Japanese Rope Bondage Terms

Japanese Rope Bondage Terms

Vocabulary list for all those really compĺicated terms used in Japanese rope bondage, kanji/kana and romaji and short (hopefully not too confusing) explanation. Kinbari, shibaku… what’s that again?!

緊縛 kinbaku, bondage

縛り shibari, tie/binding, often used instead of kinbaku, or as suffix on any term, f.e. 後ろ手縛り ushiro te shibari, Hands behind the back binding

縛る shibaru, to tie

結ぶ musubu, to bind, to tie, to knot

X の縛り方 X no shibarikata “X’s tying form”, How to tie X

拘束 kōsoku, Bondage (general term, including leather)

ボンデージ bondēji, Bondage (general term, including leather)

縄 nawa, rope

麻縄 asanawa, natural fiber rope (most commonly jute)

荒縄 aranawa, rice rope

標縄 shimenawa (also written 注連縄 or 七五三縄) “enclosing rope”, sacred shinto shrine rope made of rice straw or hemp

一本縄 ippon nawa, bound with a single rope

一縄 ichi nawa, the first rope being used

風呂敷 furoshiki (also: 平包 hirazutsumi), square piece of cloth to transport rope (and other goods, general term)

手拭い tenugui, “hand towel”, a rectangular piece of cloth made from cotton gauze – iconically white, with dark dots or other print – used for blindfolds, gagging, carrying the rope, headband, etc., about 35cm to 90cm

閂 kannuki, cinches

閂 kannuki (also: 止め縄 tome/tomei nawa, “stop rope”, shibori nawa, “squeezing rope”), cinch, locking wraps. They have no functional role if you are not submitting the gote to external tension (in particular, suspension). Styles which focus more on the eros and less on suspension will often not use kannuki (Yukimura Haruki ryu being one example).

hitches

のの字 nonoji describes the shape of the Japanese hiragana character “no” (の). It falls into the category of tomenawa (止め縄, stopping rope) and is often called nodome (の止め) as well. It’s a useful hitch to isolate different sections in a tie (practical purpose) and due to it’s attractive looks is often used as a decorative element (non-practical purpose).

ひと結び hito musubi, half hitch

ふた結び futa musubi, double half hitch

結び目 musubime, knots

結び目 musubime, knot

円結 marumusubi

本結び hon musubi reef or square knot, wiki JP, very nice animated knot

横結び yoko musubi “side knot”, granny knot, exactly not a square knot (the thing that’ll kill you) wiki

外科結び gekamusubi surgeons’s knot

8の字結び 8 no ji musubi figure-eight-knot

二重8の字結び nijū 8 no ji musubi double figure-eight-knot

ひばり結び hibari musibi, lark’s head

自在結び jizai musubi, tautline knot

てこ結び teko musubi, marlinespike hitch, for tightening rope to a pillar

もやい結び moyai musubi, bowline knot/ palstek

捕縄術 hojōjutsu (also: hobakujutsu, torinawajutsu), “police-man’s rope method”

縄術 nawajutsu, rope martial arts

捕リ縄 torinawa, The martial art of restraining with ropes, rope for criminals

女囚縄 josyū nawa, rope for female prisoners

首斬縄 kubikirinawa, “beheading rope”, bondage appropriate to beheadings

火焙縄 hiaburinawa, “fire-roast rope”, bondage suitable for burnings at the stake

早縄 hayanawa, “now/early rope” (also: fast rope), the actual (relatively short) rope employed for initial arrests and swift take-downs

本縄 honnawa, “original rope”, the actual (relatively long) rope used for more complicated bondage once a person has been arrested. Used for transport and/or public display. There might have been chiffres in the ties for status, crime, and punishment.

uramatsu

投縄 nagenawa throwing rope, looped rope, catching rope, thrown rope, snare or restraining rope

鞭打ち mutchiuchi, the first of the Edo torture techniques where the prisoner is whipped.

石抱き Ishidaki, The 2nd of the Edo torture techniques, where the captive kneels on a corrogated surface and pressing stones are placed on his thighs.

海老責め ebizeme the third Edo period torture technique, where the captive is bound in the ebi position (see ebi).

吊り責め tsurizeme, the forth torture technique used during the Edo period.. It is the act of being suspended with rope with the arms and sometimes legs bound behind the back in a reverse spread eagle position. Pressing stones were sometimes added.

