Shibari & Rope Bondage Glossary: A Beginner-Friendly Guide

New to rope? You've probably heard a few words that sound like a secret language. The good news: you don't need to know them all to get started. This guide is here whenever you want a clearer explanation, whether you're coming to your first class or chatting at a rope jam.

We use inclusive, beginner-friendly language at That Rope Place in Singapore. Some rope terms have different meanings between teachers, countries or traditions; when that's the case, we'll say so rather than insist there's only one right answer.

A quick safety note: this glossary explains terminology, not how to tie or suspend someone. Rope has real physical and emotional risks. Training, preparation, communication and attention to the person in rope matter far more than memorising vocabulary.

Your rope glossary

Jump to the section you're curious about: starting terms; people and roles; handling and knots; harnesses and shapes; suspension and rigging; materials; safety; consent; intentions; and Japanese vocabulary.

Start here: the language of rope

These are the words you are most likely to hear when someone first introduces you to shibari or a rope event.

Rope bondage — An umbrella term for using rope to restrain, position, connect, decorate or suspend someone. It includes many traditions and approaches, not just Japanese-style rope.

Shibari — A Japanese word linked to “tying” or “binding”. Outside Japan, people often use it to describe Japanese-influenced rope bondage. It can be playful, artistic, intimate or technically focused.

Kinbaku — Literally “tight binding”. Often used for Japanese erotic rope bondage, particularly when emotional connection or intensity is central. Some people distinguish kinbaku from shibari; others use the words interchangeably.

Kinbaku-bi — The idea of beauty in tight binding: the way rope, bodies, emotion and expression come together.

Western rope bondage — A broad name for rope practices associated with European and North American traditions, often including practical restraint, hogties and tying to furniture or posts. Styles overlap and influence one another.

Hojōjutsu / Torinawajutsu — Historical Japanese systems for restraining prisoners with rope. They are often discussed when exploring shibari history, but are not the same as modern erotic rope.

Floorwork / Newaza / Yuka shibari — Rope practised with the body supported by the floor or another stable surface. Floorwork can be gentle or demanding; it is not automatically simple or low-risk.

Rope jam / Jam — A community gathering where people practise, explore and socialise. It is not automatically a class or dating event, and attending never entitles anyone to tie with someone else.

Scene — A period of intentional rope interaction or play. A scene might be quiet, intense, playful or experimental.

Nawa-kai (縄会) — Literally a rope gathering. In Japanese contexts, this may describe a gathering or demonstration rather than the open practice format of a rope jam.

Nawa yoi (縄酔い) — Sometimes translated as “rope drunk”: a floaty, absorbed or altered feeling during or after rope.

Nawatsuya (縄艶) — Sometimes translated as “rope lust”: a strong desire or longing to experience being tied.

People and roles

Rope roles tell you who is doing what in a particular interaction. They do not tell you someone's gender, sexuality, relationship dynamic or experience level.

Rope top / Top / Rigger — The person doing the tying or leading the rope activity. “Rigger” is common community language, while “rope top” is often a more neutral description.

Rope bottom / Bottom — The person being tied. Being a bottom does not automatically mean being submissive.

Bunny / Rope bunny — An informal term some people use for the person being tied. Not everyone likes it, so follow each person's preference rather than assuming.

Rope model / Model — Someone being tied for a lesson, demonstration, photography session or performance. It describes the context rather than a permanent identity.

Self-tier — Someone who ties rope on their own body. Self-tying can be creative and rewarding, but has different practical and safety considerations.

Shibarite (縛り手) — Japanese for “the person doing the tying”, broadly similar to rope top.

Nawashi (縄師) — A Japanese term that can suggest a skilled rope practitioner or teacher. It may imply experience or recognition beyond simply knowing how to tie.

Kinbakushi (緊縛師) / Bakushi (縛師) — Terms for a practitioner or teacher of kinbaku. These may carry meaning about expertise or lineage, and should not be applied casually to everyone who ties.

Sensei (先生) — Teacher or mentor. It can carry an expectation of recognised experience and an ongoing teaching relationship.

Seito (生徒) — A pupil or student in a teaching relationship.

