I often lecture that it is from the fundamentals that the infinite arises. The advanced ties are quite literally made up solely of the fundamentals.
This tie (to the right) for example is made up of a simple Hishi Shibari (Diamond tie), two Futomomo Shibari (Thigh Ties), and a rope run around the models lower back to make the sitting position more comfortable to be maintained; all basic ties, that, in co-ordination, come together
“Kihon Happo” (基本八法) literally means the eight fundamental methods or principles. However, if you turn the number eight (8) on its side, it becomes the symbol for the infinite (∞). Thus, a way of reading this phrase is “from the fundamentals comes infinite methods.”
Or as it was written in the 17th century scroll of the jujutsu tradition, Takagi Yoshin-ryu Chugokui Mokuroku,
“修行專要千手萬手一手二結”
Takagi Yoshin-ryu Chugokui Mokuroku
Which means something like “Training is crucial; a thousand or ten thousand methods are linked to a single method.”
This idea of implementing several basics at a time also contributes to the “completeness” of the presentation, comparable to a similar principle that I often talk about in shibari, Shingyoso.
The Eight Fundamentals
A sort of collection of fundamental ties that I like to make sure that my students are familiar with are as follows:
| Kōte Shibari | 後手縛 | Hands-Behind Tie |
| Kōtō Gōte Shibari | 後頭後手縛 | Hands Behind Head tie |
| Maete Hiji Shibari | 前手肘縛 | Hands Forward Elbow Tie |
| Futomomo Shibari | 太腿縛 | Thigh Tie |
| Teppō Shibari | 鉄砲縛 | Rifle tie |
| Mae Gote Shibari | 前小手縛 | Front Wrist Tie |
| Agura Shibari | 胡坐縛 | Cross-Legged Tie |
| Koshi Shibari | 腰縛 | Hip Tie |
From these eight basic ties all other ties can be considered to be derived, so this makes for a groundwork with which to grow everything else. For ties on the ground, pretty much any iteration of these ties are suitable, and there are suspension-worthy versions of each of these. Even practicing extremely basic ties offer innumerable lessons.
