The Boudoir Bible (34 page)

Once the French bowline cuffs are secured to stable fixed points with the Prusik knot, the top should make sure that the cords always pass over the palms and not the backs of the bottom’s hands, reducing the risk of putting their delicate articulations under strain or the pulse points under pressure. This safety measure has a fringe benefit: it gives the bottom a grip point that will render the struggles of his or her erotic captivity all the more dynamic!

Achieve Your Mission: Cord Extensions

An extension with a square knot can be created for a cord that is too short. This beautiful knot is created by twisting the ends of two
separate ropes over each other, just as if you were getting ready to tie your shoe, but then, rather than making a bow, the cords are simply twisted over each other a second time. The trick lies in the direction in which these twists are made. Let’s say you’ve created a French bowline cuff, but the standing line is not long enough to permit you to tie the bottom to a fixed point. You can extend the cord and achieve your mission by tying on another length of cord with the help of a square knot. Imagine that the ends of the two cords are labeled (or actually label them, if it’s easier): the end used to make the French bowline cuff is “A,” and the end of the extension is “B.” The first twist should be made by passing A over B. The second and final twist should be made by twisting B over A. Pull the lines taut.

The square knot is ideal for joining two cords, as it tightens under strain. It therefore should never be used to secure binds directly on the body, as it cannot be released quickly.

The Sensual Embrace: Shibari and Compression

Certain forms of shibari serve to restrain the lover’s sense of movement as well as provide the effects of compression. Those who enjoy wearing corsets are familiar with the erotic thrills of compression. Others have experienced its powers through wearing garments that are cut to hug every heavenly curve or are made of constrictive materials like latex, leather, or fabrics that cinch the silhouette such as Lycra or spandex. Tight-fitting clothing defines a body’s underlying shape, creating an impact on the eye of the beholder. It also enhances body awareness, providing the wearer with an all-over body hug that may rub him or her in all the right places!

Depending on how and where the cords are used, they may incite similar (but decidedly more acute) effects. The thighs, the chest, the breasts, and the genitals can be engaged in the hugging, rubbing, and constrictive embrace of the cords. The greater the surface areas of the body that are bound, the greater the overall
effects will be—as long as the “no” zones are respected. Restriction and compression can combine for ecstatic results: The areas constricted by the cords become engorged with blood and grow even more sensitive to touch, while compression also induces a calming effect, facilitating the bottom’s ability to truly abandon himself or herself to the sensual realm.

More Tantalizing Restraints

A basic shibari technique to restrain the wrists can also be used to restrain the legs, arms, and ankles, as well as tie the wrists to the ankles (see
plate XII
). Invite the bottom to put his or her hands together, pulse point to pulse point, either at the front or the back of the body. Use a doubled 8-foot-long (2.5-meter) cord, and wrap it around both wrists two or three times, keeping the binds symmetrical and even. The cords should not cross over each other but lie flat against each other and the skin. If the pulse points do not face and therefore protect each other, make sure the cords lie slightly above or below, not directly on, them. The last time the doubled cord is wrapped around the wrists, bring the working ends back to the front of the bind. Adjust the band of cord to ensure that the loop created by the bend at the middle of the cord is about 4 inches (10 centimeters) long and the resulting bind is symmetrical and harmonious.

Thread the working ends of the cords through the space between the wrists and wrap all of the cords that form the bind a couple of times, if not more, depending on the slack that needs to be taken up and the length of the standing lines.

The last time you pass the ends of the cords between the wrists, bring them back to the front of the bind and secure the restraint by tying a safety knot with the working cords and the loop. Arrange the knot and any remaining cord length in such a way that the bottom cannot execute a fast release on his or her own. This basic restraint is as effective as it is aesthetically pleasing to behold. Before commencing
to tantalize your bound lover and/or proceeding to execute, for example, a lower-body bond, check again that the cords are not too tight.