駿河問い surugua-doi, During the Tokugawa rule, an invention was formed called the “Suruga inquiry”. Suruga was the old name of the provice where this torture technique was developed. The prisoner would have been tied at all four limbs face down and suspended with arms and legs behind him. Then a progression of stones would be planced in the middle of his back. Sometimes he would be made to twist in the air at the end of his rope, too. Said to be unfailing in getting answers. Wiki (DE): “Sie wurde Anfang der Edo-Zeit eingeführt und soll auf den Stadtmagistraten (machi bugyō) von Sumpu (heute Shizuoka) in der Provinz Suruga Hikosaka Mitsumasa (彦坂光正, Rufname: 九兵衛[1]; 1565–1632) zurückgehen.”

後手 gote and 小手 kote forms

後手 gote, general term for a family of ties, hands tied behind, wrists are tied behind the back.

小手 kote, forearm.

高手 takate, upper region of the arm

後手高手小手 gote takatekote, upper and lower arms are bound

後手吉備枕縛り gote kibimakura shibari, comp. Kotobu ryo tekubi shibari.

後手直伸 gote chokushin, gote with the arms straight down over the buttocks

後頭部 ? 手首 kōtōbu ryo-tekubi, a Japanese basic form or the binding of the wrists and positioning behind the neck (手首 tekubi means wrist)

後ろ手縛り ushiro te shibari, Hands behind the back binding

後頭後ろ手縛り kōtō ushiro te shibari, Hands behind the head tie

後手合掌 gote gasshō, gote with elbows high, wrists behind the head. Reverse prayer hands

高手小手 takatekote, TK, kote, box tie. Do not confuse with gote, which is the broader general term. Here are pictures of variations. There are T- and Y-forms.

According to @NuitdeTokyo, Itou Seiu developed the TK from hojōjutsu ties. He wanted to avoid the neck tie.

Lower kannuki was developed by Minomura Kou, and his direct student Nureki Chimuo in the 1970s as a part of non dynamic suspensions. Upper and lower kannuki TK structure was developed by Akechi Denki during the 90s for dynamic suspensions. Akechi is also the creator of the gote which is sometimes taught as a TK (Ichinawa no Kai, Osada ryu). This derivation being mostly result of the transmission of Akechis style by Nawashi Kanna(who also taught Pedro originally), and who remains the rope artist closest in style to Akechi. Akechi also sometimes used a single lower kannuki to link both the upper and lower wraps. Naka style never had an upper wrap.

Non dynamic suspension: someone being tied on the ground, then lifted by assistants while being tied in suspension by the main rope person. This was the standard procedure for suspension photos 1970s-1990s.

長田流高手小手 Osada-ryu takatekote, box tie using 3 ropes

後ろ高手小手 ushiro takatekote, High hands behind the back binding (reverse prayer position)

前方高手縛り zenpou takate shibari, binding the hands high at the front

三つ引き縛り mitsu-hiki shibari, Matsui san tied for Sanwa publications (maybe from Kansai region?), 三 san, also used in family heraldy of Osaka. Tie is probably named after resembling the shape, according to Bakushi Sin.

floor work

床技 yukawaza, „bed technique“, floor work

寝技 newaza, “pinning technique”, lying down technique, from 寝 ne meaning lay or sleep, and 技 waza meaning technique, art, or task; caressing rope floor work

達磨 daruma picture, popularized by 京夜 Kyoya (*1956)

imo mushi shibari, asymmetrical tie where the model is bound with the arms behind the back and the ankle of one leg is tied to the thigh of the other leg. The ankle of the other leg is (often) pulled behind the back and tied to the hands.

桃縛り momo shibari, “peach tie”, rope bottom kneeling, arms drawn between legs and wrists bound to ankles. 桃 momo, means “peach” and generally refers to the buttocks.

自愛縛り Jiai shibari, “self-love tie”, tie in self-hugging position picture

片手首 katate kubi, Single wrist binding, single column

両手首 ryōte kubi, Both wrists binding, double column

手錠 tejō, Handcuff binding

連行手錠 renkō tejō, Prisoner handcuff binding

前方高手 zenpō takate, High Hands on Front Tie

前手肘縛り maete hiji shibari (also: enchou ude mae te shibari, mae te shibari, mae te nawa shibari, maete gasshō shibari), “forward reaching tie”, Arms bound in front

前手肘縛り enchou ude mae te hiji shibari, Hand and elbow bound in front.

