Boola Boola and Bugbears

Basically I suck at the Boola Boola so I use the Somerville Bowline for my single/double column ties. Now there are a few reasons for this.

• Its bomb proof - its basically impossible to tie wrong or result in slipage
• With the twist tie method the Somerville Bowline is about as fast as the Boola Boola.
• Somerville Bowline doesnt need reinforcement.

But given its flaws (or my incompetence), it is still good to know how to tie a Boola Boola. So what tricks do i use to make sure I dont stuff it up.

• Cross the tail with the standing before capturing the loops.
• Make a loop in the standing end by grabbing underneath with your left hand and rotating clockwise. 
• Thread the tail thru the loop and tighten 90 degrees to the loops
• Settle the knot.
• Loop the standing again and thread through the tail to reinforce/lock the knot.

While the Somerville Bowline is probably not traditional it is functional. The same can be said for the Boola Boola being a functional improvement to the Hojojitsu Slip knot.

Kinbaku Cross Reference

This table is a index of images from Art of Kinbaku that has been cross referenced to instructions from the following books by page number;

• Beauty of Kinbaku - Master K  - AoK
• Arisue's Go's Kinbaku Mind and Techniques 2 (Floor Works 1) - MT2
• Arisue's Go's Kinbaku Mind and Techniques 1 - MT1
• Douglas Kent's Complete Shibari Volume 1 Land - CS Land
• Douglas Kent's Complete Shibari Volume 2 Sky - CS Sky

Reference: RopeMarks Ryu Illustrated Glossary

Art of Kinbaku Image No	Art of Kinbaku Tie Name	Form	AoK	MT2	MT1	CS Land	CS Sky	Description
106	Agura shibari	Shibari	182	138	-	76	-	Lotus Position Binding
43	Aomuke zuri	Zuri	-	-	122	-	68	Face Up Suspension Pattern
17,29,30,66	Ebi shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	80, 82	-	Shrimp Tie
10,14,35,50, 61	Ganji Garame	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	Body Net
21,22	Ganji Garame/ Tsukue shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	Body Net
15,18,46,47, 48,73,75,94, 95	Gote shibari/ Takatekote	Shibari	178	24,38	35	54	46	Box Tie
6,32,33,36, 39,57,72, 102	Gyaku-ebi	Shibari	-	146	-	88	80	Reverse Shrimp Tie
25,107	Hashira Ushirodaki Shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	Tying someone to an upright bamboo, pole with the hands tied behind
7,8,55,83, 101	Hishi nawa	Shibari	184	98	-	68	-	Diamond Wrap
56,96	Imo Mushi shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	arms behind the back & the ankle of one leg is tied to the thigh of the other leg.
37,104,105	Iwato-nawa shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	spreading the legs wide with ropes around the ankles / thighs.
71	Jiai shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	A hugging position
54	Kaikyaku Kani shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	A spread-legged-crab-tie.
67	Kami shibari	Shibari	-	116	-	-	-	Hair Binding
31,69,76,77, 79,82,100	Kata-Ashi zuri	Zuri	-	-	-	-	74,75	One-Leg Hanging Partial Suspension
16,87,88,89	Kikkou shibari	Shibari	-	104	-	-	-	Tortoise Shell Wrap
4	Koutoubu Ryo-tekubi	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	Bound hands) with the writst in the back of the neck
58,59,60,68	M-Ji Kaikyaku	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	Legs Spread into Letter-M Tie
97	Mune Hishi Gore shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	Chest bondage
9,19,45.62, 65,90,103, 108	Original	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	Authors original tie
24,26,27,28, 52,70	Oujou shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	tied kneeling to a vertical bamboo ankles are crossed and bound, spreading the legs
84	Pesant Class	Hojojutsu	-	-	-	-	-	Criminal bind
2	Sakasa zuri	Zuri	-	-	-	-	94	Inverted Suspension
1,42,74,85, 86,87,89	Samuari Class	Hojojutsu	-	-	-	-	-	Prisoner bind
49	Suruga-doi shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	86	-	Wrists & ankles are closely bound behind the back
5,40,44,78, 81,91,92, 99	Takenotsue shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	Tying someone using a bamboo pole.
23,53,80	Tanuki shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	76	Limb Suspension
51,98	Tasuki shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	50	-	Kimono Tie
64	Teppo shibari	Shibari	-	76	-	66	-	Rifle
3,34,93	Tsukue shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	Tying to low table
11,20,63	Ushirode Gassho	Shibari	-	56	-	52	-	Reverse Prayer Hands
38	Utsubuse zuri	Zuri	-	-	54	-	64	Face Down Suspension Pattern
12,13,109	Yoko Zuri	Zuri	-	-	77	-	84,88	Sideways Suspension Pattern
41	Yukata shibari	Shibari	-	-	-	-	-	wearing a yukata ("summer kimono").
109 Pics 34 Ties	Used (in table)		3	7	4	8	6
109 Pics 34 Ties	Total (in book)		3	18	4	16	14

