Hojojutsu

Kinbaku or shibari is an erotic art from Japan that started with hojojutsu. This is the traditional martial art from this country which has its principles in rope restraint. The term hojojutsu means the “art of seizing with help of a rope.” Law enforcement and samurais used it in the Edo era (from 1602 to 1868). In particular, the samurai dominated this technique, whose main purpose was to capture criminals and confine them in such a way that they would not be able to resist or run away.

Hojojutsu: a Cruel Origin

Hojojustu became much crueller as time went by. Experts developed techniques to tie and inflict pain to others as a form of torture. They did so during the Period of Tokugawa, who was one of the most important figures in the history of Japan.

At this stage, hojojutsu divided into two categories. Firstly, there was the capturing and detaining prisoner with a rope called hayanawa. The second category required several honnawa for restraining dangerous prisoners. In addition, these served to transport them to their execution, generally in groups of four people. In both categories, a deep understanding of human anatomy was necessary. Specifically, law enforcers and samurais needed to learn the capabilities of each joint.

Even if not with the same undertones, hojojutsu has survived in Japan and in the rest of the world. Many martial art masters continue teaching this art in its country of origin.

This Martial Art Today

Today hojojutsu is studied by police in Japan and some other countries. Regardless, metallic handcuffs now supply honnawa. In Japan, officers can employ rope, in addition to handcuffs, as long as they are skilled in hojojutusu.

Hojojutsu: Conclusions

Although shibari started with hojojutsu, which, as you can see, is an ancient technique, it only implements the techniques. That is to say, shibari is based on the art of tying ropes in order to provoke a sensual reaction. In short, hojojutsu differs from shibari because the search to immobilize is not necessary. Although the latter restrains mobility, it is careful to avoid infringing permanent damages.