Glossary

Japanese rope terms, with kanji and readings.

A

AftercareThe physical and emotional care partners give each other once a rope scene ends, agreed in advance and different for every person, riggers included.
Agura胡座Japanese for sitting cross-legged; agura shibari is a tie that holds the legs in a crossed position.
Aibunawa愛撫繩"Caressing rope": the sensual style of kinbaku associated with Yukimura Haruki, centered on pleasure and give-and-take, usually contrasted with semenawa.
Aomuke zuri仰向け吊りFace-up suspension: a suspension in which the tied person is held facing upward.
Aranawa荒縄Coarse, thick straw rope; kinbaku glossaries describe it as the rice-straw rope seen in older kinbaku photographs.
Asanawa麻縄Japanese for rope twisted from asa fiber; in rope bondage the usual word for natural-fiber rope, most often jute, rather than for hemp alone.
Ashikubi足首Japanese for ankle; ashikubi is the anatomy word riggers use for the ankle, met in tie names such as ashikubi futomomo shibari, a bent-leg tie.
Axillary nerveThe shoulder nerve that powers the deltoid muscle; one injury of it is documented in a 2023 case series of rope bondage nerve injuries, after a suspension from the torso.

B

Bakushi縛師Short form of kinbakushi, "kinbaku master"; a name used, like nawashi, for people who perform Japanese rope bondage.
Battendome罰点留めAn X-shaped friction that locks lines which cross perpendicularly or meet in a T, often seen at the top wrap of a gote; in English the X-friction.
BightA curved or folded section of rope between its two ends; in rope bondage usually the fold at the middle of a rope that is tied doubled.
Box tieThe English name for the classic upper-body tie with the arms behind the back and rope around the chest and upper arms, also called takate kote, TK or gote.

C

CarabinerA metal clip closed by a sprung gate, used to connect rope and hardware; in rope bondage used in suspension rigging and pulley setups, ideally locking and load-rated.
Check-inA brief exchange during or after a rope scene in which partners confirm how the person in rope is doing, by asking, by watching, or with an agreed signal.
Chest harnessA rope harness on the chest that does not bind the arms; Shibari Study gives munenawa as its Japanese name, and Rope365 also lists shinju.
CinchRope that passes between two bound columns, or hooks a band of rope, to add tension and lock the wraps in place; Japanese kannuki.
CirculationBlood flow to tied limbs; when rope restricts it, the usual signs are numbness and then pins and needles, which normally fade soon after release and can mask nerve compression.
CollapseWhen a knot or hitch changes form under strain and its parts rearrange; also called capsizing.
ConnectionA word rope practitioners use for the link between the people in a rope scene, which some sources locate in the rope itself, above all in the working end.
ConsentFreely given agreement to a specific rope activity, settled before the scene, maintained throughout it and open to withdrawal at any moment.
Cotton ropeSoft, cheap, washable rope made of cotton; popular with beginners and for sensory play but generally considered unsuitable for suspension.

D

Daruma達磨Japanese name of the round Bodhidharma doll; in rope, daruma shibari folds and binds the arms and legs close to the body so that the person looks limbless, like the doll.
DemoShort for demonstration; rope tied in front of others to show a technique, as when a teacher ties a model in class, or to show rope publicly at an event.
Deshi弟子Japanese word for a disciple or pupil who studies an art under a teacher, also used for students formally recognized by a kinbaku teacher.
Dōjō道場Japanese word for a hall of training, first a place of Buddhist practice and later of martial arts; kinbaku schools also call their teaching spaces dojo.
Dōshin同心Low-ranking Edo-period officials who did much of the shogunate's practical policing, patrolling the city, investigating and arresting suspects, and training in the arrest rope.
Double-column tieA cuff binding two limbs or objects together, with a cinch passing between them that separates the columns and locks the wraps.
DressingArranging rope with the fingers so that wraps lie evenly, without twists and with even tension; in general knotting, dressing a knot means arranging its parts neatly before loading.
DropA low mood or exhaustion that can follow an intense rope or BDSM scene, either right away or days later, and that can affect the person tied as well as the rigger.
DungeonIn BDSM usage, a room or venue equipped for scenes, with furniture such as crosses, benches and tables and its own house rules; also used for parties held there.
Dungeon monitorA person who supervises the play space at a BDSM event or venue, enforces the house rules and handles safety concerns; often shortened to DM.
Dynamic suspensionSuspension built around change, with the suspended person moving through positions, rotations or drops, as opposed to a static suspension that keeps a single position.

