Don’t be scared, BDSM doesn’t hurt… unless you want it to. 

BDSM stands for bondage, discipline or domination, sadism or submission and masochism. Utilising one or more of these means you’re engaging in BDSM.

Sitting under the kink or fetish umbrella of the sex world, BDSM can involve a huge range of different types of sexual or non-sexual acts. This type of play can range from sensual shibari to flogging with the intention to cause pain and ultimately pleasure to your partner – with discussed prior consent. 

In this blog series, we will explore different types of BDSM that aren’t as well-known. So pop on your bondage gear and start your BDSM journey of pleasure and/or pain. 

What is Shibari?

Not for the unskilled or faint of heart, shibari is an art form before it is a sex act. Originating in Japan, shibari is when one person ties up another. It can be used for stimulation, relaxation or combined into another type of sex scene of your choosing. 

Shibari gives you freedom to be creative with how you tie up your partner. It's beautiful and decorative, ranging from simple wrist ties, hogties and chest-harnesses, all the way to webbed suspensions. 

What Type of Play is Shibari?

Shibari is a combination of different BDSM practices. The BDSM acronyms that you use will depend on how you want your scene to go. 

Often taking place over hours at a time, shibari can be sensual but requires plenty of trust, complemented by a calm and submissive mindset from the person being tied up – the rope bunny.  

Shibari allows the tyer to create a completely submissive rope bunny who psychically has little control of their own movement. This allows for a fun submissive/dominating play session, giving the dominant full control over their submissive. 

As the rope bunny has no control and often cannot even get up depending on the ties, both parties need to be comfortable with what the scene will entail. The dominant and submission should have prior discussion of what will happen within the scene. 

You can combine shibari with roleplay scenarios if you dare. Think of naughty students and teachers, or even a kidnapping scene – maybe leave this one to the experts. 

Another addition to your play session can be impact play. A good way to learn about safety, along with communication, consent and basic bondage is to attend a Flirt Shibari Session by Kinky in the Country. 

Get Started!

While shibari is complicated at first, try a few simple knots before delving into suspension styles. We recommend watching YouTube videos, reading books, or signing up for classes, because shibari is far from a simple BDSM practice! 

When your skills are up to scratch, try our Behave Bind or Boundless Rope for quality ties. 

Customise Your Scene

At the end of the day, your BDSM play sessions are YOURS (and your partner/s)! It’s customisable to you and your partner’s wants and needs. As long as you're engaging in consensual and communicative play, the BDSM world is your oyster!