Bondage

Bondage as BDSM practice includes wide range of tools and methods for immobilization of one of the partners, putting him in stress position and/or restriction of his senses (sensory deprivation) – vision, smell, touch as well as his ability to speak and/or make any sound.

In bondage are used different BDSM restraints as handcuffs, ropes, chains, leather cuffs & collars, leather or rubber straps, PVC strech (saran) and duct tapes, bondage hoods, leather blindfolds and ball gags, specially designed leather clothing as leather armbinders, monogloves, strightjackets, GIMP suits, masks and also BDSM furniture/ dungeon equipment as iron cages, St. Andrews crosses, bondage stocks & pilories, isolation boxes, etc.

The use of bondage during BDSM play can be motivated for various reasons and pursue a wide range of goals - from satisfying the need for physical restraint and creating a sense of helplessness in the subordinate partner to placing him in a situation of inability to resist the actions of the dominant partner (e.g. a corporal punishment scenario). Some BDSM practices presume implementing bondage because of their nature. Some examples for such practices are various action role play games as simulation of the Warden-Prisoner relationship (imprisonment play), Investigator – Suspect (usually include Interrogation play), some forms of Medical play, etc. The use of lighter or heavier forms of bondage is also specific for sexual sadomasochism, including causation, resp. enduring pain in order to deliver sexual pleasure.

There are forms of bondage in which the immobilization of the partner is associated as much with the delivery of sexual as with the pursuit of aesthetic pleasure. One of such forms is Japanese bondage (known as "Asian bondage", "Kinbaku" and "Shibari"), involves tying the partner with ropes made of natural fibers (usually hemp or linen) in a complex tangle of shapes and positions using simple techniques, as well as various forms of objectification in which the subordinate partner is immobilized in a way that visually resembles different furniture (table, stool) or items (e.g. candlesticks, coat hangers, etc.).

A special form of bondage is placing the subordinate partner in stress positions. In this form of bondage, the body is purposefully fixed in a position that leads to uneven loading of individual muscle groups, severe physical discomfort and pain. The use of stress positions in BDSM can serve as a form of punishment or as a stand-alone torture technique.

Last but not least, the use of bondage can be aimed at achieving sensory deprivation. Various bondage devices are used for this purpose - from simple textile tape tied through the eyes to more complex ones such as leather blindfolds and specially designed bondage hoods, limiting not only sight but also smell, hearing and the ability to navigate in space.

In many cases, some bondage gear can be a fetish in itself (see leather bondage).