直立不動一本縛り chokuritsu fudō ippon shibari, Upright standing binding

胡座縛り agura shibari, Cross-legged binding

海老責め ebi zeme, also: 繰り kuri, Shrimp binding

逆さ海老縛り sakasa ebi shibari (also: gyaku-ebi shibari), Reverse shrimp binding, similar to Western hogtie

開脚縛り kaikyaku kani shibari (open leg shibari), crab claw, frog tie, spread-legged. Wrist and arm are tied to ankle and thigh of the respective spread legs, then the legs are further spread by tying the legs to anchor points.

立ち吊り縛り tachi tsuri shibari, Standing partial suspension

片足上げ吊り縛り kata-ashi age tsuri shibari, One foot lifted partial suspension

両足合体一文字縛り ryōashi gattai ichimonji shibari, Legs bound together

太腿/太もも/ふともも futomomo, “thigh” (sometimes mistakenly translated as “fat leg”), binding the calf to the thigh

吊り zuri (sometimes spelled tsuri), “hanging”, suspensions rope work

吊り落とす tsuri-otosu, “hanging-drop”, suspension drops, which consist in letting the model drop like a stone from a tsuri to within a few inches off the ground.

逆さ吊り sakasa-zuri, inverted suspension

横吊り yokozuri, Sideway Suspension, often using 3-rope Osada-ryu takatekote

仰向け吊り aomuke-zuri, Face-up Suspension

se haimenzuri (背面?)

俯せ吊り utsubuse-zuri, lying face down suspension

海老吊り ebi-zuri, “shrimp suspension”, suspension in ebi tie

逆海老吊り gyaku-ebi-zuri (also: 逆さ海老吊り sakasa-ebi-zuri), “Reverse-Shrimp Suspension” Face-down suspension, aka Japanese hogtie suspension,

狸吊り tanuki tsuri, Tanuki is a raccoon like animal indigenous to Japan. This tie is to tie up the subject by wrists and then ankles in a face up bent at the position as taught by Mai Randi.

両足吊り ryo-ashi zuri, refers to being suspended face down using a chest harness (ushiro takatekote), and supports at the hips, ankles and sometimes thighs.

両足逆さ吊り ryo-ashi sakasa-zuri, suspension with ropes at both ankles

片足逆さ吊り kata-ashi sakasa-zuri, suspension with one ankle bound

太腿吊り futomomo-zuri, suspension on futomomo tie (calf to upper thigh)

Ｍ字開脚吊り縛り M ji kaikyaku zuri shibari, Hanging letter M, open leg binding

鉄砲吊り teppo-zuri, “firearm suspension”, resembling 飛脚 hikyaku/ runner’s pose

飛脚吊り hikyaku zuri, runner/ delivery man suspension. Model is suspended from TK with one leg up. The other leg is then lifted by the ankle, bend by the knee, hanging down

兎吊り usagi-zuri, “bunny suspension”, having both elbows raised above the head, resembling a bunny, variant of teppo-zuri

橋型吊り hashigata zuri, suspension shaped like a Japanese Bridge

santen tsuri, rope suspension from the takatekote position with the subject’s legs bound up underneath the torso as if she were sitting in a chair.

竹吊り takezuri, “bamboo suspension”, suspension of a person while utilizing bamboo (both functional or decorative)

body parts

腰縄 koshi-nawa, hip rope

胴縄 do-nawa, waist rope

真珠 shinju, “pearl”, breast bondage (also 乳房縛り chibusa/nyuubō shibari

股縄 mata nawa, crotch rope tie, wiki JP

髪縛り kami shibari, hair bondage

天岩戸縄縛り iwato-nawa shibari, spreading the legs to expose genitals (name after the mystical hiding place Iwato of sun goddess Amaterasu)

肛門晒し縛り kōmon sarashi shibari, “exposing the anus (of a criminal)” (exposing a criminal= 晒し sarashi), a Japanese Bondage form invented and taught by Randa Mai. Which binds the subject kneeling in such a way as to spread the ass cheeks, exposing the anus.

specials

体 / からだ karada, “body”, rope harness, body harness, rope dress (Western term), Japanese term is 亀甲縛り kikkō shibari

小鳥 kotori, “little bird”, generic term referring to any body harness basic to a rope suspension. The origin of the use of this term in Japanse Bondage is unknown.

