Tuesday 3 February 2015

Boola Boola and Bugbears

Basically I suck at the Boola Boola so I use the Somerville Bowline for my single/double column ties. Now there are a few reasons for this.
  • Its bomb proof - its basically impossible to tie wrong or result in slipage
  • With the twist tie method the Somerville Bowline is about as fast as the Boola Boola.
  • Somerville Bowline doesnt need reinforcement.
But given its flaws (or my incompetence), it is still good to know how to tie a Boola Boola. So what tricks do i use to make sure I dont stuff it up.
  • Cross the tail with the standing before capturing the loops.
  • Make a loop in the standing end by grabbing underneath with your left hand and rotating clockwise. 
  • Thread the tail thru the loop and tighten 90 degrees to the loops
  • Settle the knot.
  • Loop the standing again and thread through the tail to reinforce/lock the knot.
While the Somerville Bowline is probably not traditional it is functional. The same can be said for the Boola Boola being a functional improvement to the Hojojitsu Slip knot.

Tuesday 23 December 2014

Kinbaku Cross Reference

This table is a index of images from Art of Kinbaku that has been cross referenced to instructions from the following books by page number;
Reference: RopeMarks Ryu Illustrated Glossary

Art of
Kinbaku
Image No
Art of Kinbaku
Tie Name
Form AoK MT2 MT1 CS Land CS Sky Description
106 Agura shibari Shibari 182 138 - 76 - Lotus Position Binding
43 Aomuke zuri Zuri - - 122 - 68 Face Up Suspension Pattern
17,29,30,66 Ebi shibari Shibari - - - 80, 82 - Shrimp Tie
10,14,35,50,
61
Ganji Garame Shibari - - - - - Body Net
21,22 Ganji Garame/ Tsukue shibari Shibari - - - - - Body Net
15,18,46,47,
48,73,75,94,
95
Gote shibari/ Takatekote Shibari 178 24,38 35 54 46 Box Tie
6,32,33,36,
39,57,72,
102
Gyaku-ebi Shibari - 146 - 88 80 Reverse Shrimp Tie
25,107 Hashira Ushirodaki Shibari Shibari - - - - - Tying someone to an upright bamboo, pole with the hands tied behind
7,8,55,83,
101
Hishi nawa Shibari 184 98 - 68 - Diamond Wrap
56,96 Imo Mushi shibari Shibari - - - - - arms behind the back & the ankle of one leg is tied to the thigh of the other leg.
37,104,105 Iwato-nawa shibari Shibari - - - - - spreading the legs wide with ropes around the ankles / thighs.
71 Jiai shibari Shibari - - - - - A hugging position
54 Kaikyaku Kani shibari Shibari - - - - - A spread-legged-crab-tie. 
67 Kami shibari Shibari - 116 - - - Hair Binding
31,69,76,77,
79,82,100
Kata-Ashi zuri Zuri - - - - 74,75 One-Leg Hanging Partial Suspension
16,87,88,89 Kikkou shibari Shibari - 104 - - - Tortoise Shell Wrap
4 Koutoubu Ryo-tekubi Shibari - - - - - Bound hands) with the writst in the back of the neck
58,59,60,68 M-Ji Kaikyaku Shibari - - - - - Legs Spread into Letter-M Tie
97 Mune Hishi Gore shibari Shibari - - - - - Chest bondage
9,19,45.62,
65,90,103,
108
Original Shibari - - - - - Authors original tie
24,26,27,28,
52,70
Oujou shibari Shibari - - - - - tied kneeling to a vertical bamboo ankles are crossed and bound, spreading the legs
84 Pesant Class Hojojutsu - - - - - Criminal bind
2 Sakasa zuri Zuri - - - - 94 Inverted Suspension
1,42,74,85,
86,87,89
Samuari Class Hojojutsu - - - - - Prisoner bind
49 Suruga-doi shibari Shibari - - - 86 - Wrists & ankles are closely bound behind the back 
5,40,44,78,
81,91,92,
99
Takenotsue shibari Shibari - - - - - Tying someone using a bamboo pole.
23,53,80 Tanuki shibari Shibari - - - - 76 Limb Suspension
51,98 Tasuki shibari Shibari - - - 50 - Kimono Tie
64 Teppo shibari Shibari - 76 - 66 - Rifle
3,34,93 Tsukue shibari Shibari - - - - - Tying to low table
11,20,63 Ushirode Gassho Shibari - 56 - 52 - Reverse Prayer Hands
38 Utsubuse zuri Zuri - - 54 - 64 Face Down Suspension Pattern
12,13,109 Yoko Zuri Zuri - - 77 - 84,88 Sideways Suspension Pattern
41 Yukata shibari Shibari - - - - - wearing a yukata ("summer kimono").
109 Pics
34 Ties
Used
(in table)

3 7 4 8 6
109 Pics
34 Ties
Total
(in book)

3 18 4 16 14

Kinbaku Syllabus

Just a list of what I think people should learn to develop a basic toolkit of Kinbaku skills & patterns.

