Hello readers. I was so surprised and totally flattered to be invited to contribute to the first edition of “Totally Effective Bondage Techniques.” And while I do not endorse the title of this publication (is that supposed to sound like how I talk???) I totally endorse the content!
Ah, fuck. I just said totally, didn’t I? Dang it. I guess maybe I do talk that way….
(Image by @Capoeira33 )
But never mind that. Let’s talk about rigging! First, the cover is not me. It’s my stunt double. I don’t do bondage modeling (or any modeling), as everyone knows well and good. That said, if I were the damsel in this image, I’d be escaping from those ropes in under two hours, swear to God! Look, there’s some decent stuff going on. The horizontal rope loops are all parallel and not overlapping each other. That takes a mindful rigger, so points for that. And kudos for tying off the over-the-shoulder yolk to the two chest loop bundles without any exposed loose ends. Exposed loose ends are an exploitable weakness. Of course, in THIS case, my hands….er….the MODEL’S hands….are tied behind her back. So exposed ends on front knots wouldn’t make a dang bit of difference. Lol.
Actually, I’m going to piss off the editor and get real. This is “cheesecake” rigging. It’s rigging to be pretty for a cover and not to actually be optimally restraining. I didn’t want to say it, but I just gotta fucking say it. Look, see how my arms run straight down my sides? They don’t taper together like they would if they were pulled in and around back behind me like they should be in a “palm-to-palm” arm tie. The problem with doing it correctly for a cover shoot is it stretches and distorts the damsels skin up by her collar bones. It also pulls the cinch ropes on the lower arm loops around behind her where you can’t see them. Having them visible creates symmetry and symmetry is more appealing to the eye and they want your eyes to get caught on the image so you buy the magazine. And they didn’t wany me…errrrr….the MODEL….looking all distressed by stretched and strained shoulders.
And also, check out that plunging crotch rope. Like, what the f-ing hell is that?!? Yes, the crotch rope needs to be anchored to the waist loops, but the waist loops should all be snug like a fitted belt. The lower few loops that act as the anchor should be pulled down a little bit from the tension of the crotch rope but not like this! This is fake staged rigging for the camera. They just tied a few ultra loose loops around my….errrr….the MODEL’S….waist and they pulled that down by the crotch rope forming what looks somewhat reminiscent of a thong bikini bottom because they want you thinking about sex and buying their magazine.
And please lord, don’t even look at the gag. Just….just don’t. I’m so dang embarrassed…er….that MODEL is probably so dang embarrassed. I hope to God she got paid more than I did for this gig. Not that I know, but I’m betting she signed a contract with really small print authorizing the release of this cheesecake bogus bondage shoot without even realizing it was in there.
But on the bright side, the stuff in the article is actually REALLY damn good. So I’m going to jump on in.
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Seven Essential Arm Ties:
OK, so what I’ve been asked to do is review some pretty freaking fantastic depictions of the Seven Essential Arm Ties of Bondage. Huge props to the terrific artist @An-Eve for creating these super-detailed works of art. There is CLEARLY an understanding of, and appreciation for, the effectiveness and the beauty of rope bondage at the heart of these works!
As for my comments, as Y’all know, a picture is worth 1,000 words. And I do not want to write 7,000 words! LOL. So rather than getting deep into every single detail, I’m just going to point out some of the extra special elements that if takes just a little deeper examination to notice. And my last disclaimer before starting is just to mention that these arm ties are presented in a shibari/Japanese style. It’s beautiful. It’s complex. It’s incredibly challenging to rig. I 100% appreciate it for what it is. That said, I’m more of a Western bondage enthusiast. I like ropes and straps and any other restraints to be hyper efficient but not decorative. I do not mention this preference as a slight against Shibari. I only mention is because some readers may notice that my comments are going to be limited to the utility of the rigging and not focus on some of “web-like,” and other more artistic elements that, while impressive as heck, have less of a dominant effect on the rope bunny embraced in the ropes.
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Basic Palm-to-Palm Arm Tie:
The point of this arm tie is to connect the arms together behind the back of the damsel. Depending on their flexibility, the upper arms, at or even above the elbows, might connect. The essential element of this tie is that the wrists are tied together with he hands rotated inward toward each other.