E

Ebi海老Japanese for shrimp; ebi shibari is a tie that folds the body forward over crossed legs, derived from an Edo-period torture called ebi-zeme.
Edo period江戸時代The era of Tokugawa shogunate rule in Japan, from about 1603 to 1867–68, when binding arrested people was a police skill and kabuki and ukiyo-e flourished.
Emergency releaseGetting a tied person out of rope quickly when something goes wrong; rope teachers advise keeping safety shears within reach so the rope can be cut.
Ero guro nansensuエロ・グロ・ナンセンス"Erotic grotesque nonsense": a Japanese cultural trend of about 1929–1936 that mixed the erotic, the bizarre and the absurd in fiction, magazines and songs until censorship ended it.

F

Floor workRope tying done on the floor or a bed without suspension lines; Japanese terms include newaza and yuka shibari.
FrenzyCommunity slang for the urge to try everything at once that often follows discovering rope or kink, a stage in which judgment weakens and people take on more risk.
FrictionA point where rope wraps around or crosses other rope so that it holds tension or changes direction without a knot; Japanese tome.
Full suspensionA suspension in which the tied person is lifted completely off the ground and supported only by uplines running to an overhead point.
Futomomo太腿Japanese for thigh; futomomo shibari is a tie that holds a bent leg folded, with the calf or ankle bound to the thigh, also called a frog tie.
Fūzoku風俗Japanese word for the customs and manners of an era or society, also used today for the adult-entertainment industry; Itō Seiu was called a researcher of fūzoku in the older sense.

G

Ganjigarame雁字搦めJapanese for bound hand and foot; ganjigarame describes rope that holds the whole body completely immobile, rather than one specific tie.
Gote後手Japanese for hands behind the back; in rope, gote or gote shibari is a common name for the box tie, used side by side with takate kote.
Gyaku ebi逆海老Reverse shrimp: a face-down tie in which the back arches and the legs are drawn back toward the upper body, similar to a hogtie and usually built on a gote.

H

Hakodome箱留めA box-shaped friction that locks the stem of a tie where it crosses a horizontal wrap; Shibari Study equates it with the half-moon friction, Andrea Ropes with the double half-moon.
Half hitchA simple hitch in which the working end passes around an object and over and under its own standing part; insecure alone but a building block for many knots.
HankA coil of rope bundled for carrying or storage; Shibari Study notes that keeping rope hanked for long periods can put twists into it.
Hanzuri半吊りJapanese term for partial suspension, a suspension in which the tied person keeps some contact with the floor.
Hard limitSomething a person will not do under any circumstances and that is not open to negotiation, as opposed to a soft limit, which they are hesitant about but may approach gradually.
HardpointA secure, load-bearing point, usually overhead, that rope or suspension hardware is attached to; also called a hard point, anchor point or suspension point.
Hashira柱Japanese for pillar or post; hashira shibari is a tie that binds a person to, or against, a vertical post.
Hayanawa早縄The "fast rope" of Japanese arrest practice, a thin cord carried for binding a captured person quickly, as opposed to the formal honnawa.
HempRope fiber from the stem of Cannabis sativa; as bondage rope it is denser and heavier than jute, grips about as well and softens with use.
High strandingA fault in twisted rope where one strand stands proud of the others, which can result from uneven tension between strands; rope-care guides list it among signs of wear.
Hip harnessA rope structure around the hips, used for decoration or as a stable base for suspension; Rope365 gives koshi-nawa as a Japanese name.
Hishi菱Japanese for a diamond or rhombus shape; hishi shibari (菱縛り, also written 菱縄縛り) names ties whose rope forms diamond patterns on the body.
Hōchi放置Leaving the tied person alone in the rope for a while so they can experience or endure it, a deliberate pause within a scene.
HogtieA tie in which the wrists and ankles, or arms and legs, are bound together behind the back, usually face down; Japanese rope calls a similar arched form gyaku ebi.
Hojōjutsu捕縄術A historical Japanese martial discipline for securing a person with cord or rope, and one of the roots of kinbaku.
Honmusubi本結びThe Japanese name for the square knot, also called the reef knot, listed in kinbaku glossaries among the names for knots.
Honnawa本縄The "main rope" of Edo-period arrest practice, a longer rope tied in a formal manner on a prisoner once the case had been decided, and the name for that formal binding itself.

