The art of bondage: play for women in BDSM
Bondage for women: my honest examples, games, and tips for playing safely with rope, trust, and surrender.
Glossary
Ichinawa
One rope, no harness to memorize. The form where nothing can hide behind technique.
What is ichinawa?
Ichinawa (一縄) is a free Japanese rope style in which you tie with a single rope. It turns on flowing on and off again, on presence and tension, more than on the pattern or the knot. The name comes from ichi (one) and nawa (rope); in the rope scene you hear ippon nawa just as often.
| Japanese | 一縄, from ichi (one) and nawa (rope); also written as ippon nawa (一本縄) |
| English name | single-rope style, one-rope tying |
| Also known as | ippon nawa, ippon nawa shibari; two names for the same form |
| Category | a form of shibari and kinbaku |
| Rope length | usually one strand of seven to eight meters |
| What it turns on | flow, presence, tension and release, not a complex pattern |
Where the name ichinawa comes from
The name is itself a point of discussion. Ippon nawa uses the Japanese counter for long, round things, the hon category, while ichinawa takes the general word for “one”. Rope teacher Douglas Kent (ESINEM) therefore calls ippon nawa strictly speaking more correct, and points to Osada Steve, who sums it up practically: anyone who knows something of both shibari and Japanese usually means, by ippon nawa, tying someone with a single strand of rope. Under whichever name, it’s about that one rope.
Why people choose ichinawa
Ichinawa takes the pressure off the pattern. You don’t have to learn a harness by heart; there’s one rope, and the attention goes to how it feels as it runs across the skin. For you, as the one being tied, that means slowly built tension and moments of release, instead of lying still in a finished pattern. For me it’s the most honest form there is: with one strand there’s nothing to tuck away behind technique. You’re there, or you’re not. The flip side comes with it: one rope carries little weight, so as a basis for a suspension ichinawa is not meant.
Where this fits on this site
If that form appeals to you, slow rope with one strand instead of a tight pattern, that’s possible on a BDSM date. That page covers how I choose the build-up and what we go over beforehand. It doesn’t have to be complicated: with one rope you can already do a lot.
Sources
- 縄 (nawa). Wiktionary. Supplies the meaning of nawa as rope, the second part of the compound ichinawa.
Related terms
Ichinawa is a form of shibari, reduced to a single nawa.
- Nawa. The Japanese word for the rope this style uses only one of.
- Sabaki. The supple rope handling that becomes visible at once with one strand.
- Floorwork. The work on the ground, where ichinawa almost always belongs.
- Kannuki. The crossing strike that lets you lock off a band even with one rope.
- Asanawa. The natural-fiber rope that gives enough grip to let one strand bite.
Frequently asked questions
What people still ask about ichinawa.
Is ichinawa a good place to start?
Yes, ichinawa lends itself well to a first introduction, because there’s no complicated pattern in it to learn by heart. With one rope on the ground it stays clear and manageable. For a suspension, where body weight hangs from the rope, one strand is exactly not meant.
Who can you turn to with questions about ichinawa?
Victor, a gigolo with twenty-five years of BDSM experience and trained as a psychotherapist. He likes to tie with one rope, precisely because there’s nothing in between, and thinks along with no obligation. Ask your question through the contact form, or first chat for free.
Blog
Articles about ropework and connection
Why shibari is more than tying knots, and how rope makes a connection: exactly what ichinawa aims at with a single strand.
Bondage: the world of shibari and connective kink
Shibari rope bondage and connective kink, explained through aesthetics, trust, and a gentle way to begin as a beginner.
Related service
Tying with one rope during a date
Ichinawa asks for no tight pattern, but for calm and attention. The service page covers how I build up an evening with rope and what we agree beforehand.
BDSM date
Book a BDSM date with a gigolo who has 25 years of experience. Safe, intense, always within your limits, from soft bondage to dominance.
Learn more
Still have questions about ichinawa?
I'm Victor, and one rope is my favorite way to tie, because there's nothing in between. Ask me how a build-up like that goes or what it opens up; it costs nothing and ties you to nothing. I'll text you back calmly.