Complete Control: The Kaiyaku Kani, or the Crab

The Kaikyaku Kani, or “the crab,” is a two-phased restraint. First invite the bottom to sit or to lie on his or her back, bending the knees toward the chest. Using a doubled cord that is 25 to 30 feet long (8 to 9 meters), wrap the cord around a paired wrist and ankle, then pass the ends of the cord through the loop. Wrap the cords in the opposite direction three or four times, creating the bind. Make sure to leave a little bit of space between the ankle and the wrist. Ensure that the center loop is positioned in the middle of the bind, then thread the working ends of the cord through it.

Take up the slack in the cords by running the ends of the cord through the space between the ankle and the wrist; wrap the ends at least once, preferably twice, around all of the cords. The bottom should not be able to slip out of the restraint, but he or she must be able to move his or her wrists! Secure this phase of the restraint by tying an overhand knot at the front of the bind. Repeat the same restraint on the other wrist and ankle.

The second phase of the crab entails restraining the legs. Using the remaining length of the doubled cord, bind the lower portion of the calf and the thigh. Next, take up the slack and secure the bind by passing the working ends of the cords through the space between the cords and the crook of the knee. Terminate the bind with an overhand knot, and repeat the same restraint on the other side of the body.

If you are using long cords and come up with extra length, once the legs have been restrained, you may wish to cross the working lines from the right knee to the left side of the body, and vice versa, and terminate the crab by making a safety knot at the back. If the working lines are not long enough to do this, the same results can be achieved by adding two extra lengths of doubled cord to the knee restraints.
The effects of the restraint can also be intensified by passing a cord around the
back
of the neck and securing the working ends to the left and right knee binds, which will pull the upper body forward.

Touch, Tease, and Squeeze: The Chest Harness

The chest harness (see
plate XIII
) can be used on its own, or in combination with a variety of restraints, including the crab. It provides a snug hug that instills in the bottom a unique sense of calm and security while providing the top with a grip point that will permit him or her to maneuver the bottom with ease from the seated position onto his or her back, rendering the genitals more accessible. The chest harness compresses the chest and lifts a female partner’s breasts—not only a delectable sight to behold but also an irresistible invitation to touch, tease, and please!

When creating the chest harness, as with any other restraint on a standing bottom, the top should remain in a fixed position as much as possible. That is, rather than moving around the bottom, the top should have the bottom turn according to the demands of creating the restraint. This will avoid the bottom getting entangled in lengthy cords. It also reinforces the effects of the power shift and induces a euphoric sense of displacement in the bottom.

To create a basic chest harness, I recommend a doubled cord that is 40 feet long (12 meters). Hold the loop at the center of the bottom’s back, just below the shoulder blades, and have the bottom spin slowly; adjust the rope as it wraps around the area just beneath the breasts of a woman or the lower portion of a man’s chest. Once the bottom comes twice in full circle, pass the ends of the rope through the center loop at the back. Making sure that the lines do not cross each other and that the bind is harmonious and symmetrical, pull the cords snugly against the bottom’s skin. (When a bottom has breast implants, care should be taken that the cords aren’t pulled too tightly.)

Then ask the bottom to spin in the opposite direction, so that the ropes can be wrapped directly over the upper area of the breasts or chest. The resulting bind should be the same width as the lower one. Repeated wrapping will make for a more supportive, constrictive chest harness. Once the bottom comes full circle for the last time, the ends of the rope should be passed through the center loop at the back once again. Make sure the bind is symmetrical before pulling the cords taut.

Holding the cords taut, move to the bottom’s side and guide the cords over one of the shoulders and down the center of the chest, over the horizontal lines forming the front of the chest harness; the working ends are then threaded under the cords that form the base of the harness at the sternum. Next, bring them back up and over the lines that created the first “strap.” This will result in an elegant drop-shaped loop at the center of the harness. Guide the cords over the opposite shoulder, thread them around the knot at the center of the back, and then give them a controlled but decisive tug to increase the tension on the harness. (This gesture will also remind the bottom of who is in control of his or her pleasure!) Secure the chest harness with an overhand or square knot. Finally, check in to make sure that the bottom is comfortable.

