Articles tagged: Shoden shibari (初傳)

We start with a basic question: what do we mean by shibari? We review the origins of the terms shibari and kinbaku and establish an operational definition of shibari as the erotic art of Japanese bondage, the foundation on which the entire course is built.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

What “erotic” means in the context of shibari: how eroticism and sexuality relate to each other, why there are no universal techniques or responses, and what it means to understand shibari as a way of managing desire, far removed from any repertoire of sexual techniques.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.

To talk about sexuality in a shared language, we define the basic concepts we will use throughout the course and explain how asymmetry is understood in the style of shibari we teach.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes.

Academic definitions take on meaning when we bring them into our own experience. We look at what erotic experience is, why each person’s eroticism is unique, and how we can cultivate it through fantasies and behaviors.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.

Personal responsibility covers whatever lies within our room for maneuver; understanding what it involves and taking it on allows us to recognize, in each interaction, what we can act on for safer and more satisfying shibari.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.

Here, anatomy is studied as a tool for understanding the effects of restriction on the body, starting from common positions and figures analyzed from a biomechanical perspective, with criteria for adapting practice to each person.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes.

A first look at functional anatomy applied to shibari: the parts of the body we work with, how they respond, and the risks we need to know about.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

A second look at functional anatomy applied to shibari: the body’s systems, how restriction affects them, and which limits must never be crossed.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.

Risk prevention comes from knowing the body and from communication between the person tying and the person being tied; knowing how to react in time when something is not right is as much a part of the technique as tying.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

Joint hypermobility increases range of motion; knowing what happens in a hypermobile person’s body allows us to stabilize their joints and monitor ranges and compensations during practice.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes.

Shibari cannot be understood without knowing the culture that gave birth to it. The environment, social organization, and beliefs shaped a Japanese way of understanding efficiency, the body, and sexuality that explains much of what shibari is today.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

The history of shibari includes episodes that should not be romanticized. Facing them head-on, without myths or whitewashing, helps us understand where many of its techniques come from and draw a clear line between that past and a consensual practice between adults.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.

Japanese aesthetics finds beauty in the imperfect, the simple, and the ephemeral, and it has transformed with each stage of its history. Following that evolution from tradition to modernity helps us understand where the aesthetics of shibari comes from and why it keeps changing.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

Understanding rope as a tool in the service of anatomy changes the way we approach it, from the first steps in practice to the choice of the right material.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.

Jute rope did not come to shibari through tradition but through circumstance, and over time the techniques were developed with it. Knowing its characteristics and properties explains how it behaves and why it shapes the way we tie.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.

The knot serves a specific function in shibari and must meet certain minimum conditions; with it come the first safety rules for using rope.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes.

Posture covers both the anatomical position of the body and the person’s mental state; working on it through the concept of shisei (posture – 姿勢) allows us to maintain balance and stability and to perform movements safely and effectively.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.

Balance is an active state in which the forces acting on the body are offset through small adjustments; learning to use it together with the principle of proportionality allows the person being tied to match their activation to the tension of the rope and reduce the risk of injury.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.

Mobility is the ability to actively control joint movement; distinguishing it from flexibility and elasticity allows us to adapt forms to the capacity of the person being tied and to stabilize their joints safely.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.

Dynamic range is the range of motion a joint reaches without being forced or damaged; distinguishing active from passive range allows us to progress in restrictions while keeping the load on the muscles and not on the tendons or ligaments.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes.

Muscle activation prepares the body to sustain restriction; maintaining it during practice heightens the perception and transmission of erotic stimuli while protecting ligaments, tendons, and nerves.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.

Managing tension in body and rope turns the rope into a transmitter of vibrations that allows us to direct stimulation and guide the movements of the person being tied.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

Japan organizes its chronology into eras tied to the reign of each emperor, and each one reflects the social and political climate of its time. Going through them allows us to follow the birth of shibari and its evolution up to the present.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.

