SHIBARI
Shibari, more correctly known as Kinbaku is an ancient Japanese artistic form of rope bondage that has many styles and uses. It is related in style to other traditional Japanese arts such as Ikebana, Sumi-e (black ink painting) and Chanoyu (the tea ceremony). Among the many uses of Shibari are dynamic living sculpture, shared meditative practice, deep relaxation for flexibility of
mind and body, expression of power exchange, and intimate erotic restraint.
mind and body, expression of power exchange, and intimate erotic restraint.
In Shibari (the action of tying someone up) the Nawashi(rope artist) creates almost geometric patterns and shapes that contrast wonderfully with the female body's natural curves and recesses. Visually, the tight ropes and their texture provide a counterpoint to smooth skin and curves. The hard edges of the rope reinforce the softness of the body's graceful shape: the model is like a canvas, and the rope is paint and brush. This contrast is even emphasized by the use of Junoesque models, whose generous curves are squeezed by the ropes to create more pronounced shapes and shadows.
From antiquity to today, religious ceremonies in Japan involve ropes and ties to symbolize connections among people and the divine, as well as to delineate sacred spaces and times.
The origin of Shibari comes from
Hojo-jutsu, the martial art of restraining captives. In Japan from 1400 to
1700, while the local police and Samurai used Hojo-jutsu as a form of
imprisonment and torture, the honor of these ancient Samurai warriors required
them to treat their prisoners well. So, they used different techniques to tie
their prisoners, showing the honor and status of their captured prisoner.used
different techniques to tie their prisoners, showing the honor and status of
their captured prisoner.
In the late 1800′s and early 1900′s
a new form of erotic Hojo-justu evolved, called Kinbaku, the art of erotic
bondage. Today, particularly in the west, the art of erotic bondage is
typically called Shibari, which is an art of erotic spirituality, not a martial
art.Shibari style rigging creates
geometric patterns and shapes with rope that contrast beautifully with the
human body’s natural curves. The ropes and their texture provide contrast to
smooth skin and curves. In Shibari, the model is the canvas, the rope is the
paint and brush, and the rigger is the rope artist.
The aesthetic arrangement of ropes
and knots on the model’s body in Shibari rigging emphasizes characteristics
like sensuality, vulnerability, and also strength. The positioning of knots in
appropriate places stimulates pressure points on the body, very similarly to
acupuncture techniques and Shiatsu, a form of Japanese massage. Some believe a
Shibari experience also stimulates Ki energy flow and transfer.
In addition to creating beautiful
patterns, with rope, body and limb placements, Shibari rigging induces physiological
conditions known as “sub space” and “top space”, which are similar to the
“runners high” experienced by athletes. A Shibari experience results in an
increased level of endorphins and other hormones, creating a trance-like
experience for the bottom/model and an adrenaline rush for the Top/rigger. When
a Shibari scene is performed with appropriate ambience, these effects are
actually visible in the face of the model. The term “rope drunk” is sometimes
affectionately used to describe the euphoric condition of the model after a
Shibari experience.
For most practitioners of Shibari, the use of rope bondage does not include an unwilling victim like the “Damsels in Distress” images popular in Detective type magazines. Instead, there is a collaboration between the Shibari artist (the rigger/Top) and the Shibari canvas (the model/bottom) to create a combination of effects including visual beauty, power exchange, helplessness, relaxation, and sub space and top space physiological experiences.
Contemporary practitioners of
Shibari enjoy creating beautiful still images, live and recorded performance
art. Shibari can also be used as a component in BDSM play and an enhancement in sexual activities.
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