天狗縛り
The name comes from Japan’s mischievous, lascivious demon — and it fits. This technique is defined by the arms bent at the sides of the body, with the forearms angled upward.
The modern tengu is typically depicted as a red mask with an absurdly long nose, but historically the creature was imagined with bird-like features. That avian connection likely explains the name: the “little wings” posture — those stiff, T-Rex arms that often signal a poorly executed tengu — echoes the creature’s older, feathered form.
This family of ties, in which the body takes on a “W” shape, is also known as Bird Wings (Toba - 鳥羽) and Praying Mantis (Toro - 蟷螂). These terms are often used interchangeably or applied inconsistently. In our training programs, Tengu serves as the umbrella term, while Toba and Toro refer to specific variants with meaningful structural differences.
The technique and its origins are reasonably well documented. It first appears on record in a DVD series produced by the Bakuyukai in the mid-2000s. At the time, both Akechi Denki and Miura Takumi were exploring movement forms rooted in martial arts, and they may have drawn inspiration from historical hojojutsu prints depicting above-the-shoulder restraint techniques.
That said, when it comes specifically to shibari application, those DVDs offer limited practical guidance. The real credit for developing, naming, and spreading the technique goes to the study group that formed around the Devil’s Mask Society in Los Angeles during the first half of the 2010s. Through careful reverse engineering, they developed what can fairly be considered the first fully articulated version of tengu as it is understood today.
In its three current forms — tengu, toro, and toba — this is a physically demanding tie. It creates intense muscular compression and requires sustained body engagement to be used safely in dynamic contexts.
This point should be stated plainly: not every body can tolerate the demands these positions impose — even for short periods.
For that reason, many schools have developed unloaded versions intended purely for aesthetic use, particularly those with a strong presence in the Japanese adult industry, where many performers are neither trained for nor interested in high-intensity bondage. These simplified versions — designed to look the part rather than function under real conditions — should never be used in situations that require active body management. Their safety is illusory.
For the person being tied, this technique requires precise, conscious muscular engagement from start to finish — from the moment the rope is applied to the moment it is removed. For the rigger, what may appear deceptively simple actually demands a solid command of foundational technique and a thorough, hands-on understanding of how the bottom’s muscles respond under load.