Top Shibari Vocabulary You Need to Know

If you are new to the art of rope tying, I can imagine that watching tutorials may be a little challenging, when the shibari lingo is so different and weird! What words do shibari practitioners use and why? Here I give some common ones.

Learn these and you will be ready to understand tutorials and go to a shibari meet up!

Shibari Dictionary

Shibari Knots

Pretzel / double coin knot

あやつなぎ
ayatsunagi

‍
Decorative square knot

叶結び
kanou musubi

Munter hitch

のどめ
nodome

‍
Middle of the rope (bight)

縄頭
nawagashira

‍
Working end of the rope (tail)

縄尻
Nawajiri

Other Basic Shibari Terminology

‍
Art of tight binding

縛り・緊縛
shibari. kinbaku

‍
Rigger

縛り手
shibarite

Receiver (model)

縛り受け
shibariuke

‍
Rope teacher

緊縛師・縄師
kinbakushi. nawashi

‍
Floor work

寝技
newaza

Suspension

吊り
tsuri

‍
One rope technique

一縄・一本縄
Ichinawa. ipponnawa

Here are some handy pictures you can use to help you remember this shibari vocabulary!