I

Ichinawa一縄Free-form tying with a single rope, often a flowing scene that alternates binding and release.
Iemoto家元The founder or current head of a school of a traditional Japanese art, and the head family that holds its authority, usually by inheritance, and licenses its teachers.
Imomushi芋虫Japanese for caterpillar; imomushi shibari binds the arms behind the back and the legs crossed, a shape SMpedia traces to an early Kitan Club rope series.
InversionAny suspension or position in which the tied person is upside down, hanging head down; in Japanese, sakasa zuri.

J

Jizai musubi自在結びThe Japanese name for the taut-line hitch, an adjustable hitch that can be slid along a line yet grips once it is loaded.
JuteA bast fiber from plants of the genus Corchorus, twisted into the light, grippy rope that many people associate with shibari and kinbaku.

K

Kabuki歌舞伎Japanese popular theater of music, dance and drama that grew up in the Edo period; its torment scenes are often named among the sources of kinbaku imagery.
Kagerō蜻蛉Japanese for mayfly or dragonfly; kagerō shibari is an arm tie that joins the arms behind the back with a hishi diamond pattern between them, a form some glossaries count as a strappado.
Kaikyaku開脚Japanese for a posture with the legs spread apart; in rope it appears in the names of ties that hold the legs open, such as kaikyaku kani shibari.
Kani蟹Japanese for crab; kani shibari or kaikyaku kani shibari binds each wrist or forearm to the leg on the same side, holding the legs open in a crab-like shape.
Kannon観音Japanese name of the bodhisattva of compassion; in rope, kannon shibari usually stands for the reverse prayer tie, though Japanese usage also gives the name to a spread-leg tie.
Kannuki閂Japanese for a gate bar or latch; in rope bondage, the cinch that passes between two tied columns and locks the wraps, as in a double-column tie.
Karada体Japanese for body; in Western rope circles, a common name for a diamond-pattern body harness, a usage some educators consider inaccurate.
Kariudo猟人Japanese for hunter; kariudo shibari, the hunter's tie, is another name for teppō shibari, the asymmetric tie with one arm bent over the shoulder and the other behind the back.
Kasutori magazinesカストリ雑誌Cheap popular magazines that flooded Japan right after World War II, known for erotic and lurid content; Kitan Club, later an important SM magazine, began in this period.
Kata ashi zuri片足吊りSingle-leg suspension: one leg is lifted by rope, either as part of a partial or full suspension or while the person lies on the floor.
Kazarinawa飾り縄Decorative rope: rope added at the end of a tie, often from the leftover length, to finish it visually rather than to hold its structure.
Kemono shibari獣縛りJapanese for beast tie; kemono shibari binds the wrists and ankles together like a captured animal and is taught as a basic floor pattern in the Yukimura-ryū.
Kikkō亀甲Japanese for tortoiseshell; kikkō shibari (亀甲縛り) is a body tie whose rope forms hexagons like the plates of a turtle shell, often named as the best-known Japanese tie.
Kinbaku緊縛Japanese word for binding something tightly, and the traditional Japanese term for artistic or erotic rope bondage.
Kinbaku shashinKinbaku photography, the photographic genre of rope bondage that grew from Itō Seiu's era through postwar SM magazines to art photographers such as Araki Nobuyoshi.
Kinbaku-bi緊縛美Japanese compound glossed as "the beauty of tight binding", used as an aesthetic name for kinbaku and for the beauty of a person in rope.
Kinbakushi緊縛師Japanese title for a master of kinbaku, usually shortened to bakushi; like nawashi, it is generally given by others rather than claimed.
Kinbiken緊美研Short name of the Kinbaku-bi Kenkyūkai, the rope study group formed around Nureki Chimuo in 1985–86, which held monthly sessions, issued a bulletin and made instructional videos.
Kote小手Japanese for the forearm between elbow and wrist; in rope it is mostly heard inside the tie name takate kote.
Kotobazeme言葉責め"Torment with words": verbal play used to heighten the emotion of a rope scene, closely associated with Yukimura Haruki.
Kubinawa首縄Japanese for neck rope; kubinawa names rope placed around the neck, which SMpedia warns is very dangerous, while some schools use a loose rope collar as a communication exercise.