梯子縛り hashigo shibari, “ladder tie”, commonly known as the flute tie

菱縄 hishi-nawa “water-chestnut rope” (also: “Water caltrop”, hishigata or hishi nawa shibari), diamond shaped shibari

菱後手 hishi gote, TK with diamond shape

捕縄菱 hojō hishi, combinding hojōjutsu and hishi techniques

亀甲 kikkō (also: hon kikkō), “turtle”, hexagonal shaped shibari picture. hon kikkō: “This form has been popularized by Japanese Rope Master Sikou Sima. Sikou Sima at one time was a serious disciple of Ito and followed the work of Reiko Kita and Nureki very closely. This tie is of the older, more traditional, hojojutsu inspired, kikkou pattern, as done by Nureki many years ago and picked up by Sima.”, “Manga artists began to frequently draw the diamond pattern Kikkou for illustrations in cartoons, magazines and books with more frequency than the older hexagonal shape. The younger nawashi (like Mai Randa) began to teach this tie and call it a Kikkou in instructional videos and books. The two uses of the word Kikkou probably started sometime in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s. Up until then people like that sensei of sensei’s, Nureki, were usually differentiating between the Kikkou (hexagonal) and Hishi (Diamond) patterned ties. This makes sense since BOTH patterns probably stem for much earlier hojoutso designs which Nureki (and others) researched carefully. Mai Randa (for one) began teaching the diamond (hishi) shaped tie and clearly calling it a Kikkou Shibari fairly early in the 90’s in one of his earliest vids and also in his first (and best) ‘how-to” book (published by Tsukasa) late in the 90’s. This corresponds nicely w/the upsurge of manga illustrations in vids, books, etc.in the 80’s and 90’s.” Master K, via glossary by @Tatu

セルフボンデージ serufu-bondeji, “self-bondage”, also: 簡易自縛 kan’i jibaku, simple self-bondage

自縛方法 jibaku-houhou, self-bondage methods

浴衣縛り yukata shibari, bondage with the bottom wearing a light summer kimono (yukata)

襷縛り tasuki shibari (literally the cord to tuck up kimono sleeves), the shoulder or „bra wraps“ of a box tie/TK. Could also mean some elderly technique to use the actual kimono cord to swiftly tie up someone?

棒縛り bo shibari, “pole bondage”, arms of rope bottom are tied to a pole (vertical pole bondage is called Hashira Shibari)

柱後ろ抱き縛り hashira ushirodaki shibari, Vertical pole bondage

椅子 ??? isu-jyo kohai, chair bondage

ブランコ buranko (also: 鞦韆 buranko) , rope bottom used as a swing, often used is 逆海老吊り gyaku-ebi-zuri, “Reverse-Shrimp Suspension” (risky due to lower back injury)

石抱 ishidaki (also: 算盤責 sorobanzeme), kneeling position with weights placed on their lap

philosophical matters

心 kokoro, the heart

形 katachi, the form

技術 gijutsu, technique

一期一会 ichi-go, ichi-e, one time, one meeting, each moment only once, see @Tatus writing comparing way of tea/ way of rope

和 wa, 敬 kei, 清 sei, 寂 jaku, Harmony, Respect, Purity, Tranquility.

門外不出 mongai fushutsu, “seldom lending or showing something precious because one values it”, also a book by 小妻要 Ozuma Kaname (1939-2011)

model にあって model ni atte, ties are done “because the person being tied is here” (by Yukimura)

kuzushi, allowing the rope to find it’s own line in an unconventional and freestyle manner

ki harimasu, flow of 気 ki engery through the rope (direction towards rope bottom)

気持ち kimochi the (good) feeling, Eros (opp. of 痛い itai)

捌く sabaku, effortless flow of rope (term used for chefs who expertly and efficiently cut fish).

減り張り / めりはり merihari, opposite of boring or monotonous, rhythm or tempo of rope top

裏技 urawaza, hidden techniques, either because because they are hidden from the audience behind the model, or because the ties are done too speedy to observe, “life hacks”

Nine Gates of Osada-ryu that deal with some of the most important concepts like Ma-ai (間合い), Sabaku (捌く), Urawaza (裏技), Ki (気), Kankyū (緩急), Muganawa (無我縄). On top of these are all those things that can’t be written down and will be passed on verbally as kuden (口伝).

信頼 shinrai, trust, see @Zetsus writing, compare お任せ omakase (“I’ll leave it up to you”) vs. consent

互いの合意 tagai no gōi “mutual agreement”, consent

“the erotic beauty of the moment in which the bound person accepts her dishevelment and stops affecting pride, thus becoming even more beautiful in her suffering”, concept by 伊藤晴雨 Itō Seiu (1882-1961)

縄艶 nawatsuya, “rope lust” tie me up tonight

縛りましょう shibari mashou Let’s tie!

