Semantics
We want to clarify some of the semantics involved in talking about rope and tying the body. So first, some definition of terms for our approach.
Form: The “category” of tie, related to the position or shape the body makes when tied. For example: folded leg; crossed leg; arms in front; etc.
Harness: The name of a particular way of using rope to tie or hold the body in a certain form. For example: double-column folded-leg tie; spiral futomomo; fisherman’s harness; Kana’s takatekote, etc. Sometimes also called “pattern.”
Our primary goal is to help you think first in terms of “form” and second in terms of potential “harnesses” that you may use to achieve that form. Or, to consider free-form ways of using the rope to achieve the same form (with appropriate consideration for placement, tension, and control).
One reason for this is that, by thinking of form first, you are more likely to focus on and work to understand the “why” behind the rope (particularly in terms of placement, tension, and control) rather simply “memorizing a pattern” without truly understanding it.
Another reason is to remind you that you are “tying your partner, not the rope.” You are trying to achieve a particular shape or position (or experience) using rope, and there are multiple ways you could do that, and each of those ways will offer different trade-offs in the balance among risk, efficiency, aesthetics, and intent. In other words, there is no “one true way” to achieve a form, just different pros and cons of various approaches.
Our primary goal is to help you to begin to understand that balance and provide the skills for constructing ties in a more balanced approach through “tying well” in partnership.
Two Related Notes
Beware Pattern Addiction
While we do want you to recognize there are many ways to achieve the same goal in rope (each with different pros and cons), we also want to warn you against “pattern addiction” or becoming obsessed with “collecting” as many different patterns as you can.
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee
There is a definite benefit to being able to choose from a few different patterns as a starting point to best adapt your rope to the specific person you are tying. But there’s also a definite benefit in spending focused time on a handful of patterns to really understand the intricacies and specifics of each one … to really “master” a few. In that process, you will be gaining insights and skills that can be applied to other patterns as well … or even to free-form tying.
Pattern collection can also be a way to boost egos and encourage competition: “How many patterns do you know?” or “You haven’t heard of pattern X before!?” are stupid ways to compare skill. We’re never impressed by how many patterns someone claims to know or can reproduce: we are impressed with their ability to tie their partner(s) well.
On the Use of Japanese Terms
The type of rope bondage we study is informed by and traces its lineage to Japanese-style rope bondage, often referred to as shibari or kinbaku, and therefore, we want to honor and respect that lineage (see A Brief History of Rope Bondage).
However, it’s important for us to recognize that we are not Japanese, and the cultural context and history that informs this style of rope does not belong to us. In addition, we freely incorporate concepts and approaches to rope bondage that may be informed by other traditions and styles, and we do not claim any “purity” in our approach. This is one reason we typically say “rope bondage” instead of “shibari” and why we formed “Rope Study” instead of “Shibari Study” or other similar terms.
That said, we don’t want to deny the lineage and history of much of the things we teach. So, where Japanese terms are commonly used in the rope world, we want to be sure to mention those terms so that you are properly informed and aware of that usage.
We do think it’s also important to note here that the majority of rope teachers who are Japanese find the obsession with specific Japanese terms for ties to be a bit weird, particularly given that the translation for most of those terms typically refer to a position of the body or literally describe one part of the body being tied to another.
For example, consider the “futomomo” … or “futo” as many often refer to it in shorthand. The “full” term used for this tie is: 足首 太もも 縛り (ashikubi futomomo shibari) … which literally translates to “tying the ankle to the thigh.” In our classes, we refer to this as the “folded leg tie” … which describes the form of the body that results from the tie. In both cases, the terms are simply descriptive and mundane, and there’s no “magical secret” behind either of them.