation and practice in a cross-cultural context. Luckypot’s art spaces, including Lucky Pot 34 in South London and Lucky Pot 196 in East London, are initiated and run by our members. They serve as co-living spaces for creating, residency, and art events, fostering an active community for Asian and Chinese artists in London.
At Luckypot, we embody the spirit of collaboration – we make and share, and everyone is a producer. Together, our aim is to build an LGBTQ-friendly, inclusive, and non-discriminatory safe space where individuals of all genders, races, abilities, and neurodiversity feel welcomed.
Rope bondage not only introduced me to new friends within Luckypot but also became a catalyst for collaboration with other artists in the group. Collaborating with fellow Asian artists amplifies our collective voice and draws attention to our work.
Joining Luckypot was driven by a desire to bring attention to rope bondage in society. My intention is to bridge the gap between those unfamiliar with this art form and those curious but yet to try. By pushing the boundaries of rope bondage culture, we break stereotypes, invite understanding, and encourage more people to explore this unique art form.
In this journey with Luckypot, we redefine the narrative surrounding rope bondage, transforming it into a cultural phenomenon that transcends stereotypes and fosters connections.
I was diagnosed with moderate depression in my third year of undergraduate studies, and I went through this very difficult period before I got an offer for a master’s degree at the University of the Arts London. The stress of my studies and fear of the future took hold of me and I often felt so anxious and nervous that I was afraid to be alone in my room. I used to spend the day alone in bed, doing nothing, wrapping myself tightly in the covers, closing my eyes, and sleeping, which made me feel safe and calm.
I’ve seen rope bondage-related artwork on the internet before, and I’ve also seen offline, fashion-related rope bondage performances when I was interning at a fashion brand, so I’ve always been aware of the existence of rope bondage and was curious about it. Being so enamored with the feeling of being tightly wrapped in a quilt, I wondered if rope bondage would be more secure than a quilt. So I started searching for local reach-out rope bondage places. I was living in Hangzhou, a city in the south of China, and after a lot of searching, I found out that there is a famous subculture of diverse rope bondage in Hangzhou called “Heiwushe” (黑物社), which is founded by rope bondage artist CK.
Rope bondage has always been a gray area in China because people associate rope bondage with sex, and Heiwushe’s events are often terminated because they are reported to the police (someone may tell the police that someone is having a gang bang somewhere, etc.), which is not allowed in China, even if Heiwushe’s members aren’t having a gang bang but are just having a bondage session. The police have to take action to cancel the event if they get a report, they don’t care what Heiwushe members are doing). It’s not uncommon for CK to have his mainstream social media accounts banned in China, so his parties are almost exclusively in speakeasies, and he relies solely on Instagram and Twitter to spread the word (since these social media outlets are banned in China, you need to use a VPN for them to work properly, which makes them more private and reduces the risk of them being reported to the police).
After I contacted CK, I finally found CK’s rope bondage studio in a residential area on the outskirts of Hangzhou, which is a very private place, and I was even a little scared to go there alone. I didn’t have to pay for a ticket to CK’s workshop to model, but I did have to buy a ticket to learn how to bond with someone else, and I didn’t want to spend the money, so I decided to do the workshop! I didn’t want to spend money, so I decided to model for this workshop because I didn’t know how to tie people up anyway.
CK called me over and talked to me, I said I don’t want my legs to be spread apart, I want my legs to be together, don’t put too much pressure on my back because I went to the gym yesterday, etc. I said a lot of things. I made a lot of requests, CK said ok, and then began my first rope bondage experience. At first, I was a bit nervous about relaxing my body as I was surrounded by about 15 colleagues watching CK bondage me. CK covered my head with a patch to block my view and I slowly relaxed, as time went by my body was tightly bound by the ropes but I felt safe, rope bondage is really more effective than a quilt. Later on, CK even lifted me gently from the ground, I felt calmer than ever as if CK and I were the only two people in the studio. After the experience, CK massaged my limbs, hugged me, and patiently told me that the indentations left by the rope on my body would disappear in a few hours. I was very happy with my first rope bondage experience and became close friends with CK. Since then I have been working part-time for CK as his rope bondage instructional model, and sometimes I work with him on his rope bondage photo shoots.