In the Meiji era, the industrialization of publishing favored the appearance of adult publications, and the censorship imposed by the new moral rules forced people to look for other ways of expressing eroticism. In the Taisho era, with Itoh Seiu and the eroguro (erotic-grotesque – エログロ) movement, shibari began to take shape as an erotic expression.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

Shibari developed during the Showa era, always tied to the Japanese adult industry. Postwar magazines, exchange with the West, pinku eiga (ピンク映畫) cinema and, later, video transformed its formats and distribution, giving rise to the works and artists that would define the technical future of shibari.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

With the Heisei era, shibari crossed borders: a new generation of riggers became known in the West, developing their technique and organizing themselves into their own styles. The Reiwa era, marked by the pandemic and by legal changes in the audiovisual industry, reshaped that market, popularizing the practice as an erotic experience between couples.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

Sabaku (handling – さばく) is the use of rope as a tool within the session; fluid handling, which comes from the core of the person tying, maintains the right tension and leaves attention free for the reactions of the person being tied.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

Adjusting the ropes by slipping fingers under them, lining them up so they are symmetrical, or worrying about twisted ones are common habits that can interrupt the session. In this topic we look at the effect they have on the person being tied, when an adjustment is justified, and how to make it without breaking the established tension.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.

Untying is as important a part of the session as tying. In this topic we look at how to integrate untying into the play and into the emotional curve of the session, and how to maintain tension while untying so that the structure does not collapse and the person being tied does not suddenly lose the support of the rope.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.

Rope handling is a manual skill that develops with practice. In this topic we look at what to focus learning on, what to work on first, and how to approach practice.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.

Learning shibari takes time: manual skills are acquired through repetition, and concepts through analysis. Organizing practice according to your goals and the time you have, and keeping it separate from erotic play, allows you to progress safely.

Estimated reading time: 18 minutes.

Besides the risks specific to each technique, there are others common to all ties: inadequate tension, pressure on blood vessels or nerves, and a series of minor discomforts that are also best avoided. Knowing them allows you to prevent them and recognize the body’s warning signs in time.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes.

Neutral posture is an active balance built from our support on the ground; practicing it, standing and seated, allows us to recognize how our body distributes weight and to make use of ground reaction force without overloading the joints.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes.

Control of your own body is the basis for managing the body of the person being tied; practicing posture and balance allows us to move ourselves and the rope ergonomically, with fluid movements that do not distract from the interaction.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

An exercise for creating and managing, between the person tying and the person being tied, a kinetic circuit in which both share the ground reaction force.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.

Ikue shibari (layered shibari – 幾重縛り) is a body-management technique that applies rope folded into several layers; combining it with the fundamentals we have studied allows us to build stable structures simply, efficiently, and safely, without depending on tying patterns.

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes.

Emotions are predictive schemas with which the brain interprets the environment and our internal states, and erotic desire is one of them. That is why the same shibari practice is experienced differently depending on the person and the context.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

By emotional reaction we mean the set of emotional moments that we interpret as part of the same experience. Knowing how it evolves gives us tools to manage it at each moment of the session.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

We focus the management of desire on behaviors and, consequently, on the body, which thus becomes the tool for acting on the situation the brain is trying to explain.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

The richer our erotic map is and the better we know it, the more possibilities we will have to experiment and create new experiences in our interactions.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.

Just as we protect our physical integrity, developing strategies to protect our emotional “health” is necessary in order to enjoy satisfying experiences.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.

The turn of the rope tells the body which way it is going to move. Choosing its direction according to each person and each movement, while respecting their natural asymmetry, allows us to build more efficient ties.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.

Restriction is the tool with which erotic shibari manages desire through behavior. For it to be an erotic experience, and not a mere sensation, it must have erotic value for both people.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes.

Anatomical restriction is created with the body of the person being tied itself. Applying it through muscle activation allows us to limit movement while reducing the risk of injury.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.

The square, the triangle, and the circle are the shapes with which we visualize balance, forces, and movement; applying this geometry to the body allows for more fluid and efficient shibari.

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes.

The triangle theory is the basis of restriction techniques in sekibaku (責縛): we build triangles, forming structures from the position of the body, in order to manage it fluidly.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.

Fureru (touching – 觸れる) is the technique that allows us to grade our contact with the body of the person being tied and to induce their movement subtly, without imposing it.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

Knowing the anatomical risks that restriction involves allows us to prevent injuries and enjoy safe, pleasurable practice.

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes.

Practicing shibari consciously can be confusing at first, but if we follow this process, we can progress in understanding and handling the techniques.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.

We are going to start moving the body, which is complex in itself, and look at a concept that is essential in shibari: dynamic range.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

An exercise for both partners to identify your optimal point of strength on the forearm. It is necessary in techniques that require effective pushing and support, and it helps you maximize efficiency and reduce the risk of injury.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes.

