Week 04 of 52 : Single Column around Two
In week four of our #kinbaku52 project (before moving on to a true double-column tie) there are many occasions when you will want to bind two limbs using a single column tie. Wrists in a gote shibari tie is an obvious example that comes to mind, and once again we're using a Somerville Bowline in the photo above.
A few months ago we worked very hard on the aesthetics of our gote shibari and finally got our technique to a stage where we are very pleased with the smoothness and flow. (You can see some close ups in this article: Gote Shibari and Stem Practice.) That shows a technique that is best described as a contemporary style gote, and we found the ShibariClasses tutorial really helpful.
However, what you see here is closer to an old style gote, and is a technique that we are still working on. We love its speed and passion, the raw spontaneity, and it's relative simplicity. But, whilst it inherently demonstrates less symmetry and a more informal style, that is not to say that there is no structure. Our technique in the photo is a little too chaotic, doesn't entirely tick our OCD checkbox (yes, we have one of those) so we'll just keep on practising! :-)
For a more formal and symmetrical gote shibari, take a look at our earlier article: Gote Shibari and Stem Practice. It's based on the techniques taught in the ShibariClasses Contemporary Gote tutorial...
We gave the main photograph quite a rough black and white treatment, boosting the contrast and adding a fake grain effect, simulating a push-processing development style.
This tie is often seen in photographs in the form of a low-hands gote with the wrists crossed, and the single column tied relatively snug. Depending on your level of flexibility, you might find this lower (crossed) position more comfortable, but that's not to say that it can't also be tied with the forearms in the more classic horizontal position. Because the method involves making wraps over the top of the stem, you find yourself very rapidly and securely captured! ;-)
References
We base most of our practice on tutorials from the ShibariClasses website. To learn more about the gote style tie in the photos above, check out the following tutorials, especially the Old Style Gote, which goes into far more detail, including adding extra ropes and a suspension demonstration.
The Okinawa Jute rope that we use in most of our photography is from Esinem-Rope. The quality is lovely, and whilst it may feel like a luxury purchase, we took the view that it barely costs any more than supposedly "cheap" cotton rope that you'd buy at any adult store...
Next week we're moving onto double column ties and we will be exploring one of our favourite applications! ;-)
