The Art and Eroticism of Shibari Rope Binding

The Art and Eroticism of Shibari Rope Binding

 

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Several years ago yer boy Hank here was rehearsing for a one-day short play I was set to appear in. It was one of those one-day events called Blitz where you showed up in the morning to find out what ten-minute show you were to be in, which was only written the night before. You rehearse all day and you're in front of an audience that night to be in a play that didn't exist the day before. What does this have to do with shibari, the Japanese-derived art of rope bondage? Well, I got very nervous and anxiety-ridden that afternoon and needed a way to calm down. And that's where the ropes came in.

You see, my director was my good friend who I knew was somewhat into rope bondage for herself, as a bound, and as a binding, artist. She had performed with ropes live in a burlesque show and when I expressed my anxiety to her, she had an idea. "I have my rope in the car if you want me to bind you." Now, I knew that rope bondage, known formally as Kinbaku-bi (緊縛美): "the beauty of tight binding" or shibari which simply means "binding" or "tying" could have a calming effect that wasn't erotic in nature. Think of it as a different form of a weighted blanket on yourself or a pet to ease anxiety.

 

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So right there in our little rehearsal area in the theater lobby, she spent several minutes wrapping me in an intricate display of red nylon rope that crisscrossed my body. It was a calming moment of trust, of giving up power and ego to a person I love and admire (we've been friends for over 20 years), and wow, did it do the trick. I was instantly transported to a different headspace. Relaxed, breathing steady, heart rate lowered, and I just sat in that space for a while until I told her I was good to go. We finished rehearsal and had a great show!

Shibari is nothing new, as its contemporary equivalent derives from the centuries-old military practice of Hojōjutsu (the art of binding a prisoner of war). It was in the 17th century or so that bondage as a sexual element started coming into practice in Japan. Japanese erotica and porn loves to see small-framed women in vulnerable situations, so seeing it in their kink porn is a given. In the gay male realm, it's moved from a niche kink performed by leather masters and subs to a more playful act between versatile partners looking for some kinky spice.

A tutorial video by a Japanese rope master. (Click the pic to follow the link.)

As with all things kink, "Safe, Sane and Consensual" is the key element if you're thinking about exploring shibari. You can't just go out and grab some rope out of your garage and attempt a full-body hang. There are ways to tightly bind someone without cutting into the skin or cutting off circulation, which can be quite harmful if not outright deadly. It's about restraining, not harming. With love!

 

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What's fascinating about shibari is how it can convey the fantasy of rough, sadistic action while being completely safe, as long as the participants are trained in proper binding protocol and procedure. As seen in the short video below, they highlight rope bondage into a fantasy "real world" scenario for maximum masculine effect. It also highlights the difference between typical female submissive bondage (the use of a whimpering sub)  and that of two men, where there's more of a power dynamic that gets tapped into. Instead of pounding, insertive sex, the power is wrested through an overpowering between two relative equals in strength and virility. Some grunting and effective performative swagger and submissiveness and you have a hawt fantasy to jerk to!

Click the pic to follow the link.

Need a bit more shibari tutorial? Here's one...in English this time. (Click the pic to follow the link.)

https://youtu.be/11_dLJebuqo?si=dWCtIOam8sinExfB

So explore your own shibari fantasies, but please, have knowledge about what you're doing, and trust in who you're doing it with!

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