L

LabbingRope time set aside to practise technique, usually working on a planned tie, as opposed to a play scene.
Lark's headA hitch of two half hitches made in opposite directions, also called the cow or girth hitch; in rope bondage often used to attach or join ropes.
LayHow tightly the strands of a twisted rope are laid around each other; a tight lay makes a firmer rope, a loose lay a more flexible one.
Lock-offSecuring rope so that it will not come undone, from a simple hitch on a harness to a more robust lock where an upline meets the suspension point.

M

M-ji kaikyakuM字開脚Japanese for M-shaped open legs; M-ji kaikyaku shibari holds each leg folded and the knees apart so that the legs form the letter M, on the floor, on a chair or in suspension.
M-jōM嬢Japanese term for a masochistic woman, widely used in Japan for the woman being tied; related terms include S-jō and M-otoko.
Ma間Japanese aesthetic idea of a meaningful interval in space or time; in rope it covers pauses, the spacing between ropes and the distance between partners.
Maete前手Japanese for hands in front; maete is the counterpart of gote in tie names, and maete shibari binds both hands or arms in front of the body.
Main lineIn a suspension, the upline that carries most of the load, usually the one protecting the head, neck and chest; Shibari Study notes it should come off last.
Median nerveThe nerve serving the thumb, index and middle fingers, which passes through the carpal tunnel at the wrist; rope teachers flag the wrist as its sensitive point.
Meiji era明治時代The reign of Emperor Meiji, 1868–1912, when Japan ended shogunate rule, modernized its state and law, abolished judicial torture and saw the birth of the painter Itō Seiu.
Menkyo免許Japanese word for a license, used in classical arts and martial arts for a teaching certificate within a school; menkyo kaiden marks full transmission of the teachings.
MunchA casual social meetup for people interested in kink, held in a public venue such as a restaurant or bar, where usually no play takes place.
Mune hishi胸菱Japanese for chest diamond; mune hishi gote shibari is an upper-body tie that starts as a tasuki chest harness and adds a hishi diamond while the hands are tied behind the back.
Mune nawa胸縄Japanese for chest rope: the wraps around the chest in a box tie, and by extension a name for a chest harness that leaves the arms free.
Munter hitchAn adjustable friction hitch from climbing, also called the Italian hitch; rope bondage glossaries use the name for a friction at crossing ropes, Japanese nodome.