Kinbaku Syllabus

Just a list of what I think people should learn to develop a basic toolkit of Kinbaku skills & patterns.

Risks Slipping Knots Circulation Restriction Risks & Signs Nerve Damage Risks & Signs Rope Care Rope & Equipment Loading Hygene & Health Risks Personal Fitness & Injuries	Knots Boola Boola or Somervill Bowline Larks Head Overhand/Thumb  Knot Half Hitch Redirects Reef (Square) Knot Clove Hitch
Equipment Carabiners Rope Types Suspension Rings	Western Ties Rope Coreset Cargo Net
Shibari (Ground Work) Takate-Kote - Box Tie Tasuki shibari - Kimono Tie Hishi nawa - Diamond Wrap Kikkou shibari - Tortoise Shell Wrap Ushirode Gassho - Rev. Prayer Hands Ebi shibari - Shrimp Tie Gyaku-ebi - Rev. Shrimp (Hog) Tie Ryou-Ashi Fudou Ippon Shibari - Full Body Ladder Tie	Zuri (Suspension) Kata-Ashi zuri - One-Leg Hanging Partial Tanuki shibari - Limb Suspension Utsubuse zuri- Face Down Susp. Yoko zuri - Sideways Suspension Aomuke zuri - Face Up Suspension Sakasa zuri - Inverted Suspension

Tape Knot

This is a basic knot for tying lengths of tape (seat belt material) together. The white tape below is 25mm tube tape but it can be applied to 50mm single tape or any other flat sort of material.

This knot is also how I used to finish tying the tape harness  I used for my complete rock climbing career. Being a poor uni student 5m of 50mm tape was significantly cheaper then a dedicated harness.

I will do some later posts showing how to tie a tape harness and a fun challenge to tie a tape loop without tails!

 

The knot is basically the overhand knot tied in a flat style started above and completed loosely below.

 

 

The knot can be kept in a flat style above or tightened as below

Another use for the tape knot is to joint two ends of tape to form a loop.  The basic theory is to tie a single tape knot as above and then feed in the other end or length of tape where the first end exits the first tape knot.

 

Tie a loose tape knot

 

Feed in the other end/second tape where the first end exits the knot.

 

Follow the knot around.

 

Exit the first tape knot at the long end.

 

Tighten up the knot.

 The final loop with lose ends.

Three Knots to Bind Them All

I like life simple. I think you really only need to know three knots to tie almost anything you can think of and best of all you probably already know two of them. These are not my demos cos heaps of other people have done ones better then me. (from left to right)

• Larks Head Knot
• Overhand or Thumb Knot
  (tied to the rod with a clove hitch)
• One/Two Column Tie
• Boola Boola (or this)
• Somerville Bowline 

Esinem has a good discussion and tips on the Boola Boola.

Before you can say I cant count there are four knots. Well the last one is a personal preference and to be honest you can get away with just learning the Boola Boola. The Somerville Bowline is just a bit smancey.

Basic Hair Tie

This tie is based upon Twisted Monk's Basic Hair Tie Video.  My variation has more wraps as I find single wraps tend to slip in a subs hair. Optionally you can skip the last step if you want to leave the initial knot unlocked with the tail through the rope loop. 

As in Monk's video I am using 4mm rope (jute in my case as is my perference )but as he didnt mention rope length. I have used one about 3m long. Long enough to tie the hair and tie off to somewhere else like ankles or a chest harness. 4mm is used because its more flexible and not as heavy. You can go smaller say to 2mm spectra or 6mm to incorporate into another tie if the subs hair is not too fine.

Make a bight (loop) in the middle of the rope

and grab the hair in a ponytail

 Wrap the bight end of rope around the hair two times

 Tie a simple overhand knot

Make a loop from the hair

Wrap the tail (loose) end around the hair loop two times

 Poke the tail through the hair loop

 Secure though rope loop