The crossed-arm position behind the back, as seen in gote or takatekote forms, represents one of the biggest challenges when delving into the shibari style of Yagami Ryu.
Traditionally—or more accurately, by habit—tied people tend to cross their arms as shown in the picture.
This is what we’ve seen Japanese practitioners do, and it’s what we imitate in the West. However, from an anatomical standpoint, this is often a biomechanical mistake.
Let’s break this down step by step.
The Key Issue: Copy-Pasting Across Different Body Types
The main problem arises when we try to extrapolate or directly copy what we see in an Eastern body and apply it to a Western one.
Eastern populations, particularly the Japanese, have historically exhibited less genetic variation due to long-standing racial policies and prolonged isolation.
In contrast, Western populations display greater genetic and physical diversity in terms of body shape, composition, and anatomical structure.
This includes differences in bone density, body proportions, muscle mass, fat distribution (not obesity), and respiratory and circulatory capacity. For women, this also includes variations in breast size.
For the practice of shibari, we’ll focus on a few specific aspects.
Key Anatomical Differences
One of the most significant differences between Eastern and Western bodies is the composition and proportion of collagen and elastin.
Asians tend to have higher collagen density and greater elastin content. Additionally, their bones are thinner and proportionately shorter, particularly in the pelvis, which is notably narrower.
In contrast, Western bodies often exhibit larger proportions between the pelvis and ribcage, with greater torso volume and a more prominent, wider build.
Western individuals also tend to have greater muscle density and a higher natural fat volume.
The Biomechanics of the Gote or Takatekote
Historically, there has been poor explanation and understanding of the construction and purpose of shibari forms.
From a biomechanical perspective, a takate or gote aims to create a structure that functions like a square.
This square is not literal but rather an abstract concept that helps us distribute forces, loads, and energy efficiently. By "energy," we mean kinetic energy, gravity, and reaction forces—not anything mystical.
We assess efficiency from two angles: minimizing effort and maximizing control while ensuring the physical safety of the tied person.
A takate may look aesthetically pleasing and well-constructed, but if the anatomical alignment is improper or the ropes are applied with minor errors, it will concentrate the forces, weight, and energy on tissues not designed to withstand them, such as ligaments, tendons, cartilage, nerves, and bones.
Accumulative Damage
These so-called "white tissues" (ligaments, tendons, cartilage, etc.) are poorly oxygenated and have limited blood supply.
While they typically won’t sustain immediate injury from a takate (except with terrible technique or sheer bad luck), they are prone to cumulative damage.
This is akin to the "memory effect" of batteries.
This tissues regenerate, but their capacity declines with age and depends on factors such as diet, healthy habits, and individual biology.
What Does the Square Mean? Just Crossed Arms?
No. That’s an oversimplified interpretation.
The "square" is an abstract concept we must understand through its mathematical behavior: how it distributes loads and behaves biomechanically, not merely how it looks.
In a gote or takatekote, the "square" forms between the sternum, sacroiliac joints, lateral and frontal muscles, and scapulae.
This structure directs energy evenly toward the ground—toward the feet if the person is standing or toward the ischial bones if seated.
From there, the ground returns the energy to counteract weight and added loads, following Newton’s Third Law of Motion, also known as the Law of Action and Reaction: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
Put another way: when one body exerts a force (action) on another, the second body exerts an equal and opposite force (reaction) on the first.
Proper Biomechanical Construction
To build a good gote, the first step is to stabilize the two mobile joints within the structure: the pelvis and the shoulders.
Pelvis: Stabilizing the pelvis is critical for managing the exchange of forces with the ground, whether the person is standing or seated.
Shoulders: Without stabilization, the forces will converge on the neck, affecting the cervical spine and potentially reflecting down into the lumbar region.
If the humerus is misaligned or the shoulder rotates forward (internally), the associated muscles and other tissues will rub against the bones.
Stabilizing the Shoulders
We’ve all likely performed a shoulder movement at some point that caused that characteristic discomfort at the front of the shoulder.
Now imagine that discomfort being sustained for 15 minutes, with your entire body weight bearing down on that shoulder.
Thus, we must stabilize the shoulders by ensuring the scapulae remain flat against the back.
However, some individuals struggle to stabilize their shoulders this way due to their unique musculature.
This issue often arises in those with well-developed or bulky subscapular muscles, which can "elevate" the scapulae, preventing proper adherence to the back.
If this is your case, or if you have trouble stabilizing your shoulders, feel free to reach out to us—it’s covered in the course.
Muscle Activation is Key
All these stabilizations require muscle activation, both to establish and maintain them, because that’s the role of muscles.
When muscles aren’t activated, the joints are left unprotected, and the load falls on the white tissues (ligaments, tendons, etc.), which lack sufficient elastin to perform this function.
Moreover, inactive muscles add dead weight. They don’t contribute to the "reaction force" but instead act as a burden, overloading the joints with additional weight.
What’s the Issue with Western Anatomy?
Generally speaking, Western anatomies don’t allow for the muscle activation required to protect the shoulders when the elbows are flexed.
It’s that simple: our physical constitution makes this difficult or, in many cases, impossible.
Try It Yourself
- Move your arms, one at a time, behind your back without bending them.
- Maintain an active range of motion. This means moving your arms back using only the shoulder joint. Don’t bend your torso, push your ribs forward, or move your wrists—focus exclusively on the shoulder.
- Feel the muscle activation, ensuring your scapulae are flat and not elevated on your back.
Now bend your elbow to adopt the position shown in the photo. Do you feel the difference?
Does This Complicate the Takatekote Process?
Not at all.
What complicates things is mindlessly imitating what we see in photos, as if we lacked reasoning or analysis. The technique remains equally valid.
Some individuals may require two independent cuffs (hojo), one for each hand, because their anatomy doesn’t allow them to cross their arms behind their back, not even when extended.
Others—though few—may be able to bend their arms with ease.
What matters isn’t whether the elbows bend.
Our goal is to create a "square" that distributes forces efficiently and allows the tied person to maintain muscle activation.
Everything else is just pose and pointless vanity.
What’s the Role of the Forearm (gote)?
The name of these forms derives from the forearm (gote), which is the key piece that makes the entire system work.
The forearm serves as a support point, allowing the tied person to push against it.
Maintaining muscle activation in the back purely by willpower is extremely challenging and taxing.
However, with a tactile cue (important: a tactile cue, not excessive pressure or pulling) on the forearm, the muscles respond more easily and remain active longer.
The energy generated by the downward push of the forearms against the rope travels upward to the sternum.
From there, it distributes to the back, protected by the scapulae, which send the energy laterally to the abdominal muscles. From the abs, the energy moves to the glutes and hip-area musculature, finally channeling downward into the ground.
Call it: "push to pull".
The Circuit and Balance
With this circuit established, we gain full control over the tied person’s balance. They’ll feel "comfortable" and secure in the tie, creating the foundation for managing their movements and load.
Since these forms are often used in suspension, it’s only natural that suspension techniques aim to redirect these forces to another point and in a different direction.
But that’s a topic for another lesson.