Sometimes, a rigger will incorporate the chest rope loops into he arm tie. When they do, those loops are best when cinched so that the damsels arms are secured right down her spine. In this example, that technique is not used, or needed. Because of the high level of flexibility of the damsel, her arms are tied together well above the elbow. This makes it impossible for her to shift her now “single-arm” to either side. The opposing arm can’t travel any further, so the fused arms are stuck in the middle. It is interesting to note that the lowest rope loops on the arms are actually several inches above the wrists. For a lot of arm ties, THAT would be a problem because it would permit the hand to flex and twist and create slack or search for knots. But in this case, because the arms are connected over so much of their length, it isn’t possible for the damsel to separate her wrists even though they are not bound exactly on the joint.
The arms are further immobilized from above by the shoulder yolk and (presumably) below by a crotch rope. We don’t see the crotch rope but owing to the fact that the rigger applied a series of waist loops that are not enveloping the damsel’s arms, it would make sense to expect it’s intended purpose is to act as the anchor to an out-of-view crotch rope.
The last, and in my mind, most brilliant, element of this rigging I want to highlight is the cinching of the rope loops above and below the elbow. See how both sets of loops are about either strands of rope? Now, note that rather than using just one cinch rope around each bundle of eight loops, the rigger instead used two smaller cinch ropes, each pinching and tightening only four rope loops. By doing this, all eight ropes are squeezed together and wrapped tighter around the contours of the damsel’s arms. Had the rigger only used a single cinch rope around the larger bundle, the inner rope loops would be insulated from compression by the outer rope loops. That would have caused just a little less rope-to-skin contact and allowed a greater possibility for the damsel to twist or shimmy of otherwise “work” the rope loops up or down from where the rigger placed them. Taking the time to use separate cinch ropes to break up larger rope bundles is just awesome commitment to making the bondage escape proof without going overboard on the volume of rope and also without going crazy on tightness. Yes, this rigging is tight. But it is consistently tight over large surface areas and not just excruciatingly tight in certain targeted places that would hurt blood circulation.
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Crossed-Wrist Arm-Bar “Chicken Wing” Tie:
This one sounds more complicated than it is. It’s the Palm-to-Palm tie, only the wrists are moved up the damsel’s body and secured to her waist rope loops rather than being allowed to extend all the way down to her ass. This forces her elbows to bend and also flare apart, as pictured. The tie can be done with crossed wrists, palm-to-palm or knuckle-to-knuckle. Personally, I ALWAYS prefer crossed wrists when possible because the wrists then fit together in their natural curvature like spoons, creating more surface contact and less range of motion.
You’ll notice that I’m a sucker for cinching and I’m going to highlight a great cinching job here on the elbows. When the rigger started, the elbows were connected by an oval-shaped rope loop bundle. And simple cinch of two or three wraps would have pinched the middle of the oval closed into a figure 8. But instead of just doing the minimum, this rigger filled in almost all of the space between the two elbows with cinch rope. Doing so has turned the rope tie into almost a solid, inflexible mass. It’s like the elbows are held in a pillory. And on top of that, it appears that that the center rope of the shoulder yolk is also incorporated in the elbow cinching which prevents any and all wiggling of the upper arms (which would have been totally minimal anyway thanks to how well secured the wrists are!).
The last thing I want to mention is the wrist tie. I don’t know for certain, but I highly suspect that this rigger used one of my favorite crossed-wrist techniques that is almost “self-cinching.” I believe the damsel’s wrists were palm-to-palm when the loops were coiled around as tightly as they could go. In that position, there will be slight gaps between the rope loops and the negative space where the connected wrists “round into each other.” Hold your wrists together in front of you and you’ll see what I mean. Only the center of the wrists, where your veins are, truly touch. Anyway, once the loops were applied, THEN the damsel crossed her wrists. Besides locking the wrists together like spoons, this also expands the volume of the wrists inside of the loops creating more tension and tightness at the top and the bottom of the wrist crossed “X.” And after that maneuver is accomplished, only then are cinched added between the wrists to lock the rope loop bundle up and prevent any shifting of the rope loops up or down the wrists. As with the elbow tie, the rope loop bundle has so much pressure exerted from inside by the crossed wrists and outside from the cinching and tethering to the crotch rope and the shoulder yolk, is becomes almost a solid mass engulfing the wrists in an unyielding grip.
