Practical demonstration, theoretical foundations, and guide to mastering efficient body management
From what we’ve covered so far, the biggest hurdle for students is often understanding how to apply these techniques to the ties they see in photos and videos.
Spoiler alert: Most shibari images you’ll come across online don’t use proper technique, and many aren’t even safe to replicate.
In this lesson, we’ll tackle this challenge in two ways. First, we’ll build a solid theoretical foundation, and then we’ll apply that knowledge with a physical reference in your own body. This way, when you start practicing ties and applying forces, you’ll know what to expect and how to handle it.
I want to stress the importance of management—this is a collaborative effort, and both participants play a key role in making it work.
Key Points - Joints
Let’s begin by identifying two critical points for body movement:
Sternoclavicular Joint
This synovial joint links the clavicle to the sternum and the first costal cartilage.
It’s the only direct bony connection between the upper limb and the axial skeleton of the trunk.
The sternoclavicular joint plays a vital role in coordinating upper limb movements with the body’s core. It enables the following motions:
- Elevation and depression.
- Protraction and retraction.
- Axial rotation.
Several ligaments reinforce this joint, providing stability and limiting its range of motion.
Sacroiliac Joint
This synovial joint connects the sacrum to the iliac bone of the pelvis.
Located at the back of the pelvis, near the lumbar spine, there’s one on each side of the body.
It serves several key functions:
- It supports the weight of the upper body.
- It transfers weight from the spine to the lower limbs.
- It helps absorb and distribute forces between the spine and legs.
- It contributes to body mobility during activities like bending or walking.
Though its range of motion is limited, it allows for:
- Minimal displacement and rotational movement.
- Nutation and counter-nutation, particularly noticeable during pregnancy and childbirth.
The stability of the sacroiliac joint is maintained by:
- Its curved shape and the way the joint surfaces fit together.
- Strong intrinsic and extrinsic ligaments.
- The network of ligaments surrounding it, both at the front and back of the pelvis.
Both joints—one in the upper body and the other in the lower—share the same purpose: maintaining balance by distributing weight and forces.
Concepts: Vector and Circuit
Now, let’s visualize a vector connecting these two joints. Keeping this vector in mind is crucial.
If we connect these points using our hands, as shown in the video, without applying force, we can easily manage the tied person’s body. However, this position might feel a bit awkward, right?
On the other hand, if we use the rope to connect these points—for example, with a gote touching the sternum area and, through forearm muscle activation, “pulling” the muscles connected to the sacroiliac region—we can achieve the same level of control.
By applying a circular motion so that the vector forms a tangent to that circle, we can effortlessly move the tied person’s body.
What’s fascinating is that this movement doesn’t come from the energy of the person tying; it comes from the person being tied.
Their brain is “tricked” into thinking their body needs to move to “maintain balance.”
It’s not that the tied person is losing balance, but their brain perceives a shift in the direction of the vector.
It’s similar to the sensation you get in a car when you feel like you’re moving, but it’s actually the vehicle next to you that’s moving.
For this management to feel smooth and the movements to remain organic, both participants need to be in a balanced position and engage their core.
When both are balanced and share the weight—transferring and absorbing the ground’s reactive force—they create a kinetic circuit. This makes the body feel lighter and ensures full control and safety.
The Human Body is Designed to Move
Movement should always be intentional and controlled. When moving the tied person, it should be from point A to point B at a pace and speed managed by the person tying.
The methodology may vary depending on the technique used, but in all cases, we work with the idea that the body wants to move. All movements are, in a way, pre-programmed.
So, if we provide the right cues and instructions, the body will execute the movement on its own, smoothly and harmoniously.
Shibari is about subtlety, not force. Beauty and harmony won’t emerge unless we use our bodies and energy efficiently—both the person tying and the person being tied.
We don’t need to “move” or displace the tied person; we just need to initiate the movement. If we know how to do this, their body will complete the motion naturally.
Technical Explanation
Let’s analyze the Fuchin technique from a biomechanical perspective. In this approach, we combine the following elements:
- Anatomical posture.
- Muscle activation.
- Balance.
- Force and energy vectors.
- Mental mapping (brainmap).
Anatomical Posture
This is the technique we refer to as "shisei" in the early lessons of the course.
For the person tying to induce and, more importantly, manage the tied person’s movements, both must be in a neutral and stable anatomical posture.
If one of them isn’t properly aligned, the movement won’t be fluid or organic—it’ll feel clumsy, disjointed, and uncontrolled.
The advantage of fluid movement isn’t just aesthetic (though it certainly looks better). It also feels better. Both participants sense that the motion is natural and doesn’t disrupt the flow of the session.
This allows the tied person to trust that their body is in good hands, gradually relinquishing control to the person tying.
This transfer of control increases the asymmetry between the two, helping to build a stronger erotic dynamic.
Balance
To understand this technique, think of balance as a three-dimensional coordinate system—the classic three-axis graph.
When a body is balanced, its “axis” aligns with this graph. Of course, this axis isn’t physical; it’s a set of values and references our mind assigns to the balanced state.
Again, this is a mental framework. The brain “takes a snapshot” and holds onto it until the situation changes enough to make it unsustainable.
For example: It’s common to be sitting in a car or train, lost in thought, and feel like you’re moving. But when you look, it’s actually the vehicle next to you that’s moving away.
Force and Energy Vectors
This is the technique we study as "sankaku," or the triangle theory.
The concept of a “vector” is commonly used in martial arts and physics. In this technique, we combine both perspectives, understanding the vector as a way to represent applied energy, which has magnitude (intensity), direction (trajectory), and sense—in this case, its ability to generate displacement.
There’s also a point of application, which simultaneously acts as a point of reception, depending on whether you’re viewing it from the perspective of the person tying or the person being tied.
When we talk about energy, we’re not referring to anything mystical—it’s simply the inertia inherent in any moving body.
And by force, we don’t mean physical strength. In fact, this technique doesn’t work if you rely on brute force. Here, force refers to the energies acting on a body to move it, whether generated by its own muscles or by gravity.
Again, this is something we visualize in a three-axis graph.
Mental Mapping
Earlier, we mentioned that balance is a “mental framework.” We’ll use this framework to “trick” the brain.
This is important: a person won’t execute a movement that isn’t already part of their mental map. In other words, it’s best to practice movements before incorporating them into play.
What Happens in the Video?
Starting from a balanced position, a connection is established between the sacroiliac and sternoclavicular joints.
To create this connection, pressure must be applied, and a good way to do this is by placing your hands on each joint.
At this stage, feedback from the tied person is crucial—both to accurately locate each joint and apply pressure precisely (even a few centimeters off can render the technique ineffective) and to gauge the right amount of pressure to use.
This is a new exercise for both, so mutual guidance and support are essential.
The tied person should notice that by activating their body with hands on their joints, they can, in a sense, connect the two, sending force from one to the other and creating a kinetic circuit.
Once this circuit is established, the person tying can try moving the other’s body as if it were a single block.
To do this, they can use two techniques: slightly increasing or decreasing the pressure applied by one hand. It’s important to maintain the distance between the hands and move them along with the body as it shifts.
The goal isn’t to achieve large displacements or specific paths but to help the tied person understand how these kinetic circuits form in their body. By responding actively, they can learn to harness them.
Identifying these kinetic circuits is essential for safely practicing more advanced forms like gote or takate kote later on.