Where – and how – to buy rope?
You would not believe the places people go to, to buy bondage rope and the stories they come up with in an effort to try and hide their true motives. Believe us, the more complicated your “story”, the more likely it is the shop assistant will know exactly what you are actually going to use it for. One word of advice, simply tell the shop assistant you are going to use it for “erotic purposes” or educate yourself prior to your shopping trip and simply ask for “x length of y please”.

Not everyone has a specialist rope maker or rope shop around the corner and your nearest hardware store probably does not have the type and quality of rope you are looking for. Your best bets are outdoor/hiking shops or a boat shop. You may want to check the yellow pages for local rope dealers. Don’t invest in cheap, usually nylon-based, rope from hardware stores. These ropes stretch, are painful, of poor quality and may cause excessive rope burn. Since you are going to use ropes on the body of your loved one, please do invest in quality!

I have seen sites where traditional bondage rope is being offered and my local sex boutique sells bondage ropes. why not go there?
The quality of natural rope largely depends on shipping and storage conditions. Natural rope may easily dry out or attract moist. Both will seriously harm the ropes. When buying natural rope it is better to go to a shop that regularly sells rope in reasonable quantities, hence the “shelf life” of the rope is as short as possible. Besides, dedicated shops usually have better storage facilities. On top of that, almost all “bondage rope”, offered on the Internet, is outrageously expensive.

And that is true for sex shops as well. Rope, sold at sex shops, is usually cotton and sold at prices five to ten times above normal market price. Yes they sell nice black ropes and other fancy colors. You can quite easily dye your own ropes in your washing machine using textile dye and that too is a lot cheaper. An indication: natural or synthetic quality rope normally retails at prices between $ 0.75 and 1.50 per yard/meter, depending on quality and type.

When setting out to buy rope look for quality, rather than fancy colors. You can order black rope from any outdoor shop, since almost all rope manufacturers produce this for military purposes. However, black rope is more expensive. Next, when buying rope do NOT let the shop cut your ropes to size. Instead buy the entire length you need PLUS ten percent. Most ropes will shrink five to ten percent when washing it for the first time. After purchase, wash the rope first and only after that, trim it to size.

Is what i get to see on pictures actually japanese bondage?
Most of what you get to see on the Internet, in videos and in print has little to do with Shibari. These are Shibari-inspired pornographic scenes and a vast majority of these are trick shots (they should not be copied, since this may be dangerous).

Why is there so little information about japanese bondage?
Shibari knowledge was largely lost when, in the 18th and 19th century, Japan turned more western-oriented. Modern Nawashi spend a lot of time rebuilding the knowledge. Techniques are largely taught verbally and learning the art to the level of a Nawashi takes many years, an investment not many Western people are prepared to make. Besides, there is the language barrier. Japanese is not easy to translate and impossible to translate without explaining Japanese culture, philosophy and mind set. If there is any Shibari documentation available at all, most of that is laid down in 17th century and earlier documents in Japanese, that is hard to understand even to contemporary Japanese people.

Are there any unsafe shibari techniques?
When applied without sufficient understanding any technique is unsafe. Most “on body” or “on the floor” bondages can be performed without major risks, provided, one has mastered the techniques. Misuse of pressure points and a variety of other serious risks come into play when trying to perform (semi)suspensions without adequate knowledge, understanding, insight and training. For all Japanese bondage activity the safety rules for extreme sports apply. People should be relatively healthy and fit, psychologically stable, risk aware and not suffering from diseases, such as breathing and heart/vascular system related illnesses, bone, joint, muscle or ligament injuries.

Why does the recipient have to train as well?
Bondages very quickly lead to unfamiliar, often uncomfortable and sometimes painful positions. In order to be able to fully enjoy and explore the release of Ki energy, it is at the very least helpful if one is able to relax the body, even when under stress. Shibari has many meditation and spiritual aspects and in order to fully explore and use these, it is helpful if the body is physically fit and able to relax. Yoga lessons or training are actually a must, because it creates “length” in the muscles. Fitness is counterproductive, since this actually “shortens” the muscles. Shibari has its own set of exercises (borrowed from Shiatsu) known as Makko-Ho.

Is it, or is it not, a martial art?
A martial (fighting/warrior) art solely serves martial (fighting) purposes. Shibari is an art of erotic spirituality and NOT a fighting art, even though it has (some) roots that can be traced down to very ancient martial arts (Bushi Do – the way of the warrior – the godfather of all Japanese martial arts) and Hojo Jitsu (arresting and tieing prisoners). While the cultural aspects of these martial arts should be acknowledged and respected and some of the Shibari techniques could very well serve fighting purposes, Shibari as such is not a martial art. One however will do well, for example, to adopt the traditions of honor and respect (the code of ethics) that come with any martial art. Shibari itself has many different roots: from martial art to the theater, from Zen to oriental medicine abd eroticism.

The above article is a reprint from our information/educational site Kink Culture.
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