Shibari ....by Tatu

"Shibari, also referred to as Nawa Shibari, literally in japanese means "to bind". The word shibari is a verb derived from the Japanese word "shibaru" which means "to bind". The word shibaru refers to the textile industry and the weaving of cloth.

Shibari is a Japanese style of using a natural fiber rope or "nawa" for erotic bondage purposes. Using rope for erotic bondage in Japan is first seen in the late 1800's and was known as "Kinbaku-bi" which literally means "beautiful bindings"

Generally, "Shibari" is understood to be a rope binding that is:

1) Based on the historic "hojojutsu" martial arts forms.

2) Tied with "asanawa" which is a natural fiber rope.

3) Beautiful to look at.

Note about rope length: The hon-nawa (main rope) came in lengths of 13, 11, 9, 7, and 5 fathoms. The hayanawa (fast rope for initial restraint) was 2 and a half fathoms which is 15 feet. A fathom was 2 yards or 6 feet.

In the latter half of the 20th century as the art of shibari developed as an erotic performance art form, the typical length became about 7-8 meters which is about 23 to 26 feet.

History

Ancient Law Enforcement in Japan

The first uses of rope in recorded Japanese History indicate that rope was used in Law Enforcement during the Heian Period under a system of where any citizen could make an arrest. By decaring, "go-yo!" one declared "you are under arrest". The suspect was then to be taken to a neighborhood guardhouse. One of the practices under this sysem was for criminals to be tied with rope and paraded through neighborhoods in order to point out other criminals. The Heian period (Japanese: 平安時代, Heian-jidai) is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. ...

Hojo-jutsu & Torture

During the Edo Period (1603-1867) in Japanese history, the use of rope among the Samurai class as method torture as well for prisoner retraint and transportation came to use for law enforcement puposes. The use of rope in Torture was in order to elicit a confession.Bakufu (officials within the Japanese government) as well as by individuals. There were two "machi-bugyo" in Edo (old Tokyo) which over oversaw law enforcement. The constabulary were the low rankin Samurai. The Edo period (Japanese: 江戸時代, Edo-jidai), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1867. ...

According to the translation work of Dr. Richard Cleaver, there were 4 approved methods or levels of torture. Three of whese approved methods involved the use of rope.

(1) Flogging. The suspect who was kneeling was bound by rope around his upper arms and two assistants on either side would hold him in place by pulling these ropes tight. He was then whiped by a "shimoto" (flogger) or "muchi" (scourge). The shimoto was a flogging type device the scourge was to beat the detainee bloody on the upper back and shoulders and have sand rubbed in to stop the flow of blood. The beating would go on in new spots on the body.

Long rods were used on convicted criminals upon the shoulders as he was tied to the ground face down in a spread eagle positon.

(2) Pressing. literally means "embracing the stones." This second level of torture was done with the criminal in a kneeling position. Ancient drawings show the prisoner kneeling on what appears to be a corregated surface. He was tied with his arms behind his back and large stones were place on his thighs.

(3) The Prawn. If the first two methods failed to gain a confession the prisoner would be subject to the "Prawn". He would be tied around his upper body with his hands behind his back. He would be seated and his legs tied in a cross-legged positon. A rope would be placed around his forearms which were tied behind his back and then brought over the shoulders down to his legs. His chest would be forced down to the legs and tied in that positon. Hence he was bent over for hours in this prawn position. Sometimes floggings would be added while in this position.

His shades of skin would be monitored from red to purple to pale blue, at which point he was about to reach death and he would be released just prior to that point. The subsequent pain lasted for days. Sometimes the suspect would be put into a wooden box as a variation.

(4) Suspension. The final method of torture was done be tying the criminals arms behind his back with rope and and then suspended. Sometimes it was by arms alone, sometimes in a reverse spread eagel. Sometimes heave stones were placed on the back or shoulders. Another variation was to be suspended by the ankles upside down or by the wrists alone. Sometimes flogging was added.

Warning to the readers of these methods. Do not attempt to duplicate them as serious or permanent injury can result or even death.

Hojo-justu

Hojojutsu on the other hand was the Japanese martial art of using a rope (torinawa) to capture, restrain and transport suspects and criminals in Japan during the Middle Ages and Early Modern periods; practiced by the Torimono, but there was nothing sensuous about it.

Because bondage was considered a shameful practice, the legal captor used no knots thus out of respect allowed the person arrested no shame. According to Dr. Richard Clever's translations of law enforcement manuals from the Edo Period in 1998, there were four rules of hojojutsu:

1. Not to allow the prisoner to slip his bonds. 2. Not to cause any physical or mental injury. 3. Not to allow others to see the techniques. 4. To make the result beautiful to look at.

Kinbaku / Shibari

When the Edo Period came to a close in the1880's the practice of hojojutsu was outlawed along with the Samurai class. Many of the drawings and writings about Hojojutsu were destroyed and lost to time. Some survived.

It was also at this time however that we begin to see the use of rope as an erotic art form in UKIYO-E wood block printing known as Pictures of the Floating World. One form of this art which depicted explicit sexual act was known as "shunga". Art depicting erotic rope was first known as "Kinbaku-bi" which literally means "beautiful bindings".

UKIYO-E: The Pictures of the Floating World

There is an entire artistic genre' that exploded during the Tokugawa period (1615-1868) known as Ukiyo-e produced with a technique of wood block printing. This was the 250 year period when the Tokugawa shoguns ruled and Edo became the center of power. This was a time when Japan was extremely isolated from the rest of the world and the artistic side to culture exploded dominated with teahouses, geisha, kabuki theatre & courtesans. Many of these pictures were seen in advertisements, or posters about a new play, or a teahouse. Some of the images seen were most likely popular actors or famous geisha of their time.

Originally, this was an art for the common people, the lower classes. The word itself first refered to the simple or lowly life. Later it came to mean something like "a transitory life of pleasure". It was this art form that gave rise to the first erotic images of Japanese Rope, the Japanese Style of tattoo and Shunga.

They were customized pictures, hand drawn on screens and scrolls. Woodblock printing goes back to the Heian Period (794-1192) another time in Japanese history marked by unprecedented peace under the rule of the Heian dynasty. Culture flourished.

Shunga

Within UKIYO-E for the past few hundred years images of explicit sexual art surfaced in Japan, generally known as "Shunga". Images of sex acts both heterosexual and homosexual featuring prominent genitalia were popularized. These explicit acts also included masturbation, orgies, etc.

Also within the wook block or floating world art was where the first images of Japanese Rope surfaced as an erotic form which was referred to as Kinbaku-bi. One early disturbing image was by the famous artist Yoshitoshi (Sept 1885) entitled "The Lonely House on Adachi moor in Michinoku Province".

It is based upon the Japanese legend of the "hag of Adachi moor", who drank the blood of unborn children. In this image a pregnant woman is suspended by her ankles and gagged while the old hag sits below.

Ito Seiu (1882-1961)

Early Kinbaku Artist and Master, Ito Sieu replicated this image using his own pregnant wife in photo images in the early 20th century.

Shibari

By the 1950's the practice of tying up women for erotic purposes in the Japanese porn business.became known as "shibari".

NOTE: (This article is a work in progress 5/11/06 and is to be continued. Pictures will be submitted)

This article authored by Tatu. Placed here by Tatu and used by permission. == NOTE: If you are looking for the Russian pop duo click here: t. ...