Shibari Terms and useful language.

Shibari is a Japanese art, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the most common Shibari terms and useful language. Shibari means tight binding, and it is a practice that requires many different ties. Every Shibari practitioner will be applying different ties during a Shibari scene. Most of the names of the ties include the description on them, but I will list the most common ties with a short definition, as well as some specific terms you will use when learning or practising Shibari.

Chest Harness – A Series of single columns wraps around the chest cavity, typically above and below the breasts.
Single Column Tie – A tie around a single column of the body. it can include multiple body parts, but treating them as a single column without separating them.
Double Column tie – A tie around two columns of the body where the columns are separated by the rope in some way.
Takate Kote (TK) – “High Hands” A classic foundational form of Shibari. There are many variations of it.
Gote Shibari or Box Tie – Common tie that forms the basis of a lot of Kinbaku, both in floor work and suspension with many variations.
Bight – A turn or “u” shape in the rope, most commonly at the middle of a length of rope.
End – The termination of the rope.
Lock – A knot that will not shift to cause compression under tension. It is used to maintain structure.
Standing End – The part of the rope that is not active in knot tying.
Working End /Running End – the part of the rope that is active in knot tying.
Wrap or Pass – A turn of the rope around a column.
Collapse or Capsize – When a knot changes its form under stress
Marlin Spike – Tool used for rope work, useful for untying knots that have tightened under tension.

Now you know some Shibari terms and useful language.

Image: Let’s Kinky

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