Common Ties for Rope Bondage

Rope bondage practitioners often follow common patterns and shapes when tying. Some have names, others don’t. Most ties are somewhat fluid, with different versions or variations. The list of ties below is not complete, but it provides a solid overview of what you're likely to see most often.

Ties

Basket Tie

Also referred to as booty basket, this is a hip harness tie around the hips/waist and the legs, with a cinch at the abdomen and potentially between the legs. It's essentially a double-column tie around the butt. This forces the person into more of a seated position that accentuates the “booty”. In Japanese, this tie is known as O shiri shibari (お尻縛り).

Box Tie

An arms and chest harness that puts the wrists behind a person's back with the arms horizontal. In Japanese, it's known as Gote shibari (後手縛り), which means “go” (後), meaning “behind”, and “te” (手), meaning “hand”. The term Gote is a broader term, but is often used in this manner.


Bunny Tie

An arms and chest harness that binds the wrists together and pulls them up, over, and behind the head/shoulders of the person being tied, giving them "bunny ears." In Japanese, this is known as Kōtōbu ryō tekubi shibari (後頭部両手首縛り) or Usagi shibari (兎縛り).

Butterfly Harness

A vest-like chest harness that incorporates diagonal hishi shapes, but is distinctly Western with Japanese influences.


Calf Binder

Refers either to a torture tie around a single calf, but is also used to bind both calves together tightly. Very generally known in Japanese as Ashi Shibari (足縛り).

The single calf torture tie variant is sometimes also referred to as the "Death spiral", "Guatemalan torture tie", or "Todesspirale" in German.

Chest Harness

A generic name for many harnesses that only involve the chest without incorporating the arms. In Japanese, this is known as Munenawa (胸縄).


Crotch Rope

A rope over the genitals that applies tension to it. Extra knots can be added for more discomfort. It’s typically tied into a band on the waist. In Japanese, this is known as Matanawa (股縄).

Crucifix Tie

A tie in which a stick (often made of bamboo) is used to secure the arms in the shape of a crucifix. The chest may also be tied to the stick. In Japanese, this known as Haritsuke (磔).

Double Column Tie

A generic name for a loop with a cinch around two columns. Often used on wrists, ankles, and thighs, but it's not limited to that.


Fucky Arms

An arm tie that binds the arms in a bicep curl, and then either together or to the torso. Originally developed and named by Tifereth, later renamed by Ropunawa. Also known as t-rex, chicken wings or tenshi’s.

Futomomo Shibari (太もも縛り)

A leg tie that restricts the leg in a folded position, bringing the ankle to the butt cheek. In Japanese, this translates to ashikubi (ankle), futomomo (thigh). Commonly also referred to as just futomomo, but this can also be used for just the thigh binder.


Hair Tie

A generic term for ties that connect to hair. In Japanese, this is known as Kami shibari (髪縛り).


Half Basket

A version of the basket tie that only includes a single leg instead of both legs. It's basically a double column around the hip/waist and a thigh.

Hands-in-Front Harness

A generic name for many harnesses that have the arms reach to the front instead of the more common backwards direction in rope bondage.


Hip Harness

A generic term for a harness around the hips, lower waist, and top of the thigh. This can resemble a climbing harness.

Hishi Karada (皮脂 体)

A torso harness that uses the Hishi shibari (菱縛り) technique to create diamond shapes over the body.

Hogtie

A hogtie is a tie where a person's hands and feet are bound together, usually with the hands behind the back and the feet pulled up and connected to the hands, rendering them immobile.

Honnawa (本縄)

A tie that originated from Hojōjutsu (捕縄術) and was used to contain and transport prisoners over a longer period of time.


Inline Cuff

A cuff made when there is a standing end and a column needs to be tied with the working end. Also referred to as a Hojo cuff.

Karada (体)

A generic name for “body” tie, referring most commonly to the torso.

Ladder Tie

Opposite to the strappado ladder, or flute tie, this tie puts the arms together straight in front of the body. In Japanese, it is known as Hashigo shibari (梯子 縛り) or Shakuhachi (尺八).

Leg Binder

Also referred to as thigh binder, a tight wrapping around the leg, or more commonly the thigh, to allow for it to act as an attachment point to distribute the load over the thigh.

Mermaid Tie

A full leg binder in which the person is bound from the waist to the ankles, resembling a mermaid. In Japanese, this is known as Ryō ashi zuri (両足吊り).

Reverse Prayer Tie

A chest harness where the wrists are bound behind the back with the palms upward and in prayer position between the shoulder blades. In Japanese, this is known as Ushirote gasshō shibari (後ろ手合掌縛り).

Rifle Tie

A harness that pulls one arm up over the head and behind the shoulder blades and the other arm down and behind the back so that the two hands are brought close to each other or touch between the shoulder blades. This creates a diagonal shape behind the back. In Japanese, this is known as Kariudo shibari (猟人 縛り) or Teppō shibari (鉄砲縛り).

Single-Column Tie

A generic name for a loop around a column. Used on wrists, ankles, legs, waist or anything else you could consider.

Strappado

A tie that pushes the elbows together behind the body. Sometimes referred to as an arm binder.


Takate Kote Shibari (高手小手縛り)

Also referred to as TK for short, often confused with the gote or box tie. The TK is distinct as the arms behind the back must be stacked horizontally, or the wrists must be above the elbows.

Tengu Shibari (天狗縛り)

A chest harness with the arms tied to the side and bent upwards. This represents the winged Japanese yokai (supernatural entity) as the arms create wing-like shapes besides the body.