Yesterday, I received in the mail a very special book from Japan. The book is well known among kinbaku enthusiasts. Written by Fujita Seiko, Zukai Hojojutsu, is the bible of hojojutsu (捕縄術) history and practice and the most comprehensive archive available, cataloging hundreds of classic patterns, ties, and techniques for this ancient martial art.
Briefly, hojojustu (probably first codified in the 16th century) was the martial art of capturing and binding prisoners for arrest, transport, and punishment. It was practiced both as a martial art in the context of warfare and later as a civic function for police and constables as a core part of law enforcement through the Edo era and into both the Meiji and Taisho eras, but was gradually replaced with more western techniques as things like handcuffs and leg irons became more widely accessible in the late 19 and early 20th century.