Bar Tie

The bar tie is a specialized two column tie that’s invaluable for making bondage positions more comfortable and accessible. It’s particularly useful for tying the hands together, because it allows you to add as much spacing as necessary to keep the shoulders comfortable.

Step by step

A top view of a two legs in a sitting position, spread fairly far apart. The bight is held over the left leg and the rope makes a large counter-clockwise circle down the left leg, across to the right leg, up the right leg, and back to the bight. It then crosses through the bight from below and is pulled up and to the right.

1With your legs about 8 inches apart, pass the bight clockwise around both legs, ending up just on the inside of the left leg.

Go through the bight and reverse tension.

The rope makes a reverse tension at the bight, then makes a large clockwise circle down the right leg, over to the left leg, and up the left leg. It then passes through the reverse tension. The second wrap lies on the knee side of the first wrap.

2Make another clockwise wrap around both legs, just below the first wrap.

Go through the reverse tension and adjust tension but do not reverse direction.

The rope goes down between the legs closer to the body than the wraps, crosses under the lower wrap, and comes back up on the far side of the wraps.

3Go down around the lower wraps on the side toward your body and back up on the far side.

If necessary, shift the bight left or right to leave as much space as you want between the rope and your left leg.

The rope comes back up the far side of the wraps and crosses over the top wrap, moving toward the body. The rigger is pulling on the rope, which compresses the upper and lower wraps together.

4Go back over the upper wraps, moving toward your body. Pull on the rope to squeeze the upper and lower wraps together.

The rope makes several tight spirals around the wraps, moving to the right. Each spiral goes down on the side closer to the body, crosses under the lower wrap, and comes up on the side further away from the body.

5Continue to wrap the rope in a spiral, forming a round bar as you move toward the right leg.

The rope continues to spiral around the wraps until it comes almost all the way to the right leg.

6Keep going until you get to the right leg, leaving a comfortable space between the rope and the leg.

The rope comes over the top wraps, moving toward the body. It then spirals around the top wraps only, going between the top and bottom wraps and passing through the triangle made by the wraps and the right leg, headed toward the right knee.

7Go through the space between your leg and the rope.

The rope doubles back and crosses under itself, making a half hitch around the upper wraps.

OPTION7aIf you like, you can finish the bar tie now by tying a half hitch.

The rigger’s right hand has pulled the rope to the center of the bar tie.

8Go back to the middle of the bar. Holding the rope with one hand, make a 90° bend, moving toward you.

(If you noticed that you’re about to make a ladder rung, go to the head of the class)

The rope goes around the bar tie and crosses under itself in the center of the bar tie, making a half hitch.

9Go all the way around the bar and bring the rope under itself, making a ladder rung.

Pull everything snug.

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