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Box Tie:
Y’all, for my money, nothing beats a good box tie! A box tie provides the perfect combination of damsel-crushing helplessness while permitting vigorous writhing and futile struggling. With a vibe strapped to my thigh, a box tie with frog tied legs is where I want to be! LOL!
This version of a box tie is totally Tina-proof. No question about that! There are some things I love about it. But there are a couple of things I’d have done differently too…
I prefer a box tie where the arms taper into my waist. I like my arms to be slightly behind my back so the cinches are behind me instead of on my sides, like in this image. Pulling the elbows in and back like that takes away all of the strength of the shoulders. It also prevents a well-conditioned damsel from being able to flex her “lats” to flair her arms out wide, potentially stretch the arms loops and creating slack. As you see in this image, the arms run perpendicular to the ground, straight up and down the sides of her body. I believe this was done because it creates a visually appealing symmetry. And that’s a shibari thing, not a Tina-thing. But even so, there is more than enough well applied rope to still make this box tie totally effective!
One other minor quibble I have is with the damsel’s left wrist. I really like how her right wrist is secured to the top of the fleshy part of her left forearm. The rope loops can sink into that and the wrist can be cinched nice and tight making that wrist completely immobilized. But her left wrist is secured on the bone-side of the right forearm. There’s going to be less arm-to-wrist contact there, so more range of motion. Also, where the right hand is pretty much pinned between her back into he right angle of her arm, the left hand if free to grope around quite a bit. My preference would have been to have the left forearm angled up so that the left wrist popped up from behind the right forearm and rested there in the right angle like the right hand. But using that technique would have caused the elbows to slide in a little closer together (which I already explained I’d prefer), and that would have impacted the shibari-perfection symmetry of the tie.
After all of my complaining, I want to make it clear that these are just preferences of mine. The rigging that is depicted is executed with impeccable precision, for the choices that were made. It probably took more rope than my more Western style box tie would have used, but it’s still totally effective.
And now I would like to give extra credit where it is due for the cinching of the two bundles of arms loops located above and below her breasts. Not only are the loops cinched tightly between the arms and the damsel’s sides, but the rigger went the extra mile and also connected both bundles together to the central rope of the shoulder yolk, creating greater inward tension pinning the arms harder against her sides. That extra cinch was not remotely necessary, but I guarantee you that the damsel felt it when her already helpless arms got pulled in that little extra bit!
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High Crossed-Wrist Box Tie:
So this one is ACTUALLY my favorite arm tie position. It’s kind of a hybrid of a box tie and a reverse prayer. What I love about the higher crossed wrists is that lifting the wrists higher drags the elbows together behind them. Done correctly, the arms can almost form a downward V, following the shape of the damsel’s back.
You’ll note that THIS depiction does the opposite of that. And that’s a valid choice. I guess. Grrrrr. I don’t like it, but it’s fine. It’s executed super well. There’s no escape. So, I’m going to move along before I say something I might regret…
No, but it really is well done with great cinching. And there is a TON of intricate rope webbing all over her torso that is simply gorgeous, even if it doesn’t do much to enhance her helplessness. But it’s artistic…so….yeah….
I do want to point out the really interesting wrist tie. In this rigging, there are no wrist loops at all. Instead, the wrists and positioned at the intersection of one of the horizontal arm loop bundles and the central shoulder yolk rope. That intersection creates a “Plus” shape that the “X” of the crossed wrists fits snuggly inside. This rope configuration is cinched up together and also cinched up against the damsel’s back. I really like THAT element. Doing so puts an slightly uncomfortable tension on her shoulders, as if she was held in a arm bar. It also makes her constantly aware of her breathing because her hands are pushed in and out with each breath. This is a sort of psychological dominance. And achieving that with just rope work is freaking bonkers, Y’all! And lastly, kudos for the self-confidence it takes to NOT use wrist loops. This rigging works because all of the parts work together. If her arms weren’t totally welded to her sides, as they are, she might be able to exploit the slack afforded by the wrist “+” tie.