N

Natori名取A student of a traditional Japanese art who has reached a set level and been granted an art name by the head of the school, often with the right to teach.
Nawa縄The everyday Japanese word for rope or cord, and the root of many kinbaku terms such as nawashi, semenawa and nawajiri.
Nawa-kai縄会A rope gathering or rope club; Shibari Study likens it to a rope jam but notes that it is often a showcase by experienced kinbakushi.
Nawa-yoi縄酔い"Rope drunk": a term Shibari Study equates with the feeling of subspace, experienced while being tied or after a rope session.
Nawagashira縄頭"Head of the rope": the bight, usually the folded middle of a doubled rope where a tie often begins; the counterpart of nawajiri.
Nawajiri縄尻The working end of a rope, the free part not yet in the tie; in Yukimura-ryū it is also a means of guiding the tied person and communicating without words.
Nawashi縄師Japanese word for a rope artist; in bondage contexts, a person recognized for skill in Japanese rope bondage.
NegotiationThe conversation before a rope scene in which partners agree on what will happen, their limits, health issues, signals and aftercare.
Nerve compressionPressure on a nerve from rope, a knot or body position that disrupts its signals; Rope 365 calls it the most common and important physical risk in rope bondage, and it is often painless while it happens.
Nodomeの留めA Japanese name for a Munter-type hitch shaped like the hiragana の, used to add friction where rope crosses a line or on an upline.
Non-verbalDescribes a person in rope who can no longer speak easily, and the agreed signals used instead of words when that happens.

O

Oil treatmentWorking a small amount of oil, often followed by wax, into natural-fiber rope to replace oils lost in processing and keep it supple.

P

Partial suspensionA tie that uses uplines to lift or tension part of the body while the person stays in contact with the ground; also called semi or half suspension.
Pink filmピンク映画Japanese independent sex films (pinku eiga), made fast and cheap since the early 1960s; the related Nikkatsu Roman Porno line developed an S&M subgenre from 1974.
Play partyA social event where guests meet and engage in BDSM activities in a shared space under the organizer's house rules; taking part is optional and many guests only watch.
Power exchangeThe consensual handing of control from one person to another in play or a relationship; rope teachers describe being tied as an exchange of power that rests on trust.
PRICKPersonal responsibility, informed consensual kink, a term listed alongside RACK that stresses each participant's own responsibility and informed view of the risks.

R

RACKRisk-aware consensual kink, a community ethic holding that no kink is entirely safe, so partners must understand and accept the risks of what they do.
Radial nerveThe nerve that runs down the back of the upper arm to the hand; in a 2023 case series of rope bondage nerve injuries it was the nerve most often affected, typically by wraps on the upper arm.
RiggerThe person who does the tying in a rope scene, also called the rope top. Some practitioners question the word because rigging is also a qualified trade, but it is now the usual term.
Rigging plateA load-rated metal plate with several attachment holes that lets multiple uplines connect at one place without crowding.
Rōmon牢問The Edo-period name for three interrogation methods used to force a confession (flogging, stone-holding and the shrimp tie), as distinct from hanging, the only method then formally called torture.
Rope bottomThe person being tied in a rope scene, also called a rope model or, less often today, a rope bunny. Bottoming is treated as an active role with its own skills, such as communication and body awareness.
Rope bunnyAn informal name for a person who enjoys being tied, the rope bottom. Some use it playfully about themselves, while others find it cutesy or belittling, so many communities now prefer rope bottom or rope model.
Rope burnA friction injury caused by rope pulled quickly across skin, distinct from the pressure marks that rope leaves behind.
Rope conditioningTreating new natural-fiber rope, typically by breaking it in, singeing it and restoring oil or wax, so it becomes softer, cleaner and longer lasting.
Rope festivalA multi-day rope bondage event that gathers teachers and practitioners for workshops, performances and open practice, often with invited international educators.
Rope jamAn open practice session where people tie, are tied, watch or socialize in a shared space, usually without formal teaching.
Rope lengthThe standard lengths bondage rope is cut to; conventions include about seven to eight meters in Japanese practice and around 30 feet, with half lengths, in North America.
Rope maintenanceThe ongoing care of bondage rope after its first conditioning: re-oiling when it dries out, washing only when needed, storing it well and checking it for wear.
Rope marksTemporary impressions that rope pressure leaves on the skin, also called rope kisses; usually faint and short-lived, they can include tiny red dots or bruises after tight or long ties.
Rope modelA name for the person being tied, preferred in some communities because it carries no kink connotation, though others hear it as passive.
Rope playInformal name for rope bondage as an activity, and in community use for tying for enjoyment rather than to practise technique.
Rope salonA rope community evening whose format depends on the organizer, from a small themed gathering with discussion and open tying to a curated program of talks and performances.
Rope sceneA session of rope between partners, usually drawing on skills they are confident with, as distinct from practice-focused labbing.
Rope topThe person who does the tying in a rope scene, also called the rigger; the term describes a role, not a dominant personality.
Ryō ashi zuri両足吊りAny suspension in which both legs are lifted together, as distinct from kata ashi zuri, where only one leg is suspended.
Ryū流Japanese suffix meaning style or school, used in the names of martial arts, ikebana and calligraphy schools and also in kinbaku school names such as Osada-ryū and Yukimura-ryū.
Ryūha流派Japanese word for a school or lineage within an art, craft or martial art, set apart from others by its method, style or principles.

