Bondage & Discipline

These practices encompass the restriction of human behavior. Bondage accomplishes this through binding the person to restrict their movement. Discipline is psychological restraint, whereby one person controls the behavior of another. l!

Bondage can be elaborate and beautiful or simple and pragmatic. It may be part of a sexual encounter or used in conjunction with other BDSM practices, or it may be practiced alone for the simple joy of restraint.

There are many things with which one person can bind another. People may tie a partner’s hands with a tie or scarf. Some people use rope or tape, some use zip ties (although these are risky and dangerous if used incorrectly!). Others use cuffs that can be leather or metal.

Rope bondage is a complex world of beautiful and difficult techniques.
A very popular variety of rope bondage from Japan is called Shibari or Kinbaku. These are elaborate designs that range from gentle to very painful. Some people are suspended by the rigger in complex patterns. These techniques can be practiced as performance art, or as private play between people. Rope bondage may include elements of martial arts or related disciplines, and a skilled rigger can accomplish the same grace and fluidity of movement.

Discipline is characterized by rules and punishment and is an element that is integral to many BDSM practices. For people practicing discipline, the Top sets rules or boundaries for behavior. For example, there may be restrictions on speech or eye contact during a scene. Often, if the bottom breaks the rules there is an associated punishment.

For some people, this becomes a game, where the bottom breaks the rules solely for the purpose of being ‘punished’. For other people, the rules and their associated punishments are more serious. It is important to remember that these activities are consensual. The bottom agrees to participate in the activity knowing there will be punishments for breaking the rules.

The bottom can stop the activity at any time.