The harness will gradually increase the sensitivity of the breasts and the nipples. Like any form of bondage that constricts the thorax, it will also slightly reduce the natural expansion of the lungs and therefore the amount of air taken in. As the involuntary act of breathing verges toward a more voluntary and conscious act, the entire body will be called upon to adjust to the reduction of oxygen in the bloodstream. Those who practice yoga use a similar kind of breath control to instill a concentrated state of mind. The effects of the chest harness can lead a bound bottom toward similarly deep meditative states and heighten overall perceptions and awareness. The bound bottom may also experience pleasant sensations of drifting or weightlessness.

Intricate Ecstasy: Kinbaku, or the Unknotted Tortoise Shell

The effects of compression in combination with restraint can be executed in a traditional variation of kinbaku—the unknotted tortoise shell (see
plate XVI
). As complicated as this variation appears to be, it is actually surprisingly simple to do. Use your longest cord of 40 feet (12 meters), double it, and place the loop over the bottom’s head. Without pulling the cords tight, pull the main lines toward the center of the bottom’s chest and run them straight through the legs, along either side of the genitals. Bring the ends of the main lines up along the back and through the loop at the back of the neck.

Do not pull the cords snug. The creation of the unknotted tortoise shell will gradually take up the slack. If the cord is initially too snug, the binding cannot be nearly as intricate, and it risks becoming too constricting to be considered physically pleasing for the bottom. The more elaborate the restraint becomes, the more aesthetically moving it will be for both partners. With practice you will learn to calculate the amount of slack required to execute the tortoise shell to a T!

Now separate the working lines, run them under the bottom’s arms, then ask the bottom to spin so you have access to his or her front. Working from the top of the body downward, cross the main lines at the front of the body over each other, then thread the ends of the working lines over the vertical lines and pull them snug. This will create the first diamond shape, as well as the first horizontal line across the top of the chest. Continue working in this manner, crossing the vertical lines on the front of the body, then at back of the body, in accordance with the design that you wish to make.

As you proceed, the cords will tighten, and periodically check that those cords that lie on either side of the genitals do not cross over each other. When the upper-body tortoise shell is complete, tie it off at the back with a square knot. You may wish to rig a vibrator into the
cords that come into contact with the genitals, which will cause all the cords to vibrate. If you have extra cord at the back of the harness, you may decide to use it to tie the bottom’s wrists together behind his or her back using the basic shibari technique learned earlier in this chapter. Finish this bind with a safety knot.

Feel free to add extra lengths of cord in order to accomplish variations on the theme; your imagination is the limit as long as you respect the “no” zones.

Sweet Torture: The Cock Ring

One of my favorite restraints is an alternative to the cock ring (see
plate VII
). Using at least 6 feet (2 meters) of ¼-inch-diameter (6-millimeter) cord, double it, and then wrap it around the fully erect penis and the testicles. Thread the ends of the cord through the center loop, and tug for a snug fit. (Try not to snag your lover’s pubic hair in the bindings.) Ensure that the bind is not too tight, then wrap the ropes in the opposite direction, at least two or three times, if not more. Terminate the bond by hitching the free ends of the ropes into the main lines, at the top or the bottom of the bind, and tie them off with the simple overhand knot. The extra cord can be used as a leash or reins for your wild pony, or succumb to the temptation to crisscross the cords up your lover’s engorged shaft. Pulling the ends ever so gently as you go will push his pleasure to celestial heights. Now that the vas deferens—and, therefore, the ejaculation reflex—are under delightful control, you can torture him with sweet ecstasy until he sees stars!

Euphoric Release

The way in which a bottom is released from the embrace of the cords, no matter where they are placed on the body, is as important to the positive outcome of the session as their skillful, harmonious application. When possible, the bottom should continue to move
according to the top’s instructions and refrain from touching the cords as they slip away from his or her body.