Rope, explained.
The words, the ties, what classes teach, and how to start safely. A free reference for Japanese-style rope.
139flashcards
18subjects
3guides
If you are new
All guides →GuideStarting rope: what to know before your first classWhat actually happens at a beginner rope class, what to bring, what it costs, and the questions worth asking before you book.GuideQuestions worth asking a rope instructorPractical questions to ask a rope venue or instructor before you book — about the room, the format, and how they handle safety.GuideRope safety: the basics worth knowing before you tie anyoneAn introduction to the main physical risks in rope — nerve injury, circulation, positional risk — and what competent instruction covers.
What the words mean
All 139 terms →Japanese terms with the script, the reading and a literal gloss, plus what the word actually does in an English-language class.
縛りShibariA general Japanese word for tying, adopted in English as the umbrella name for Japanese-style rope bondage.緊縛KinbakuJapanese rope bondage with an emphasis on the emotional and erotic dimension rather than the technique alone.捕縄術HojōjutsuThe historical Japanese martial art of restraining prisoners with cord, sometimes cited as an ancestor of modern rope bondage.高手小手Takate koteA family of box-tie chest harnesses with the arms behind the back, and the most-taught upper-body harness in the practice.縄師NawashiA title for an accomplished rope practitioner, used sparingly in Japan and more loosely in English.太ももFutomomoA tie binding a folded leg, calf against thigh, used as a shape in itself and as a suspension attachment.
What gets taught
All 18 subjects →The subjects a class or workshop covers, in roughly the order people learn them.
Rope handlingManaging bights, keeping rope untangled, and moving it cleanly — the skill everything else sits on.Single column tiesThe first tie almost everyone learns: a non-collapsing cuff around one limb.Double column tiesBinding two limbs, or a limb to an object, without the tie tightening under load.Safety & nerve awarenessNerve pathways, warning signs, positional risk, and when to stop. Usually taught alongside everything else.Negotiation & consentHow partners agree what will happen before rope comes out, and how that agreement is revisited.
Looking for a class?
Read first-hand reviews of rope studios, dojos and workshops, or add one for a place you've been. Anonymous, and read by a person before it goes up.