I have a great love of shibari. The idea of elaborate rope ties to secure a submissive in place while I do other things to them is very exciting to me. I spend a lot of time practising my arts and going to workshops to learn new things. There is so much to learn – types of rope, different ties, safety aspects and so on. A good shibari practitioner is always learning.

Shibari is an eastern art of rope bondage. It originated in the practise of Hojo Jitsu, a means of restraining captives for torture, and more recently morphed into a method of erotic restraint, which is sometimes called Kinbaku because Kinbaku-bi literally means ‘the beauty of tight binding’. The goal is to not only restrain but to do so in a way that creates beauty – using the position of the submissive, the shape of the knots and the arrangement of the rope to create elaborate patterns. The common ties and harnesses are all designed to create this beauty and in modern shibari we use rope of different colours and textures to create both visual and sensual effects. The visuals can be beautifully symmetrical or chaotically messy and the sensations can range from restrictive to painful. It is a very versatile artform.

For me it is the ability to use something so soft and flexible as rope to create such tight and inescapable restraint that appeals to me, I love the irony there. I can have a submissive so very helpless using just one length of rope. In many cases, while I carry out my ties, the submissive becomes very passive and relaxed – the process creates a warm, sub space feeling in them. This means I can focus on the patterns I am making and it becomes almost a form of meditation for both of us.

If you would like to experience shibari for yourself, you can contact me to make a booking and we can discuss how I can restrain you in a beautiful way.