Deshi (弟子) — An apprentice or disciple, usually with a deeper commitment to a teacher or school than a casual learner.

Ryū (流) — A school, teaching lineage or recognised style. That Rope Place does not follow a designated Japanese Ryu, rather we learned from different schools and sources, developing our own style.

Rope handling, knots and foundations

You don't need to memorise all these before a beginner class. They're here to make demonstrations and conversations easier to follow.

Bight — The loop made when a length of rope is folded back on itself. You will often hear this when starting a tie. “Bite” is a common misspelling.

Working end — The part of the rope you are actively using to build a tie.

Rope ends / Tails — The loose ends of the rope. “Tails” is casual community shorthand.

Wrap — Rope going around a body part, an object or another part of the tie. How it sits affects pressure and comfort.

Stem — A length of rope leading away from a wrapped area to connect it with another part of the structure.

Dressing — Tidying and arranging a tie so the rope sits where intended, rather than twisting or bunching unexpectedly.

Tension — How much pull is held in the rope. Good tension is not the same thing as simply making rope tight.

Collapse — When a rope structure loses its intended shape or spacing, potentially changing where pressure lands.

Friction — A place where rope crosses or contacts rope to help control direction, movement or tension.

Lock — A technique intended to keep rope from shifting or transferring tension unexpectedly.

Cinch — Rope passed between wraps or body parts to separate or stabilise part of a tie. A cinch can also concentrate pressure.

Kannuki (閂) — A Japanese term often used for a cinch or cross-connection that holds wraps in position. Usage varies by school.

X friction / Battendome — A crossing that makes an X-shaped friction, helping redirect or secure rope.

Half hitch / Hito musubi — A simple hitch around another rope or structure, sometimes used to secure a section.

Munter hitch / Nodome — A friction that helps redirect rope while controlling tension. “Nodome” is commonly compared to a Munter hitch, though naming varies. It has a distinctive T shape.

Lark's head / Cow hitch / Hibari musubi — A hitch made using a folded loop of rope. You may hear different names for related forms.

Reverse tension — A way of continuing a tie by turning the rope back around an existing structure while keeping tension controlled.

Forward tension — Continuing the rope in its direction of travel while a hitch or friction helps manage tension.

Full stop — A deliberate point where tension is secured before a new direction or section begins.

Single-column tie — A foundational structure around one body part or object, such as a wrist, ankle or post.

Double-column tie — A tie that links two body parts or objects while keeping them as separate columns.

Harnesses, body positions and decorative patterns

The name of a harness describes its general shape, not a promise that it is safe to load or suspend. Different schools can use different versions of the same name.

Harness — A larger rope structure built around the body. Some are decorative, some restrict movement, and some are designed for loading; they are not interchangeable.

Chest harness — A rope structure around the chest or torso, sometimes including the arms.

Arms-free / Hands-free chest harness — An upper-body harness that leaves the arms free to move.

TK / Takate kote / Gote / Box tie — A family of upper-body ties with the arms positioned behind the back. Construction differs between teachers and can place substantial demands on shoulders and nerves. The name literally means 'hands behind the back tie' and there are a variety of different constructions.

One-rope / Two-rope / Three-rope TK — Ways to describe TK variations by how many ropes are used. Rope count alone says nothing about suspension suitability.

No-hands TK / Arms-free TK — A studio description for TK-inspired upper-body structures that leave the arms free; not one universally agreed pattern.

Strappado / Armbinder — A family of arms-behind-the-back positions, often with the arms extended and the shoulders in an externally rotated position, or lifted rather than folded into a traditional TK.

Tengu — A name used for some upper-body restraints where bent arms are brought toward the shoulders or sides. Exact positioning varies. Tengu refers to a Japanese demon which this tie is said to resemble.

Futomomo — A thigh-based tie, usually with the lower leg folded toward the thigh. There are many variations.

Hip harness — A structure around the hips or pelvis. Its purpose depends on the particular construction.

Waist harness — A structure around the waist or lower torso; not necessarily interchangeable with a hip harness.

Leg harness — A general name for a structured tie around one or both legs.

Agura — A cross-legged seated position or a tie built around that shape.

Hogtie — A floor-based position connecting the arms or upper-body tie to the legs behind the body.

