Nawa-jutsu (縄術) — the art of rope binding — refers to techniques for restraining opponents using rope. In the shinobi context, it appears primarily as a capture and restraint technique relevant to intelligence-gathering missions that required taking a prisoner.
Primary source evidence
The Bansenshūkai (万川集海, 1676) documents rope-binding techniques in the context of capture operations — missions in which a target was to be taken alive rather than killed. Capture for intelligence purposes was a documented shinobi mission type: a prisoner with knowledge of enemy dispositions, plans, or access codes could provide intelligence that observation alone could not.
The techniques described cover the approach, the initial control of the target’s arms, and the application of a binding that resists rapid escape. The emphasis throughout is on speed and security — a capture conducted in enemy territory had to be completed quickly and quietly, with no sustained struggle that might alert nearby guards.
Distinction from later hojōjutsu
Nawa-jutsu in the shinobi context should be distinguished from the more formalised hojōjutsu (捕縄術) — the elaborate rope-binding systems developed within various samurai and law enforcement traditions for the formal restraint of prisoners. The shinobi approach was operationally oriented and practical rather than formally codified, reflecting the improvised field conditions in which it was applied.