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Crossed-Wrist Reverse Prayer Tie:
Good news, Y’all. I’m going to save you some reading on this one. This is basically the same rigging as the High-Crossed Wrist Box Tie except that the crossed wrists are positioned up by the shoulder blades instead of more in the middle of her back. The more extreme flexing of the arms creates more of an arm-bar effect. Pretty much all of the larger arm muscles have been de-activated by having the arms folded nearly in half. There is very little struggling she can do. Escape is beyond impossible.
Out of a sense of obligation to write something, I will point out that the arm loops aren’t cinched, and I’m not sure why that is. It really isn’t needed because the damsel’s arms are crushed into her sides simply by following her hands so high up her back. I guess I answered my own question with that explanation. You’ll also notice that unlike the previous box tie with the “+” securing the wrists, this one adds a few traditional rope loops around each wrist. I’m not totally sure what those are there for but I THINK they’re present to secure the wrists better to the center shoulder yolk rope. My guess is that the more extreme arm angle creates greater downward pressure from the arms wanting to unfold, so fortifying the wrist placement is necessary.
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Palm-to-Palm Reverse Prayer Tie:
This is the ultimate yoga-pose-bondage, Y’all. LOL! And more good news, as with the crossed-wrist reverse prayer, the limitations of the damsel’s anatomy is doing most of the work so there is less rigging for me to write about.
Obviously, the arms are in an EXTREME flexed position. She cannot use any significant muscle groups in her arms to struggle. The triple arm loop rope bundles are merciless. Please notice the downward “V” shape of her bound arms. Imagine how much more that locks up her arms than with her arms wider and pinned to the sides. I know, helpless is helpless, but more is better, right?
One thing I can’t figure out is if some of the arm loops ONLY wrap around her arms and don’t completely encircle her body. You can see some loops across her back behind her wrists that are either a separate shoulder yolk or the other side of the upper most set of arm loops. I actually think NOT encircling her entire body for at least that upper set would work to assert more pressure pulling her arms in and together than otherwise.
Lastly, I’m going to give props for the decorative hand bondage work. Generally, I don’t give two cents for hand bondage unless it involves tape and/or mitten-like devices. But this rope hand bondage is really pretty. Touche shibari enthusiasts. You won this round! 😊
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Palm-to-Palm Behind-the-Head Tie:
FUCKING. AWESOME.
Where to start? Y’all, it’s a frog tie for her dang arms! Holy shit, that’s genius. And look at the cinching of the individual arm loops. All of the negative space between the upper arm and the forearm is filled in with cinching. Her arms are not coming un-flexed, no matter what.
The wrist loops are spot on. They aren’t excessive but they are substantial. The cinching of the wrists is perfect to tighten the loops and to secure them to the shoulder yolk. Join me for a moment and imagine her fingers flaring around trying to find a knot to untie. LOL. You’re screwed girly. All of those knots are just a few precious inches above and hopelessly out of reach.
This is just such a great, creative rigging job. The damsel has a TON of writhing potential. She can rotate her whole upper body, twist, pivot and bend. But nothing she does is going to displace any of the rigging or grant her any meaningful leverage or slack to work with. This is a totally mind-crushing lesson in frustration for a damsel. If you want to break her will, leave her like this with a dog dish of food for a weekend and she’ll do anything just to be retied in any other bondage position. Swear to God!
Yes, this rigging has to be VERY precise. If the damsels arms are able to open up just wide enough above her head, she may be able to pull her elbow down in front of her and swing her wrists over to the side enough to reach the rigging with her teeth. In know, anchor the wrists and/or use a decent gag and you mitigate those risks. But you also don’t want to give her the satisfaction of screwing up your rope work. So you just can’t make any mistakes if you use this position.
But oh, the payoff if you do it right is breathtaking!!
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That’s it, Y’all. Thanks again to the artists who created these fabulous images. And a huge thanks to all of you for reading my rants. Y’all mean so much to me! Love you!!
XOXOX