Three-rope harness — A harness made from three lengths of rope. The name tells you the rope count, not the design or intended use.

Hishi shibari (菱縛り) — Rope patterns creating diamonds across the body.

Kikkō shibari (亀甲縛り) — A hexagonal or tortoiseshell-style pattern, different from diamond-shaped hishi.

M-ji shibari (M字縛り) — A shape where the bent, spread legs form an M-like outline.

Jiai shibari (自愛縛り) — An arms-front tie with the arms often crossed over the chest, like a self-embrace.

Usagi shibari (兎縛り) — A “bunny tie”, usually positioning the arms or wrists behind the head or neck.

Ushirote gasshō shibari (後ろ手合掌縛り) — A reverse-prayer position with the hands together behind the back.

Jouwan gote / Ninoude shibari — An upper-arm restraint behind the back that does not necessarily use chest wraps.

Hashira shibari (柱縛り) — Rope using a pillar or vertical post as part of the structure.

Isu shibari (椅子縛り) — Rope involving a chair as a restraint or support.

Bō shibari (棒縛り) — Rope that incorporates a pole or bar.

Kemono shibari (獣縛り) — A captured-animal-inspired bondage shape involving the hands and feet.

Gyaku ebi shibari (逆海老縛り) — A pronounced arched-back or “reverse shrimp” shape. This can be especially physically demanding.

Suspension and rigging

Suspension has additional risks and requires appropriate skills, equipment, communication and emergency planning. Knowing a term is not training to attempt it.

Suspension — Rope that transfers some or all of someone's body weight into an appropriate rigging system.

Partial suspension / Semi-suspension — Some weight is carried by rope, while part of the body still rests on the floor or another surface. This can still involve significant loading.

Full suspension — The person's entire body is off the supporting surface, with weight held by the rope system.

Static suspension — A suspension designed mainly to hold a particular position, with comparatively little movement.

Dynamic suspension — A suspension involving deliberate transitions, turning, tilting or changing positions. “Dynamic” does not just mean fast.

Transition — Moving from one rope position or load arrangement to another.

Inversion — A position where the body is upside down or the hips are above the head.

Load — The force carried by the body, rope, harness, rigging and anchor. Even low-to-the-ground rope can carry substantial load.

Load-bearing — Describes components designed and assessed to support meaningful body weight.

Suspension line / Upline / Tsuri nawa — A rope running from the body or harness to the supporting rigging system.

Attachment point — A specially made place on the harness where a suspension line is intended to connect. Not every rope crossing is suitable.

Suspension point / Hard point / Shiten — The structural anchor from which the suspension system is supported.

Soft point — A load-bearing fabric loop or sling between the structural anchor and other rigging components.

Bamboo — An overhead bamboo pole sometimes used as a suspension or rigging element.

Ring / Suspension ring — A metal ring used to gather or organise suspension lines.

Carabiner — A metal connector. Suspension requires appropriately rated equipment, not a decorative or accessory clip.

Quick release — A system intended to make a part of the rigging faster to release when needed; it does not replace a safe lowering plan.

Aomuke zuri (仰向け吊り) — A face-up suspension.

Utsubuse zuri (うつ伏せ吊り) — A face-down suspension.

Yokozuri (横吊り) — A side-facing suspension.

Sakasa zuri (逆さ吊り) — An upside-down or inverted suspension.

Kata ashi zuri (片足吊り) — A suspension or partial suspension involving one loaded leg.

Ryō ashi zuri (両足吊り) — A suspension involving both legs.

Hikyaku zuri (飛脚吊り) — A vertical shape with one leg forward and the other behind, sometimes called a postman or running-man suspension.

Santen zuri (三点吊り) — A three-point suspension, often referring to an upper-body harness plus two leg lines; specific setups vary.

Rope materials and care

How rope feels and behaves depends on its fibres, construction, condition and how it is maintained.

Asanawa (麻縄) — Natural-fibre rope; the Japanese word “asa” can refer to several bast fibres, not only jute.

Aranawa (荒縄) — Coarse rope, historically often associated with rice-straw rope.

Watanawa (綿縄) — Cotton rope.

