This page is general education. It does not replace advice from a doctor, therapist, counseling service or lawyer who knows your situation.
What Shibari is
Shibari (from the Japanese verb shibaru, to tie) describes a style of rope bondage influenced by Japanese practice. Its roots are usually traced to hojojutsu, the restraint techniques of Japanese law enforcement in the Edo period, and to the erotic art and theater of the early 20th century, where the painter Seiu Ito is often named as a key figure. Many people also use the word Kinbaku, which puts more weight on the emotional and erotic connection than on the look of the ties.
Today Shibari is practiced around the world, for intimacy, sensation, power exchange, meditation, performance or photography. The person who ties is called the rigger, the person in the rope is the rope bottom or model. People of any gender can take either role, and some tie themselves (self-tying).
Floorwork
Ties made while the bottom sits, kneels or lies down. All learning starts here, and most rope never leaves the floor.
Partial suspension
Some body weight is taken by rope while a foot, knee or hip stays on the ground. Already an advanced practice.
Full suspension
The whole body is held off the ground by rope. The highest-risk form of rope bondage, for trained riggers only.
Self-tying
Tying your own body, for example for practice, art or self-portraits. The same safety rules apply, including shears within reach.
Rope is a craft
Good ties depend on tension, placement and reading the person in the rope. Books and videos help, but in-person teaching from experienced riggers gives the feedback you cannot get on your own. Look for workshops and rope meetups in your area.
Before the first tie
Rope limits movement and can press on nerves and blood vessels, so the conversation beforehand matters as much as the knots.
Talk about this every time
- Which body areas may be tied and which are off limits.
- Old injuries, joint problems, hypermobility, nerve or circulation conditions, diabetes, pregnancy and medication such as blood thinners.
- Feelings about being restrained, including panic or claustrophobia.
- A safeword and a nonverbal signal that still works when the hands are tied, such as a sound or stamping a foot.
- How long the scene lasts, what aftercare looks like and whether photos are allowed.
Never
- Tie someone who is drunk, high or very tired.
- Put rope around the neck.
- Leave a person in rope alone, not even for a moment.
Rope materials compared
Rope for Shibari is usually about 6mm (1/4 inch) thick and comes in lengths of about 7 to 8.5m (23 to 28 feet). The fiber decides how the rope feels, how knots hold and whether it can ever be part of a suspension.
Jute
- Feel and handling
- Light and grippy, holds knots well and stretches little. Feels rough at first and becomes softer with use. The classic Shibari rope.
- Care
- Needs conditioning (singeing loose fibers, oiling, waxing). Does not tolerate much moisture and wears out over time.
- Suspension
- Yes, as bondage-grade rope in good condition, used by a trained rigger.
Hemp
- Feel and handling
- Heavier and more durable than jute, softer after conditioning, slightly less grip.
- Care
- Conditioned like jute; becomes softer with use.
- Suspension
- Yes, as bondage-grade rope in good condition, used by a trained rigger.
Cotton
- Feel and handling
- Soft, cheap and skin-friendly; a good first rope for floorwork.
- Care
- Machine washable.
- Suspension
- No. Cotton stretches and compresses under load, and loaded knots pull tight and become hard to undo.
MFP (multifilament polypropylene)
- Feel and handling
- Light, smooth, colorful and inexpensive. Slippery, so knots can slide.
- Care
- Washable and water resistant.
- Suspension
- No. It slips under load and melts at low temperatures, so friction can damage it.
Nylon
- Feel and handling
- Very strong but stretchy and slippery; knots can loosen or slide.
- Care
- Washable.
- Suspension
- No for body ties in suspension. Stretch and slip make the load unpredictable, and fast-running rope causes friction burns.
Hardware-store or decorative rope
- Feel and handling
- Unknown fiber, unknown strength, often treated with chemicals.
- Care
- Varies.
- Suspension
- No, never. Rope without a known origin has no place in a suspension.
Cotton, MFP and nylon are fine for floorwork, as long as you watch for knots that cinch and for friction burns.
Suspension: the highest-risk part of rope
In a suspension the rope carries body weight. Every movement adds force, rope presses harder on the body and the person cannot get out on their own.
Suspension is for trained riggers
Learn floorwork thoroughly first. Learn suspension only with in-person instruction, step by step, starting with partial suspension. Never copy a suspension from a photo or video.
Nerve damage
Rope can compress nerves that run close to the surface: the radial nerve on the upper arm (the hand can no longer lift at the wrist), the ulnar nerve near the elbow, nerves at the wrist and the peroneal nerve below the knee (foot drop). Damage can last weeks or months, sometimes for good.