S

Sabaki捌きJapanese for handling or skilled control; in rope it means smooth, dexterous rope handling, and in some glossaries specifically the way rope is coiled.
Safety shearsBlunt-tipped shears of the kind paramedics use to cut clothing, kept within reach during rope bondage so rope can be cut quickly in an emergency.
SafewordA word or signal agreed in advance that slows or stops a scene at once; many rope spaces use a traffic-light system, with a non-verbal fallback for when speech fails.
Sakasa zuri逆さ吊りUpside-down suspension: a suspension in which the tied person hangs head down, often from the legs or ankles.
Self-suspensionSuspension in which a person ties themselves and is lifted in their own rope rather than being tied by a rigger; Japanese jizuri.
Self-tieRope a person ties on their own body, for practice or to connect with oneself; Japanese calls it jibaku, and self-suspension jizuri.
Seme責めJapanese noun meaning torment or torture, and also responsibility; in kinbaku it names the side of rope practice concerned with enduring intensity.
Seme-ba責め場A kabuki term for a scene in which a leading character is tormented by a villain; such scenes date back to around 1690 and became more openly erotic in the late Edo period.
Seme-e責め絵A Japanese genre of pictures showing scenes of torment, closely tied to the painter Itō Seiu, who is also known for pictures of bound women.
Semenawa責め縄Rope work built around seme, usually translated as "torture rope", in which the person tied endures an intensity that can be physical, emotional or psychological.
Sensei先生Japanese word for a teacher and a respectful title for teachers, masters and other experts, used in kinbaku circles for rope teachers such as Yukimura Haruki.
Shibari縛りJapanese word broadly meaning "binding" or "tying"; as a name for Japanese rope bondage it became popular in the West in the 1990s.
Shibarite縛り手"Binding hand": a plain Japanese term for the person who ties, without the honorific weight of nawashi or bakushi.
Shikominawa仕込み縄A rope used to set up a suspension anchor, typically fastening an anchor point to a beam; Shibari Study also records the name tsuri shiro.
Shimenawa注連縄A Shinto rope of straw or hemp hung at shrines, sacred trees and rocks, and at house entrances at New Year, to mark off a pure or sacred space.
Shinju真珠Japanese for pearl; in rope, a name for a chest harness that emphasizes the breasts, for which Shibari Study suggests the term munenawa.
Shiten支点Japanese for a point of support or fulcrum; in rope, the suspension point, usually a wooden beam, that uplines run to.
Shōwa era昭和時代The reign of Emperor Shōwa, 1926–1989, spanning war, occupation and the economic boom; postwar Shōwa is when kinbaku took shape in magazines, photography, shows and film.
Shūchi nawa羞恥縄"Shameful" or "humiliation" rope: rope aimed at embarrassment or shame, which Shibari Study distinguishes from the more torturous seme.
SingeingPassing rope quickly through a flame to burn off loose surface fibers, a standard step in conditioning natural-fiber rope such as jute.
Single-column tieA cuff of rope around one limb or object, fastened so it keeps its size and does not tighten under load; a basic building block of rope bondage.
SM (Japanese usage)In Japanese, SM (read esu-emu) is the everyday umbrella word for sadomasochistic play and culture, a field in which kinbaku has long been placed.
SM barSMバーA Japanese bar built around SM themes, typically with a show space and equipment for binding and suspension; such venues are part of the background of several kinbaku careers.
SM magazinesPostwar Japanese periodicals devoted to sadomasochism and fetish themes, such as Kitan Club and Uramado, which spread kinbaku imagery in print from the 1950s on.
SM showA live stage performance of sadomasochistic play with rope bondage at its center, which took shape in Japan in the 1960s and flourished in strip theaters and SM venues in the 1980s.
SpotterA person who watches a rope scene for signs of trouble and is ready to help, often asked for in self-suspension, performances and ties that are new or higher-risk for the rigger.
SSCSafe, sane and consensual, a BDSM motto widely adopted since the 1980s, coined as a minimum standard to set consensual play apart from abuse and later criticized as too narrow.
Standing endThe end of a rope that is not being used to tie; Shibari Study's glossary defines it as the part already worked into the tie, opposite the working end.
StemIn a rope harness, a usually vertical line that connects two or more sets of wraps and spreads force between them; box ties are described as stemmed or stemless.
SubspaceAn altered, often floaty or dreamlike state that some bottoms describe during intense play; early research is consistent with it, but evidence is still limited.
Suspension ringA load-rated ring used in rope suspension as a shared connection point, so that several uplines can be attached to it and kept apart.
SwitchSomeone who enjoys both tying and being tied and moves between the roles of rigger and rope bottom. The word is used across BDSM, not only in rope.
Synthetic ropeRope made from man-made fibers such as nylon, polyester or polypropylene; stronger and washable, but with less grip and more rope-burn risk than natural fiber.