責め縄 seme nawa (also: zeme), rope bondage torture

責め縄 seme nawa, “blaming rope”, bondage geared towards torture

舌責め shita zeme, “tongue torture”, shibari involving the tongue

蝋燭責め rōsoku seme, “candle torture”, shibari involving candles/ wax play

蝋燭天狗 rōsoku tengu, inserting candle into pussy. A Tengu is a traditional folklore demon, half man, half bird-of-prey, often with a long nose.

羞恥縄 shūchi nawa, humiliating rope, SM kinbaku psychological shaming rope

言葉責め kotoba zeme oral humilation

放置 houchi/ hōchi, leaving the rope bottom to either enjoy or suffer the bondage predicament

self-less bondage

無我縄 muganawa, “shedding all of your thoughts, all of your desires […] Your goal is not to satisfy your own cravings, your lust, but rather to reach a state of heightened awareness which allows you to discern and compute the subtle messages and signals emanating from that passive being now submitting before you.” related to Akechi Denki 明智伝鬼

無駄縄 mudanawa, rope used merely for aesthetic purposes

飾り縄 kazarinawa, decorative/ decoration rope (without sexual or sadomasochism), Macramé Bondage, tucking away excess rope decoratively

縄化粧 nawa keshō, a trendy modern word coined by Randa Mai, to refer to applying rope like a cosmetic art, made up of two Japanese words: nawa=rope and kesho=makeup.

carassing rope work

愛撫の縄 aibu no nawa, also 愛撫縄 aibu nawa, erotic thought, caressing /intimate/loving rope (concept by 雪村春樹 Yukimura Haruki)

奉仕縄 hōshinawa, erotic service rope

官能縄 kan’nō nawa, sensual/carnal/erotic rope. Term by Nureki Chimuo in the 1980s (VHS production).

縛りたい shibaritai, A Rope Artist expressing the love of tying, specifically directed at a nawa jujun (rope submissive) or m-jo (rope model)

protagonists

縛師 bakushi, Kinbaku masters

縄師 nawashi, “rope maker”, rope master/artist. “According to the research of Master “K”, [雪村春樹 Yukimura Haruki] believes that the best guess for the origin of ‘nawashi’ is that [喜多玲子 Kita Reiko (1920-1992), AKA Minomura Kou] coined it in Kitan Club in the 50’s.”

ビギナー biginaa, beginner, newbie

弟子 deshi, student

後輩 kōhei, “later colleague”, somebody started later than you

先輩 senpai, “earlier colleague”, somebody started earlier than you

女王様 jo-osama (also: ドミナ domina Domina), Professional dominatrixes

素人女王様 shiroto jo-osama, “apprentice dominatix”, female rope workers (often in bars and nightclubs, show-workers)

女主人 onna shujin (also: ミストレス misutoresu), Mistress

フェムドム femudomu, FemDom

トップ toppu, top

ボトム botomu, bottom

加虐嗜好者 kagyaku shikō-sha (also: サディスト sadisuto), Sadist

被虐嗜好者 higyaku shikō-sha (also: マゾヒスト mazohisuto), Masochist

支配者 shihai-sha, Dominant (person)

従順 jūjun “obedient or obedient one”, submissive

M女 m-jo, “masochist female”, generic term for submissive (female)

M男 m-o, “masochist male”, generic term for submissive (male)

主人 shujin, Master

奴隷 dorei, slave

女囚 joshū / josyū, female prisoner

dorei no jotai, condition of being a slave

せたサドマゾキズムsadomazokizumu, Sadomasochism

SMプレイ esuemupurei, SM play

(性的) ロールプレイ (seiteki) rōrupurei (sexual) roleplay

school system

級 kyu, grades

学校 gakko, school

長田流緊縛道場X, Osada Ryū Kinbaku Dōjō X, name of certified schools teaching in Osada style, for example X= ベルリン Berlin, school system developed by 長田スティーブ Osada Steve, his teacher was 長田英吉 Osada Eikchi

雪長縛り道会 Yukinaga Shibari Do-Kai, school system developed by 雪長マックス Yukimura Max (Copenhagen, Oslo and Barcelona), combining 雪村春樹 Yukimura Haruki and 長田スティーブ Osada Steve styles.

Dōjō entry ceremony and farewell

Eldest student (sempai) or instructor/teacher (sensei) leads

Kneeling position:

„正座 seiza“

Sensei/Sempai kneels first, then students

Sensei/Sempai turning to dōjō-banner (err: NOT 掛け物 kakemono, but kakejiku?)

Meditation:

„黙想 (もくそう) mokusō“

(closing the eyes)

End of meditation:

„黙想やめ mokusō yame“

(open eyes)