Risks

Slipping Knots
Circulation Restriction Risks & Signs
Nerve Damage Risks & Signs
Rope Care
Rope & Equipment Loading
Hygene & Health Risks
Personal Fitness & Injuries

Knots

Boola Boola or Somervill Bowline
Larks Head
Overhand/Thumb  Knot
Half Hitch
Redirects
Reef (Square) Knot
Clove Hitch

Equipment

Carabiners
Rope Types
Suspension Rings

Western Ties

Rope Coreset
Cargo Net

Shibari (Ground Work)

Takate-Kote - Box Tie
Tasuki shibari - Kimono Tie
Hishi nawa - Diamond Wrap
Kikkou shibari - Tortoise Shell Wrap
Ushirode Gassho - Rev. Prayer Hands
Ebi shibari - Shrimp Tie
Gyaku-ebi - Rev. Shrimp (Hog) Tie
Ryou-Ashi Fudou Ippon Shibari
- Full Body Ladder Tie

Zuri (Suspension)

Kata-Ashi zuri
- One-Leg Hanging Partial
Tanuki shibari - Limb Suspension
Utsubuse zuri- Face Down Susp.
Yoko zuri - Sideways Suspension
Aomuke zuri - Face Up Suspension
Sakasa zuri - Inverted Suspension

Other Useful Knots

These are just knots your proably should know;

Saturday 13 December 2014

Rope Selection

Just a few thoughts on the relative merits/costs of Rope Selection. I also found a good reference on issues facing rope selection.

Rope
Size (mm)
Material Break
Load (kg)
Cost (A$)
Cost/m
Cost 8m
Comments
300m Jute Twine 1 Jute
10.00 0.03 0.24 Can be used for hand tieing or
homemade rope making
6mm x 20m Cotton Sash Cord 6 Cotton
15.00 0.75 6.00 Good for practice rope.
High eleastisity. Stretches.
8mm x 15m Cotton Sash Cord 8 Cotton
17.50 1.67 9.33 High eleastisity. Stretches.
6mm x 30m High Strength Rope 6 Poly-
propolene
Break
650kg
23.00 0.76 6.13 Suspension Main ?
8mm x 30m High Strength Rope 8 Poly-
propolene
Break
1200kg
35.00 1.67 9.33
6mm White Super Silver Rope 6 Synthetic

0.45 3.60 Cheap Twisted Practice Rope
8mm x 20m White Super Silver Rope 6 Synthetic
13.50 0.68 5.40 Cheap Twisted Practice Rope
Ichiban Light jute rope 6mm, 1 x 8m 6 Jute
18.94 2.37 18.94
Asanawa shibari kinbaku
jute rope 7mm,1 x 8m
7 Jute
22.75 2.84 22.75 High Quality Treated Jute
Natural Hemp Rope Twisted 6mm per m Unconditioned 6 Organic Hemp Break
260kg

1.55 12.40
Natural Hemp Rope Twisted 8mm per m Unconditioned 8 Organic Hemp Break
410kg

1.80 14.40
Mammut Static Cord 2mm per metre 2 Synthetic Break
50kg

0.50 4.00 For accessories
Mammut Static Cord 6mm per metre 6 Synthetic Break
810kg

1.80 14.40
Mammut Obsession 8.3mm 50M PAIR Dynamic Climbing 8.3 Synthetic 6.5kn
(662kg)
Impact
Force
9  UIAA
falls
400.00 4.00 32.00
Mammut Galaxy 10mm X 60metre Dynamic Climbing 10 Synthetic 9.2kn
(937kg)
Impact
Force
7 UIAA falls
300.00 5.00 40.00

Ref

These suppliers are only included as references to this table and not for any endorsement or commercial purposes.

Friday 12 December 2014

Trick Knots

A few of my favourite non bondage and trick knots are;

Sunday 23 March 2014

The Revolver Suspension Ring

Well it has been a while since I posed here but I thought this one is worth of making a comeback.
Now what is not to like about the looks of New Hampshire Order of the Triskelion (NHOT) Revolver Suspension Ring. It says its CNC machined but I would hope this is a forged and CNC machined to give better material strength. Its immediately obvious how practical this design is for rope separation. The price is a bit steep but perhaps the price will sharpen up as scale increases.