Chanta Rose, Bondage for Sex (Book Review)

   
 26/02/2018    bondage

We bought a copy of Chanta Rose's Bondage for Sex Volume 1 just before it went out of print, but happily it's now available again in all good book shops.


Bondage for Sex, Volume 1

Chanta Rose is a model and bondage rigger from Melbourne. By way of a cute, sexy introduction, you might like to check out the following video on YouTube, which also gives a very good flavour of the content that follows in this book review. Below that we've copied a link to the Book Depository. (Other bookshops are available...) It's currently selling at £19.99 although the RRP is apparently closer to £28.

The book, Bondage for Sex, is not strictly focused on the style of traditional Japanese kinbaku that we have been drawn towards recently, but where it excels is in providing practical ideas that are well within reach of couples wanting to explore. As the saying goes, it does what it says on the tin! If you want to indulge in sex and bondage in your bedroom, this book delivers exactly that.

Furthermore, you are obviously free to modify the ties in the book (we're not big fans of the "larks head" knot for example) and so if you simply want a book of practical, sexy ideas with some lovely photography, we can confirm that Bondage for Sex Volume 1 will not disappoint.

To summarise the content:

  • Basic Spread-eagle & Pull Legs Back variation
    An X shaped spreadeagle tie and a variation where the ankles are pulled back towards the shoulders.
  • Crab Tie & Doggy Style variation
    Lying on back with forearms tied to shins, and a kneeling variation with ankles tied to opposite corners of the bed and wrists together, pulled back between the knees.
  • Harness and Frogtie & Add Breast Bondage & Arms by Side & Cross Legged variations
    Think along the lines of a Gote Shibari (box-tie) combined with a kneeling Futomomo (shin to thigh). The Breast Bondage variation adds rope "wraps" around each breast, and Arms by Side involves a wrist to thigh variation. The variation named "Cross Legged" I think would often be referred to as a Shrimp Tie, adding a loop of rope over the back of your neck and compressing your position forwards.
  • Open Leg Pile Driver & Closed Legs variation
    The open leg tie is on your back, ankles pulled right up over your shoulders and tied off to the bed posts, lifting your hips. The closed leg variation is more of a kneeling doggy-style position with legs together.
  • Crossed Arm Tie
    This is an arms crossed behind the head tie, with the option to add a rope cleave gag.
  • A Simple Leg Tie for Sex
    A clever thigh based tie that keeps your legs apart and raised back. Nice!
  • Edge of Bed Fuck & Wrists to Ankles variation
    A doggy-style tie, along the lines of a hogtie, where your knees overhang the edge of the bed.
  • Don't Waste that Headboard
    Kneeling with your back to the headboard, arms outstretched in a T-shape.

Being reasonably flexible is probably advantageous, but there is nothing in the book that will require you to be a double-jointed gymnast.

If I have to offer a couple of minor critiques of the book, the first would be that it sounds like it's marketed as a book for beginners, but it also seems to assume that you have some basic knowledge. To its credit, everything is kept safe and simple, with a "Larks Head" being pretty much the only knot you'll need. However, I think if you don't already understand the basics of reverse-tension, and how to tie a larks-head and a half-hitch, you should really get some practice in before starting the book.

It's unfair to say the book has no explanation of knots, but it could be a lot better in that regard. In terms of beginner books, the explanations in Lee Harrington's Shibari You Can Use are considerably better. That would probably make a very nice companion to this book actually.

Secondly, perhaps a consequence of the book's success in keeping everything simple, some of the rope-work ends up looking a little bulky and over-complex.

Overall, and in spite of our small criticisms above, I have to say that we've been delighted with the book. Just bear in mind that it's probably worth acquiring some basic knowledge first (we always recommend the ShibariClasses online tutorials) or just make sure that you are already confident with the techniques. We've begun treating it like a recipe book of ideas, substituting our own preferred knots, and the positions really are delightful.


Summary

Bondage for Sex Volume 1 has been out of print for a while and you will often see it advertised second-hand for some crazy prices. It's currently available on Amazon, the Book Depository, and others, and is selling for around £20.

In our photos we're using Okinawa Jute rope from Esinem-Rope. Do make sure you have some decent rope as the ties described in the book will create tension along your lines to your hardpoint tie-offs and stretchy cotton rope is really not going to be ideal.

If you really do want to stick to a larks-head knot and are looking for a free tutorial, one of the best that we've found is the following from deGiotto Rope.

01 Giotto Rope Bondage Fundamentals Single Column Tie

Alternatively, if you love rope and would like to embark on a more comprehensive journey into its techniques and possibilities, we highly recommend signing up for some of the tutorials at ShibariClasses. There are a mixture of free and paid classes and they're in a different league to the free material you will find on YouTube.





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