Yoko zuri 横吊り

Yoko zuri (横吊り), often written yokozuri, is the side suspension. Shibari Study, which uses the spelling yokozuri, derives the name from yoko, beside, and tsuri, suspension, and describes a suspension in which the person in rope is tied lying sideways; the same glossary has separate entries for face-up and face-down suspension. Ropejam Studio in London, which calls the orientation lateral, treats it as one of the main orientations of full suspension alongside face-up, face-down and inverted.

What it is

In a yoko zuri the body hangs roughly horizontal on one side. Kinbakuwiki, a German-language community wiki, describes the weight resting sideways on the wraps of the upper-body tie, which spreads the load and makes the position feel relatively comfortable. In Osada-ryū the upper-body tie is usually a takate kote, though other upper-body patterns such as the nijūbishi are possible.

Place in teaching

Kinbakuwiki describes yokozuri as the first and most basic suspension taught in Osada-ryū. Its page on kata ashi zuri, the single-leg partial suspension, presents that form as the preparatory step and counts yokozuri second in the school’s official sequence. Until just before the lift one foot stays on the ground, so the person tied can lift it and feel how the rope carries the weight before leaving the floor. Ropejam Studio places lateral suspension in its sixth level, a full-suspension course that recommends completing the earlier levels and being able to manage partial suspensions independently; its seventh level adds movement from one of these positions to another while suspended.

Variations by teacher and school

• Definitions: Bob Roos of RopeMarks (Amsterdam) describes a sideways suspension with the model parallel to the floor, while Peter Wettstein’s Shibaku glossary says any side suspension counts.
• Osada-ryū: Harukumo-Juku, an Osada-ryū school, calls it the first and most basic suspension taught, usually built on a takate kote, and mentions the nijūbishi as another possible upper-body tie.
• Esinem, a UK teacher: Esinem’s public course description says yoko-zuri is typically based on a gote and describes Osada Steve’s version of Akechi’s takate kote; the tutorial itself was not read. The public description says a gote with similar capabilities may be substituted, citing Kazami Ranki’s as an example of a different approach to the same goal.
• Esinem and Nina Russ: The public description of a course by Esinem and Nina Russ says the Osada-ryū version became widespread and rarely varied, and describes approaches using an old-style gote and transitions to ebi or agura; the tutorial itself was not read.
• Osaka Dan: The public description of Osaka Dan’s course presents a side suspension interpreted through Kazami style, emphasizing balance, creative suspension lines and adaptation; the tutorial itself was not read.

How it developed

The public description of Esinem’s Osada-ryū takatekote course credits Akechi Denki with devising the tie and says Kanna, Steve, Kinoko and others adapted it; it says the tie continues to evolve in the interests of safety. The tutorial itself was not read. The same page credits Osada Steve with spreading this Akechi-derived tie in the West, and says he learned under his teacher Osada Eikichi from 1998 until Eikichi retired in 2001. Esinem’s public yoko-zuri course description says Osada Steve taught Esinem this first suspension and that Steve says yoko-zuri was a major reason for the existence of Steve’s takate kote; the tutorial itself was not read. Harukumo-Juku and Kinbakuwiki place the single-leg partial suspension before it in the Osada-ryū sequence, as set out above.

Difficulty and risk

The sources describe the form differently. Kinbakuwiki calls it relatively simple and safe as suspensions go, while Ropejam reserves full suspension for its sixth course level and stresses its serious physical and emotional risks. Kinbaku World follows the more cautious view and lists yoko zuri as advanced and high risk. The upper-arm wraps that carry the load are the area where the 2023 Cureus case series found most injuries.