Tag: Research

Rope bondage will have problems, but we can try our best to avoid them and communicate instead of staying silent when something might be going wrong.

Rope Bondage uses similar safety practices and principles to BDSM to ensure the safety of participants. Terms like ‘SSC’ (Sane, Safe, Consensual) and ‘RACK’ (Risk Aware, Consensual, Kink) are the most widely accepted.  The differences between SSC and RACK acknowledge that not every kink is necessarily a “safe” one. RACK argues that the concept of what is “sane” is subjective. What ultimately matters within RACK is that participants identify and discuss potential risks, formulate a risk mitigation plan for the activity, and engage in it only through mutual consent and understanding of those risks.

There are some Physical Risks involved with Rope Bondage, including Asphyxiation, Circulation Impairment(Very common, usually caused by the rope being too tight. Easily fixed.), Nerve damage, Fainting, and Falling. Advanced positions like hanging introduce a higher risk and even when skilled artists do this, a teacher’s spot is necessary), etc.

Everybody’s body is different. It’s important to connect with them and have a discussion beforehand so as to choose the best way to treat them.

In my experience of rope bondage, having a discussion with the participant beforehand is crucial, going over important topics such as where they would like to be tied (upper body only, leg, whole body, etc.).  Informing the participant that they might have feelings of tingling in some of the areas that are tied up. Implementing a scale system for ‘tingles’ (e.g. 1-10) is helpful and can avoid further risks by loosening certain areas. In case of emergency I can loosen the rope immediately and if in dire need even cut the rope. Afterward, I can help the participants relax by massaging their muscles and making sure they are comfortable.

In summary, Guidelines For Reducing Risk have 4tips. Firstly, Take your time. Get to know each other before you play. Get to know each other’s bodies, medical conditions, likes, dislikes, expectations, levels of experience, and reputation in the community. Learn about each other; from each other, and from other people. Find out where the boundaries are, and don’t be in a hurry to push or expand them. 

Secondly, Plan Ahead. If you’re going to get tied, prep for that; stretch, think about whether the circumstances make it safe for you to play. If you’re going to be trying, prep for that; the same requirements about health. Thirdly, Know When Not To Do Rope Bondage. Rope can be a lot of fun, but it can be risky as hell, too; better to do it when you’re both feeling well and up for it. In addition, communicate, communicate, communicate! The most important, most effective way of keeping risk down, is for both of you to be on the same page. You’re both responsible for safety, and you can both contribute to that. 

https://kynk101.com/kink-bdsm-facts/ssc-rack-prick

https://www.ropeconnections.com/the-safety-series-part-1-physical-risk-with-rope-bondage/

https://www.ropeconnections.com/the-safety-series-part-2-fixing-problems-before-they-happen/

https://www.helsinkishibari.com/writings/nerve-safety-for-rope-bondage

After my recent research, there are four terms used to describe Rope Bondage, which is Kinbaku, Shibari, Hojojutsu, and Fusion. In the East, people use Shibari and Kinbaku, and the origin of these two names is Hojojutsu. In the West, people use Fusion to describe rope bondage. Rope Bondage is named under different disciplines. And is classified into two parts east/west with factors such as source, development process, and historical factors.

IN THE EAST

One of the most common controversies in the world of Japanese bondage is Shibari Vs Kinbaku. In Japanese culture, these two words do have different meanings.

Kinbaku and Shibari are Japanese terms and have numerous translations and interpretations of meanings surrounding the terms of kinbaku or shibari. In the Japanese dictionary, Kinbaku means “to bind tightly”. It describes a practice where the connection between the rope artist and the bottom is important. On the other hand, Shibari means ” to tie”, and it can refer not only to people, but also to things.

Hojojutsu is symbolic of the prisoner and their punishment. This is a martial art that was used as a way to restrain, transport, and even torture slaves.  

Kinbaku, as well as Shibari, is a sexualized extension of Hojojutsu. But in the Western world, these words are synonyms, their differences lost in translation.

IN THE WEST

EARLY HOLLYWOOD & WORLD WAR 2 The early days of Hollywood is one of the first places we can see the use of bondage and eroticism entertwined in the West. It is considered most likely that kinbaku was brought to the West through the cross-pollination of cultures that occurred during World War 2.

‘Fusion’ is a term typically applied to western style rope that has borrowed aspects from traditional Japanese kinbaku. The most distinguishing factor of western rope is that it does not have limitations. Usually, kinbaku particularly focuses on the use of natural fibres, as opposed to kinbaku, Fusion more commonly uses synthetic and colored ropes.

 Going forward I will refer to both kinbaku and shibari in a more general term, ‘rope bondage’. Using this term will allow my research to remain neutral as there has been a history of conflict regarding the correct term.

https://www.demasquemagazine.com/post/a-brief-history-of-rope-bondage-in-the-east-and-west

https://shibarinews.com/about-shibari/glossary/shibari-vs-kinbaku

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.

https://www.scribd.com/document/472564797/What-is-Shibari-Art-of-Contemporary-Shibari#

https://kupdf.net/download/essence-of-shibari-shin-nawakari_633bfd29e2b6f59530cdeab9_pdf

https://shibariturk.com/what-is-shibari-history-of-shibari/