The person tying offers a point of support on which the person being tied rests part of their weight; in this way, the kinetic circuits of both bodies combine, and that weight can be turned into energy to move them both.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes.

The grip, or Kote Tori (小手取り), matters because it is the first physical contact between the person tying and the person being tied, and it will shape how the interaction between them unfolds.

Estimated reading time: 19 minutes.

There is no canonical rule, but bringing the arms behind the back is one of the most efficient and common restrictions in shibari.

Estimated reading time: 23 minutes.

Immobilizing the arms not only limits what the upper trunk can do; it also changes the overall posture of the body and affects breathing, balance, and the perception of control.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.

Bringing the arms behind the back is one of the most efficient forms of anatomical restriction.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.

There are times when restrictions with the hands behind the body can be difficult or even impossible. People who are not comfortable with shibari or do not trust their bodies often accept ties in front because they consider them safer, more comfortable, or more accessible.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes.

Restriction with the arms raised overhead is very common and rarely well executed. We study the sequence of movements and the scapulohumeral rhythm needed to perform it and hold it safely, bearing in mind that not every body has enough mobility.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.

In sekibaku (責縛), technique is learned through the study of its fundamentals and their application in katas: forms and figures that are used in study as exercises, but not in real practice.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

A form inspired by the old capture techniques, which we use as a basis for studying how to manage the body from the rope.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes.

A step-by-step guide to performing the koden shibari form by applying the technical fundamentals tetori sankaku (手取三角), hon musubi (本結び), and fuchin (浮沈).

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes.

The third and final part of the koden shibari guide: managing tension, handling, and untying.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes.

There is no foolproof method that guarantees the full satisfaction of erotic desire, but shibari is a valuable tool for exploring it from a different perspective.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.

Hidden desire cannot be reached directly or quickly, and in an erotic interaction we would not want it to be. The system sekibaku (責縛) uses to manage the emotions of an erotic shibari session lets us go as far as we want, together, toward a shared experience.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.

We study how the schemas our brain generates, when brought into the erotic shibari session, become a mechanism for managing desire.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.

We study intention—what moves us to act and what we seek in doing so—and why knowing and accepting it is the only way to satisfy ourselves on the erotic level.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.

Every style and school has its own version of the gote—one of the most popular figures in shibari—and its own idea of what it is. We study the meaning of the term and establish an operational definition that makes it possible to identify it.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

A study of the function and construction of each of the parts that make up the structure of Akechi-type gote.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

A study of the stabilization of the pelvis and shoulders, and of the muscle activation that sustains it, as the basis for building a gote adapted to each anatomy.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes.

A study of the biomechanical concepts and techniques applied to stabilize gote-type forms.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes.

A study of the anatomical risks inherent in gote-type forms, whose poor execution causes a good number of injuries.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes.

A study of compensations in the body of the person being tied, one of the biggest problems with gote-type forms.

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes.

A study of nerve injury, the most common risk and injury in gote-type forms.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.

A study of how to prevent the risks of gote-type forms, starting with adapting the form to the person being tied.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes.

A step-by-step guide to building the first line of the gote shibari, applying the triangle theory and hon musubi (本結び).

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes.

A step-by-step guide to applying the second line of the gote shibari, understanding its function and when to use it.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.

A step-by-step guide to closing the gote shibari with a final tension adjustment and applying the bolt.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes.

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The new AV Law (AV新法, AV shinpo) came into force in Japan on June 23, 2022, and completely upended the country’s pornography industry and, with it, the professional shibari sector.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes.

In erotic shibari, shame only arises when there is a chance that another person may gain access to a private part of us that makes us vulnerable, and exposure goes far beyond showing the body.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes.

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The itinerary of Sekibaku (責縛), its roadmap of desire, is the backbone of erotic application in this style. This model sets out a logical sequence designed to help the person being tied explore their desire.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes.

Applying the Sekibaku (責縛) itinerary means establishing a cycle of desire and applying it at every step, in every movement, and not to the session as a whole: the person tying manages the desire of the person being tied by increasing it, not satisfying it, and starts again over and over.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes.

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Sekibaku is the shibari style created by Yagami Ren and developed independently at Shibari Dojo.

Within the Yagami Ryu, it refers to the strict mode of applying the style, harder or rougher than toginawa keito (伽繩系統).

The Yagami Ryu is a system for studying and practicing shibari developed by Yagami Ren.