T

Taishō era大正時代The reign of Emperor Taishō, 1912–1926, a short era of party politics and Western-influenced urban culture, in which Itō Seiu was active as a painter and researcher of Edo customs.
Takate高手An old Japanese word for the upper arm, from shoulder to elbow, and in rope the first half of the tie name takate kote.
Takate kote高手小手A Japanese name for the classic upper-body tie with the arms bound behind the back, built from the old words for the upper arm (takate) and forearm (kote).
Take竹Japanese for bamboo; in rope bondage, bamboo poles used as part of a tie (take shibari) or hung as a bar for multi-point suspension.
Tanuki狸Japanese for raccoon dog; tanuki shibari binds the wrists and ankles close together so the person can be lifted like carried game, though riggers apply the name to several forms.
Tasuki襷A cord for tying back kimono sleeves that crosses over the back; in rope, tasuki shibari names ties whose rope crosses the chest or shoulders in a similar way.
Tawara俵Japanese for a straw bale or sack; tawara shibari, the straw-bag tie, wraps the torso like a bundled bale, with the hands bound low at the hips or legs.
Teko musubiてこ結びThe Japanese name for the marlinespike hitch, a temporary hitch that attaches a rope to a rod; Shibari Study notes its use on a pole or post.
Tekubi手首Japanese for wrist; in kinbaku vocabulary tekubi marks where the rope sits and appears in tie names such as ryō tekubi shibari, a binding of both wrists together.
Tengu天狗Japanese for a long-nosed mountain goblin of folklore; tengu shibari, the demon tie, holds each wrist beside its own shoulder with the elbows down, a shape often compared to wings.
Tensile strengthThe load a rope withstands before breaking; a quoted breaking strength is an average from testing and says little about the safe load of worn, knotted rope in use.
TensionHow tightly rope is applied in a tie, which holds its structure and shapes how it feels; in Japanese the loanword also names the emotional tension between partners.
Teppō鉄砲Japanese for gun or rifle; teppō shibari is an asymmetric arm tie with one arm reaching behind the head or shoulder and the other behind the back, like a rifle carried on the back.
Torinawa捕縄The capture rope that Japanese law enforcement used to seize, bind and lead suspects and prisoners, and an alternative reading of the word hojō.
Tossa juteJute from Corchorus olitorius, one of the two cultivated jute species, and a fiber that shibari rope makers such as Amatsunawa name on their products.
TransitionIn suspension, the change from one position to another while the person stays in the air, such as moving from face up to side or face down.
Tsubaki椿The Japanese camellia, Camellia japonica, whose seed oil is one of the oils used to condition natural-fiber rope.
Tsuginawa継縄A rope extension: rope joined onto another rope so that a tie can continue with one longer length.
Tsuri吊りJapanese for hanging or suspending; in rope, the general word for suspension, written -zuri when it follows another word.
Tsuri-otosu吊り落とすA suspension drop: the suspended person is lowered quickly and brought to a stop before reaching the ground.
Tsurinawa吊り縄Japanese for suspension rope: the line that runs from a harness on the body up to the suspension point, known in English as an upline.
Tsurushi-zeme釣責Hanging torment, the gravest of the four interrogation methods of late Edo law and the only one formally called gōmon (torture); it was reserved for serious crimes and rarely used.

