What is Shibari?

Is there a difference between shibari and bondage? What is shibari exactly? Miss Vixie Nyx is here to answer!

8/4/20262 min read

When you think of shibari, you probably get the idea of beautiful rope patterns, intricate knotwork, and beautiful photographs. Shibari has become increasingly popular inside and out of the kink community because of these aesthetics. Despite what social media may suggest, shibari is not just pretty photos and tying someone up.

The Japanese word shibari (縛り) literally means "to tie" or "to bind." In the BDSM community, shibari refers to the more traditional Japanese rope bondage, or a more western-infused artistic or sensual type of tying. You might also hear the term "kinbaku" which is roughly translated to "tight binding." Kinbaku is typically used in the west when referring to tighter or more painful ties, and shibari is used for the broader terms of the rope art itself. These days, most people just use the term "shibari" when talking about any form of Japanese-inspired rope bondage.

If you ask any one person why they learned and practice shibari, they will all give you a different answer. None of them are wrong. The rope itself is a form of communication and self-expression. Some people find it a meditative practice. Others love the aesthetic. Some love to see how challenging it is. And, I remember one instructor stating it just made his dick hard.

I will mention that shibari does not have to be sexual. I have done countless platonic suspensions and shibari scenes. It can be part of a D/s dynamic. It can be very sexy and get two partners going like crazy. It can be all of those. Again, none of those are wrong answers.

While shibari can be rewarding, fun, explorative, challenging, and connective, it is edge play. It's risky. It can be dangerous. You should not try to go above your skill level in shibari. You should absolutely never try to suspend a person without learning the basics first, practicing them, and learning about proper and safe suspension. You also need to understand some basic anatomy, circulation, nerve safety, and how to handle an emergency. This is why taking several 101 classes are paramount before you ever put rope on a person.

If you have a local space teaching shibari, go to the classes. If you do not, I highly recommend shibari study.