Lay — How tightly a rope's strands are twisted together, which changes its feel and handling.

High stranding — When one strand sits higher than the others, sometimes indicating wear, twisting or uneven construction.

Whipping — Thread wrapped around the end of a rope to help stop it fraying.

Safety language worth knowing

Safety conversations matter in all kinds of rope, including floorwork. Changes in sensation or movement deserve attention, not endurance for its own sake.

Compression — Pressure from rope on the body. Where it presses, how hard and for how long all matter.

Circulation — Blood flow. Changes in skin colour, swelling or temperature may be relevant, but normal-looking circulation does not rule out nerve injury.

Nerve compression — Pressure on a nerve that can cause tingling, numbness, burning, weakness or difficulty moving.

Numbness — Reduced or missing sensation. New numbness during rope is a reason to stop and reassess, rather than simply push through.

Tingling — Pins-and-needles or electrical sensations that may indicate nerve irritation or pressure.

Rope marks / Nawa-ato (縄跡) — Impressions or colour changes left on the skin. Marks alone cannot tell you whether a tie was safe or whether injury occurred.

Wrist drop / Radial nerve palsy — Weakness or inability to lift the wrist or fingers due to radial nerve dysfunction. New weakness or movement changes require prompt attention.

Spotter — Someone assisting with observation and safety while another person ties, particularly for demanding setups.

Fall risk — The chance of an uncontrolled fall. This also matters for standing ties and partial suspension.

Emergency lowering / Descent — The planned process for bringing someone down to support if a suspended scene must stop. This needs thought before suspending, not only when something goes wrong.

Consent, communication and care

At That Rope Place, communication isn't a formality before the interesting part. It is part of the practice itself.

Negotiation — A conversation about what you both want, what is off-limits, what risks matter and how you will communicate during the session.

Consent — An informed, freely given and ongoing agreement. It can be changed or withdrawn at any point, including midway through a tie.

Boundaries — The conditions or limits each person sets around touch, positions, intensity, emotions, photography or anything else that matters.

Check-in — A question, gesture or other moment of communication to see how someone is doing physically and emotionally.

Safeword — A pre-agreed word or signal that means pause, change something or stop. Everyone still needs to pay attention even when no safeword is used.

Opt-in consent — Asking for a clear yes before introducing an activity. This is especially helpful when you're still discovering your preferences.

Opt-out consent — Agreeing on a broader activity in advance and communicating when something needs to change. It still requires ongoing consent and freedom to stop.

Aftercare — What helps people settle after rope, such as water, warmth, a conversation, quiet time, food, closeness or space.

Vetting — Taking time to learn about a potential rope partner, their communication and their reputation. It may help you make choices, but cannot guarantee safety.

What kind of rope experience are you looking for?

An intention is what you hope a session might feel like or explore. You can combine intentions, change them, or discover that you enjoy something unexpected.

Labbing / Practice — Rope focused on learning, repeating techniques, testing ideas or exchanging detailed feedback.

Play — Rope focused on the shared experience rather than mastering a technique. It might be fun, quiet, sensual, challenging or emotional.

Sensual — Rope that emphasises touch, closeness and body awareness. Sensual does not automatically mean sexual.

Emotional / Connection-focused — Rope where trust, vulnerability, shared attention or emotional exchange matters more than a particular shape.

Pleasure — Rope centred on sensations or feelings participants enjoy, such as touch, pressure, containment or relaxation.

Pain-focused — Rope where challenging sensations are intentionally and specifically agreed on. Not all intense rope involves pain.

Semenawa / Suffering-focused — A named approach, associated especially with Naka Akira, where negotiated struggle, endurance or suffering are central. It is more specific than simply painful rope.

Aibunawa / Caressing — An approach associated with Yukimura Haruki that emphasises teasing restraint, touch and emotional exchange, sometimes with a feeling of freedom within the tie.

Dominance and submission / Power exchange — Rope used to explore negotiated control or surrender. The person tying is not automatically the dominant partner.

Primal — Play that emphasises instinct or physical energy; it can include agreed-on chasing, struggling or capture.

Predicament — Rope arranged around a dilemma, where changing position may trade one challenge for another.