U

Uchi-deshi内弟子A live-in disciple in a Japanese traditional art, who stays in the teacher's home or dojo, helps with daily chores and learns the craft full time.
Ukete受け手"Receiving hand": a neutral, gender-free Japanese term for the person being tied, the counterpart of shibarite.
Ukiyo-e浮世絵Edo-period paintings and especially woodblock prints of urban life, actors and beauties, which English Wikipedia names among the sources Itō Seiu drew on.
Ulnar nerveThe arm nerve that serves the little-finger side of the hand; rope teachers list it among the nerves exposed on the inner arm above the elbow and at the wrist.
UplineThe rope that connects a harness on the tied person to an overhead hardpoint, carrying load in a partial or full suspension; Japanese tsurinawa.
Uranodome裏の留めA nodome made in reverse, similar in appearance but working when the rope travels the other way; in English a reverse Munter hitch.
Usagi兎Japanese for rabbit; usagi shibari, the bunny tie, binds the arms with the hands behind the head and the elbows raised, a shape compared to a rabbit's ears.
Ushirote後ろ手Japanese for hands behind the back; ushirote, also written 後手 and read gote, is a building block of many tie names and, as ushirote shibari, one of the names of the box tie.
Ushirote gasshō後ろ手合掌Japanese for palms joined behind the back; ushirote gasshō shibari, the reverse prayer tie, presses the palms together behind the back, a position the sources reserve for very flexible people.
Utsubuse zuriうつ伏せ吊りFace-down suspension: a suspension in which the tied person is held face down, with the front of the body toward the floor.

V

VanillaCommunity shorthand for people, activities, places or clothing outside kink, such as a person with no interest in BDSM or sex without BDSM elements.
VettingChecking whether a new rope partner is safe and suitable before tying with them, for example by asking for references and meeting first in public or with trusted people nearby.

W

Wadome輪留めA hitch of the same shape as the nodome but made the other way round, sometimes called an inverted Munter hitch; it can be chosen for symmetry.
Wakizarashi脇晒しJapanese for exposed armpits; wakizarashi names arm positions with the hands behind the head and the elbows raised, as in the bunny ears or usagi tie.
Waranawa藁縄Rope twisted from straw, an everyday Japanese material attested since at least the fifteenth century; rope glossaries pair it with aranawa.
WhippingBinding the end of a rope with tightly wound twine so it cannot fray or unravel; one of several ways to finish the ends of bondage rope.
Working endThe end of a rope that is actively being used to tie, as opposed to the standing end; Japanese rope vocabulary calls it nawajiri.
WrapA pass of rope around the body or around columns; wraps laid side by side form the bands that make up cuffs and harnesses.
Wrist dropInability to lift the hand back at the wrist because of radial nerve damage; in rope bondage it is the classic sign of an upper-arm nerve compression.

Y

Yoko zuri横吊りSide suspension: a suspension in which the tied person is held in a sideways orientation.
Yuka shibari床縛りJapanese for floor tying; yuka shibari is rope done on the floor rather than in suspension, close to the English floorwork and the Japanese newaza.
Yukawaza床技"Floor technique": a Japanese term for rope tying done on the floor or a bed, used alongside newaza for floor work.