The Japanese bondage art of shibari is rising in popularity and makes Fifty Shades of Grey look like child’s play. Writer Cleo Glyde learns the ropes
So far, my life’s scariest moments have been: 20-hour childbirth, a shark cage dive in the deep black waters of South Australia’s Port Pirie, and 360-degree barrel rolls in an L-39 fighter jet – surreal, physically exacting moments that made me rethink my motto “anything for a laugh”.
How soon we forget. Again, I’m doing something that can only be described as nuts. My chest is trussed with raw rope and my hands are tied behind my back in a series of knots so complex that Houdini himself could never get free. I am bound. Restrained. The man in total control has encircled me with intricate interweaving loops and knots to form a perfect harness.
In this state of surrender, with no use of my hands, a lightning bolt of panicky, primal fear puts me on high alert; I am about to lose footing and be suspended above hard concrete. “Trust the ropes,” my rope master whispers. Just like climbing the first peak of a roller coaster, I know I am no longer in control. Flee-the-building panic overtakes me, flooding my body as I scream, “I need people to hold me now! Help!” Well, it looks like I found my “edge”.
Welcome to shibari (‘‘to tie”), the exquisitely rarefied art of Japanese rope bondage, originally created by Samurai warriors to entrap prisoners. This year’s Adelaide Fringe Festival featured a shibari performance, describing it as “a hedonistic blend of sensual bondage, control, eroticism and lust,” and insisted it would appeal to anyone who’s bored of Sexpo or who’s read Fifty Shades and is looking for a new sexy high.
Denne historien er fra June 2018-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2018-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SHANNEN DOHERTY
The rebellious actor died in July after a nine-year battle with cancer. Zara Wong looks back at the legacy of a woman who always lived on her own terms
IN THE WILDS OF ALASKA
Nature served up a spectacular array of delights, while cruising the majestic waters of the far north.
Back to EARTH
In its earliest days, the farm bred draught horses for export. Now Tasmania's 1840 cottage Leighton House has been restored as a glorious getaway
ODE to LIGHT
Created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian in 2011, Elie Saab's Le Parfum has since gained a cult following and become an industry icon. Here, Sally Hunwick uncovers the origins of the stunning chypre floral scent
JEN ATKIN
The Ouai beauty guru is regularly called on by the Kardashians and a host of other A-listers. Here, she talks about hair, her beauty cupboard and how she keeps up her energy levels
A NEW DIRECTION
When she was 16, Jordan Lambropoulos told her surgeon she'd rather die than wake up with a colostomy bag. Today - 10 years, countless operations and 14,000 Instagram followers later - she's proof that a colostomy bag is not the end. In fact, it can be the beginning of a whole new life
LADY LUCK
Rosalía takes her accessories as seriously as she takes her art. The Spanish musician spent three years working on her much-lauded album Motomami, finessing the details and perfecting the finishing touches. And when it comes to her outfits, she's no less specific
Wait... superhero movies are cool now?
Who had Emma Corrin and Juno Temple as supervillians on their 2024 bingo card?
CURTAIN CALLING
Brisbane-born star Vidya Makan steps into the shoes of America's founding mother in the long-awaited return of Hamilton
LEIGH-ANNE
The English singer on colourism, freedom and reuniting Little Mix
