Common Knots & Frictions for Rope Bondage
Rope bondage generally consists of knots, frictions, and patterns.
- Knot: A deliberate entanglement of rope used to secure, terminate, or connect parts of a tie. In bondage, their purpose is to fasten the rope so it won't slip, secure the end of a tie, create decorative accents, or enable a quick release.
- Friction: A technique where the rope is wrapped around itself or another part of the tie to create tension and hold - without a knot. Frictions are used to lock rope in place without bulky knots, add structure and strength to ties, and minimize pressure points.
- Pattern: Patterns refer to the visual and structural layout of rope on the body. They include the shapes, symmetry, and design created through knots, wraps, and frictions. Patterns are used for aesthetics, and to distribute tension and pressure.
Many knots for rope bondage come from sailing, climbing, and survivalism. Knots have different purposes: slipping knots, binding knots, and stable knots. In rope bondage, you will likely use stable knots for on the body, and slipping or binding knots to tie to objects. This is due to safety concerns for cutting off circulation and/or damaging the body with too much pressure.
Common Bondage Knots & Frictions
Bowline
A common self-binding knot that is fairly easy to undo without tension.
Somerville Bowline
A knot popularized as a non-collapsing single-column tie by @Topologist, the creator of crash-restraint.com. The term was coined in 2008 in Somerville, Massachusetts.
The name emerged during a debate among some North American rope bondage practitioners about which knots were best suited for non-collapsing single-column ties. At the time, many ties relied on a square knot (reef knot), but some practitioners were advocating for alternatives such as the French bowline or the reverse Portuguese bowline. The “Somerville bowline” was introduced in that context as another candidate for this purpose.
Despite its name—chosen partly as a joke—the Somerville bowline is not actually a true bowline. A traditional bowline passes through a loop twice in opposite directions, whereas the Somerville bowline passes through the loop twice in the same direction.
In Japanese rope bondage communities, the knot is known as maru musubi (丸結び).
Within a few years of being named, the Somerville bowline spread widely through international rope bondage communities and is now commonly used as a reliable non-collapsing knot for securing single-column ties.
Clove Hitch
A binding collapsing hitch used to secure a rope to an object, often for loading parallel to a bamboo.
Cow hitch
A basic knot used to attach rope to a fixed object or another rope at a perpendicular angle. It’s especially useful when the working end needs to reverse direction while remaining securely anchored to the object or rope. Also known as lark’s head or girth hitch.
Figure 8 Knot
A knot useful for solid attachment when doubled and used as a loop, as well as decorative when used in-line.
Granny Knot
A common binding knot that is self tightening, but can collapse when pulled in some directions. In some applications, it is considered weaker than the square knot. Also known as false knot. In Japanese, it is known as Tatemusubi (縦結び) or Yoko musubi (横結び).
Half Hitch
A common friction knot often used to "burn," or tie awaay, a rope in a tie. This knot is fairly unstable on its own, but as a grouping can provide friction. In Japanese, it is known as takedome (竹止め)
Half-Moon Friction
A common friction in Japanese-inspired rope bondage that circles around the stem of the rope you are attaching to with the working end. In Japanese, this is known as Hakodome (箱留め).
Icicle Hitch
A binding collapsing hitch used to secure rope to an object, often for loading parallel to a bamboo.
L-Friction
A common friction in Japanese inspired rope bondage that looks like an L.
Matthew Walker Knot
A stopper knot for the end of a rope to prevent it from unraveling.
Munter Hitch
A simple hitch to attach a line crossing another line diagonally. Also used as a stop friction in up-lines, sometimes as a super munter hitch. Also known as a crossing hitch, to distinguish it from the munter hitch used for belaying in climbing. In Japanese, this is known as Nodome (の止め).
Nakadome
A variation on a slipped overhand knot around a parallel line to burn rope, as made popular and named after Naka Akira.
Overhand Knot
A simple binding, collapsing knot used to “burn,” or tie away, rope.
Prusik Knot
A symmetrical 3-wrap slide and grip friction knot that uses a similar shape as the cow hitch. It is used for parallel loading (and binding) on an object or rope. Often to attach a vertically movable hard point.
Reverse Munter Hitch
A friction similar to the munter hitch, but tied in reverse order (often done for aesthetics and symmetry, but also functional reasons). In Japanese, this is known as uranodome (うらの止め) or Wadome (輪留め)
Sheet Bend
An alternative way to extend rope (besides the lark’s head) - especially useful when not at the end of your rope.
Square Knot
Also known as reef knot, a common binding knot that is self tightening, but can collapse when pulled on one strand. In Japanese, this is known as Hon musubi (本結び).
Stopper Knot
A common term for a knot at the end of a rope to avoid it from unraveling.
Surgeon's Knot
A binding knot similar to a reef knot that has an extra loop for added stability. In Japanese, this is known as Gekamusubi (外科結び).
Thistle Knot
A stopper knot for the end of a rope to prevent it from unraveling.
X-Friction
A common friction in Japanese-inspired rope bondage that looks like an X. In Japanese, this is known as battendome (罰点留め).
Yuki Knot
Also known as the Yuki-fix, this technique involves pulling a loop through and then securing it by laying a half-hitch over the loop with the working end. Made popular by Yukimura, the Japanese Kinbakushi (master of ropework/Kinbaku).
Resources
Updated Updated