The Japanese art of Shibari is now commonplace within the Kink scene- but how did this ancient form of bondage find itself in contemporary BDSM practice? Independent escort Destiny Hatton, unspools this complex history, exploring how Shibari, touch and communication are all tied to one another.

Rough, raw jute rope against bare human skin, each tweak and tug imprints on soft flesh. The familiar, agile and flexible body appears bound and controlled, suspended in time and held captive. 

The Japanese art of Shibari dates back to the Hojōjutsu method of restraint and torture, used to punish enemy prisoners in the 1600s during the Edo period. Even this method had an emphasis on aesthetics, differentiating between guilty and accused prisoners – the latter would be tied in a way that spared the victim public humiliation. 

The historic relevance of rope in Japan, especially in a punitive context, may explain its role in practices of contemporary kink and BDSM. In the 19th century Hojōjutsu evolved into Kinbaku. Kinbaku is a kinky ritualistic performance of knot tying applied between rigger and model in front of an audience, often with a clear narrative and climax. Modern Shibari practice was popularised in the 1920s around the time of publication of a set of photographs taken by Seiu Ito, in which he portrayed tied up women. In the following years, bondage clubs opened in Tokyo. The key difference between the two contemporary practices exists in the use of the terminology; Kinbaku is definitively sexual, while Shibari refers to the artful act of binding and tying.

Shibari is the practice of rope bondage and erotic macramé. It uses knot tying, the intricate looping of cords, the creation of technical structures and the administering of pressure and release. This process is rhythmic and the outcome beautiful. The formation of a stiff temporary textile exposes the fragility of the human body. The model must entrust the rigger with full responsibility: together they weave an artwork. Fundamental to the process is connection, and therefore, communication. Touch itself functions as an exchange. 

Perhaps we can say that the practice becomes Kinbaku when the participants are entangled in a relational experience, one that has been agreed to be kinky from the outset of the performance or practice. Compared to Western bondage, which is more geared towards the outcome of helplessness on the part of the model, the technique focuses on the unspoken dialogue between giver and receiver. When the rigger receives resistance from the model, they act according to the contract, teasing the model into further submission or adjusting the tension. While we play with power and dominance, we also experiment with vulnerability and weakness, and with the ability to drive a continuous cycle of silent communication, conceptually reversing the roles of model and rigger. 

Interested in exploring Shibari further? Get in touch with Kinky London Escort’s Desiny Hatton‘s to unravel those desires…