Restriction / Immobilisation — Rope focused on the experience of limited movement. That might feel calming, intense or playful depending on the person.

Capture / Takedown — Negotiated play involving pursuit, resistance or being overpowered. Physical limits should be discussed explicitly.

Athletic / Physically active — Rope where balance, strength, movement, endurance or active participation are central.

Meditative / Grounding — Rope approached through stillness, breath, rhythm or inward attention.

Calm / Nurturing — Rope intended to feel supportive, reassuring or contained.

Playful / Curious — Rope built around experimentation, surprise, laughter or improvisation.

Aesthetic / Artistic — Rope where shape, line, symmetry, photography or creative expression take centre stage.

Performance — Rope created with an audience or camera in mind. Performing should never take priority over the people in the rope.

Dynamic / Movement-focused — Rope involving rotation, balance, transitions or changing shapes as the focus of the experience.

Technical / Focused — A session centred on precise rope handling or improving a specific skill, while still potentially being emotionally immersive.

Challenging / Intense — Rope intended to explore demanding physical or emotional experiences. Intense does not necessarily mean painful.

Humiliation / Exposure — Negotiated rope in which embarrassment, vulnerability or being seen forms part of the experience.

Cathartic — Rope approached as a possible space for emotional release. Strong feelings are unpredictable and should never be promised as an outcome.

Ceremonial / Ritual — Rope with deliberate rhythms, symbols or a clear beginning and ending.

Extra Japanese words you might hear

Japanese terms are not perfectly standardised across teachers and communities. These are useful translations rather than a single definitive vocabulary.

Nawa (縄) — Rope.

Nawagashira (縄頭) — The bight or folded “head” of the rope.

Nawajiri (縄尻) — The working end or tail of the rope.

Amari nawa (余り縄) — Rope left over after building the main tie.

Tsuginawa (継縄) — A rope that has been joined to or extended with another.

Sabaki (捌き) — Skill or dexterity in handling rope smoothly and deliberately.

Musubi (結び) — Tying, fastening or a knot.

Musubime (結び目) — A knot or a tied structure.

Hon musubi (本結び) — A square knot, also called a reef knot.

Futa musubi (ふた結び) — Two half hitches.

Tome (留め) — A stop, lock or fastening, often used in rope to control tension.

Tomenawa (留め縄) — Rope or a structure used to secure or isolate a section of a tie.

Uranodome (裏の留め) — A reverse nodome, often compared to a reverse Munter friction.

Wadome (輪留め) — An inverted Munter-style friction; terminology differs between teachers.

Hakodome (はこ止め) — A box-style or half-moon friction, with construction varying between schools.

Tome musubi (留め結び) — A friction-based fastening, sometimes used as another name for nodome.

Jizai musubi (自在結び) — An adjustable taut-line hitch.

Otoko musubi (男結) — A traditional Japanese fence knot used with bamboo.

Geka musubi (外科結び) — A surgeon's knot.

Yoko musubi (横結び) — A granny knot.

Teko musubi (てこ結び) — A marlinspike-style hitch around a bar or similar object.

Tsukamaki (柄巻) — Tight decorative wrapping around another rope or stem, often used to manage excess rope.

Tsuri (吊り) — Suspension or hanging.

Shikominawa (仕込み縄) — Rope used to prepare an anchor or rigging point.

Ichinawa / Ippon nawa — An improvised one-rope style that develops through the interaction rather than a fixed harness.

Muga nawa — An approach sometimes described as “selfless rope”, responding to the partner rather than forcing a predetermined plan.

Shūchi nawa — Rope with negotiated shame, exposure or embarrassment as a central intention.

Kazari nawa — Decorative rope, chosen mainly for visual effect.

Mitsunawa — Dense or heavily layered rope.

Neokinbaku — A contemporary approach to kinbaku that may bring in modern performance, materials or imagery.

You don't have to know every word to belong here

If you're curious about rope, that's enough reason to begin learning. You can come to a beginner-friendly class, ask questions, practise communication and discover what kind of rope interests you. You don't need a partner or a particular look, identity or experience level to start exploring at That Rope Place.

Explore our beginner classes and community events at www.thatropeplace.com.