Circulation loss
Tight wraps, ties that slip and cinch and long positions can cut off blood flow. Watch for cold, pale, bluish or swollen hands and feet. Lying folded or with the chest under load can also make breathing harder.
Falls
A hard point, piece of hardware, rope or knot can fail, a tie can slip or a rigger can lose control. A fall from even a small height can injure the head, neck or spine, because the person in rope cannot catch themselves.
Fainting
Pain, heat, standing tied for long, inverted positions or an empty stomach can make a person faint. In suspension, fainting means a sudden dead weight in the rope and needs a fast, controlled release.
Stop and release at once if you notice
- Numbness, tingling or pins and needles.
- Sharp, shooting or electric pain.
- Weak grip or a hand that cannot lift at the wrist.
- Cold, pale or bluish skin, or swelling.
- Dizziness, nausea, sweating, confusion or trouble breathing.
- Panic, or a person who stops answering clearly.
Check during every tie
- Ask regularly how everything feels, and expect a clear answer.
- Check the hands: squeeze your fingers, spread the fingers, lift the hand at the wrist.
- Look at skin color and feel temperature.
- Keep time: shorter is safer, especially in suspension.
After the rope comes off
Numbness or weakness that does not pass after untying needs a doctor, and it helps to say how it happened. Call 112 straight away after a fall with a head injury, loss of consciousness or trouble breathing.
Which ropes can hold a suspension
Only some ropes can be part of a suspension, and even the right rope is only one link in a chain where every part must hold.
Can be used for suspension
Bondage-grade jute or hemp, about 6mm (1/4 inch), from rope makers who sell it for suspension. Conditioned, inspected before every use and retired at the first sign of damage: fraying, broken fibers, soft or flat spots, discoloration or a musty smell.
Never use for suspension
Cotton, MFP, nylon, decorative cord, clothesline, hardware-store rope of unknown fiber and any rope that is damaged, very old or of unknown history.
The rest of the system has to hold too
- A hard point installed and rated for people, never a light fixture, ceiling fan, pipe, curtain rail or door frame.
- Rings and carabiners rated for life loads, inspected before every use.
- Dynamic loads: movement and drops multiply forces far beyond body weight.
- A clear area without sharp edges below, and a second person as spotter when you are learning.
Safety shears: not optional
Before rope touches skin, safety shears must be within arm's reach. This applies to every tie, floorwork and self-tying included.
No shears, no rope
Safety shears (EMT or trauma shears) have a blunt, rounded tip and angled blades. They cut rope and clothing right next to the skin without stabbing. Keep them within arm's reach before the first wrap, every single time.
Why shears and not untying
- Knots under load can jam and take far too long to undo.
- Nerve compression, fainting, panic or a slipping tie can turn into an emergency within seconds.
- Shears cut through rope in a moment, and the rounded lower blade glides along the skin.
Be ready
- Test on an old piece of your own rope that your shears cut it cleanly; thick jute needs good shears.
- Keep them in the same place every session, for example on your belt, in a pocket or hanging at the hard point.
- Keep a second pair nearby during suspensions.
- Cut away from the body with the blunt blade toward the skin, and cut the rope that is under tension.
- Accept that rope gets cut. A rope can be replaced; nerves cannot.
Not a substitute
- Kitchen knives, pocket knives or pointed household scissors: slow and dangerous next to skin.
- Shears stored in another room or at the bottom of a bag.
Cutting someone down
Cutting the line that carries a person drops them. In a suspension, take the weight first or bring a foot to the ground, then cut in an order that lowers the person safely. Practice this emergency release with your partner before you ever need it.
Also within reach
- A phone to call 112.
- Water, a blanket and a first aid kit.
- Good light, so you can see skin color and knots.
Learning well and aftercare
A safe path into rope
- Start with soft rope and simple floor ties such as a single column tie, with room for two fingers under the rope.
- Learn where the nerves at risk run and how to check them.
- Practice knots that do not cinch when loaded.
- Find in-person teaching before any kind of suspension.
- Take turns being tied, so you know how rope feels from both sides.
Afterwards, give the person who was tied water, warmth and time. Rope marks usually fade within hours. Bruises, marks that stay for days, or numbness and weakness that do not pass are a reason to see a doctor. Talk about what felt good and what did not, and plan a check-in a day or two later, since some people feel low after an intense scene.
Sources and further reading
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