The Shibari Dictionary began as my personal notes on shibari terms and how they were being used. With experience and research, I became fascinated and dedicated to preserving and documenting the language and terminology of English-speaking shibari and kinbaku practitioners. Being autistic, I took a special interest in the definitions of some of the Japanese terms and how they are used or mis-used by English speakers. Specifically, how many terms are used for multiple things while still more terms serve as alternate names for the same thing.

When I first started diving into knots and their names, I quickly learned of ABoK (Ashley Book of Knots) which many circles hold as a sort of encyclopedia, while others count it the ramblings and scribbles of an old sailor… I don’t have an opinion on its canonical status, but I do observe the fact that it has thousands of duplicate entries often under the very same name and thousands of errors. It’s since been distilled down into only a couple hundred unique knots from its original 3,857. The sheer scale of overlap, fluidity and debate amongst anyone who dare twist and bend a strand of rope is… well… fitting. There’s about as many opinions on what to call something as there is ways to tie a knot.

I don’t speak Japanese. Because of this I, for a long time, avoided diving too much into the Japanese terms. In May of 2024, though, the term Nawajiri 縄尻 came to my attention and how it can be translated (a little loosely) as the ass-end of a rope. That made me chuckle, but it also made me see that the shibari masters didn’t and don’t take the names too seriously. Shibari (or Kinbaku) isn’t some high religious practice, but rather new and has always been associated to some degree with the lewd side of human nature. Men tying pretty women are going to crack jokes and make silly names for things just to make their model or an onlooker smile. So, please, don’t take the names of things too seriously. I made the shibari dictionary and I don’t!

This Shibari Dictionary isn’t some authority on how the terms should be used but rather a record of the ways they are and have been used. Shibari is still a relatively new practice and new people are getting into it every day. I should know; over 200 new students came through my Shibari 101 classes in Atlanta in 2024 alone. My mentor is one of the people leading the charge to focus on the transformative and meditative aspects of shibari. Social Media is allowing more and more rope and it’s getting popular. That’s a good thing… unless, of course, it isn’t. But isn’t it?

As I said, I’m not some authority and I don’t want to be. I’m a student, just like you. I learn more about shibari terms and how they are used every time I visit a new studio or club. Heck, I’ve started making up some of my own like Signature Rope. Maybe they catch on. Maybe I’m just weird… maybe both!

Through this project, I aim to create a reliable, community-driven resource for practitioners and educators worldwide. I plan on maintaining this site for as long as possible. If some resources get thrown at it, I will look into building a custom dictionary site to reference this database a little easier and help embed on other sites. For now, this platform works pretty well and we can go as deep as we want within terms… like the property table under Rope.

If you find something you’d like to add or amend, please reach out via the buttons on the homepage. Some of the terms have questions in them because there are unanswered questions I have or unverified info. I still can’t decide whether or not to list sources for terms… links break, half of them are to some obscure writing on FetLife or a Japanese clubs blog, anyway. But that’s sort of the issue too, I’ve found a few attempts at something similar to what I am doing here, and they all are riddled with bad links and outdated materials. Some, once their owner decides to retire it, have been retracted entirely (looking at you Monkey… I’ll reach out!). I’m not sure how to chronicle the progress we make in this utterly new art, but this is my first attempt.

I welcome all feedback and suggestions. I hope you enjoy the Shibari/Kinbaku/Rope Dictionary!

— Knot Posh

PS: I decided to publish this Dictionary right around the new year going into 2025. It happened to line up with the release of the excellent glossary at Shibari Study. Ironically, the story of my life has many times included me working diligently on an idea for years and when I’m at the 90% mark, someone else releases the same thing… but it’s not the same though. Their glossary focuses on Japanese terminology, while this one (for now) focuses on English usage. Their glossary leaves out some really fundamental terms like “suspension” and “knot” and “tie.” Words that beginners often ask me for clarification on because, in shibari, we use them differently than the rest of the world. I hope to continue building the Shibari Dictionary into the best resource for shibari practitioners everywhere 🙂