What is Shibari Rope Bondage?
Shibari is the general Japanese term for rope tying and has had a large variety of practical and decorative functions throughout Japan’s history, in Shinto spiritual offerings, Sumo wrestling, and traditional kimono. However the more accurate term for erotic Japanese rope bondage is actually Kinbaku. The practice is part sculpture, part performance, and part pas de deux, and has become a big part of the kink community in the western world. It has a strong focus on the aesthetic of the rope but encompasses a connective, sensual, sexual experience for both the rope top (the person doing the tying) and the rope bottom (the person being tied).

A Brief History...
Rope bondage, a sexual element first started in Japan in the late Edo period (about 1600s to 1860s). Seiu Ito is often recognised as the "father of Kinbaku" and credited with its inception however it really only became more widely popular in Japan in the 1950's. There was an emergence of naked bondage photographs in a number of different magazines which then led to the rise of live erotic rope bondage shows performed by a number of notable rope masters of the time. Of course that soon spread from Japan to western cultures where the combination of restraints and eroticism were quickly adopted by the BDSM community. Over the years Shibari and Kinbaku have had a huge influence on the rope BDSM community. Not only producing classic artists in these styles but also leading a huge variety of fusion styles all of which tend to have their roots in the original Japanese craft.

Performance or a Kink?
The answer is both. For some people it is a performance art, something they love to go and watch and admire. They are purely spectators if you like but for others it is kink that they like to actually do. Of course there is crossover between these two camps as many of the people who like to watch it also like to experience it and vice versa. There are many people for whom the performance aspect of rope bondage is not a thing. For them the experience of tying or being tied is an intricate and private part of their sexual kink relationship. It is not something they perform for others, but again there is cross over here too. Whatever aspect of it you are drawn to or enjoy that is completely up to you.

How Can I Learn it?
There are lots of opportunities for you to learn Shibari bondage. If you do a search on the internet for Shibari classes or Kinbaku classes you will find that there are lots of them all over the place. Clearly if you live near a bigger city or town then you are likely to have more choices when it comes to such a thing. However many local BDSM communities also run various types of rope classes often called Peer Rope as they are community led groups where people learn together. These are also great places to go if you are interested in being a rope bottom (the person being tied) as well as being a rope top (the person doing the tying as both roles are welcomed within those kind of classes and of course maybe you might meet someone who you can enjoy sharing your rope kink with outside of such events.

If attending a class is not your thing, or maybe you live too far away from any of them, then do not despair as there are tons of researches on line to help you hone your rope bondage skills. On Youtube there are many guide videos that will definitely cover the basic ties and there are also a few notable books on the subject that would definitely be worth investing in such as "Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes", or "The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage."

What Rope?
There is a huge amount of rope available to buy including hemp, jute, silk and synthetic rope however the latter are considered to not be very good for Shibari because they are too 'slippery'. Shibari rope bondage involves a lot of wrapping and twisting of the rope and so the best rope is the natural fibre rope like hemp and jute which has more friction and will grip against itself better, also natural fibre rope is far less likely to cause any kind of rope burn on the skin. Natural fibre rope can be purchased unprepared or prepared. Quite a lot of work goes into preparing rope so to start off with it is recommended that you purchase rope that has been already prepared.