The RopeMarks Ryū illustrated glossary is a brief dictionary of names and terms accompanied by photos that have come down to us from history, from hojojutsu terminology and from well known nawashi/kinbakushi that have become fairly standard.

Credits

The initial version of this glossary has been around since 1999. It was then extended with the generous input from Master “K” and Osada Steve . Over the years it has been extended with knowledge gained from personal studies in the field of kinbaku.

Over the years the different versions of this glossary have been copied by many.

Disclaimer

The definitions in this glossary are not written in stone. There is unanimous agreement on most of these terms but a few represent general agreement by most authorities.

Most Japanese kanji have more than one way to read them, also the context where the kanji are used further determines the meaning.

Knowing the “correct” Japanese word for every shibari tie doesn’t make you a nawashi no more than owning an expensive camera makes you a great photographer. So, take the names in this glossary with a grain of salt and focus on the true beauty of kinbaku.