In 1992, when I was privileged to attend the Japanese National Police Academy (Keisatsu Dai-gakkō) to be familiarised with the Taiho-jutsu system. I asked by the Chief Instructor - Inspector Tateishi Teruo why the modern Japanese Police still use 'Hojōjutsu' (捕縄術 - "Restraining Rope Technique"), when hadcuffs are more efficient. He replied that although the Japanese Police did use handcuffs, 'Hojōjutsu' was a traditional skill that the police had always had and it also enabled them to restrain multiple suspects.
Although I respect tradition, I see 'Hojōjutsu' as being too a complex skill to execute in a high stress situation against a resistant (or semi resistant / potentially resistant) suspect. As such, I would have prefered to use handcuffs for single arrests and flexicuffs (like cable ties) for multiple arrests.
In my humble opinion, if there is sufficient training time within the Japanese Police Taiho-jutsu curriculum, then by all means retain the tradition, but it should be discarded in the practical application of arrests, where more efficient options exist.
Donn F. Draeger's book 'Modern Budō & Bujutsu' (1974), describes Police 'Hojōjutsu' as follows:
"HOJOJUTSU
In connection with the work of a police technical commission in 1927, Shimizu Takaji included in his demonstrations made before that body the classical bujutsu called hojo-jutsu. Shimizu, assisted by Takayama Ken'ichi, showed the art of restraining and immobilising an aggressor through the use of a tying-cord. The great interest of the police officials in this little-known art led Shimizu to recommend the adoption of several techniques by the police for use in controlling prisoners.
The adoption of hojo-jutsu for police training methods remained under formal study until 1931, when Shimizu became jojutsu instructor to the Tokyo police. Shimizu then organised formal instruction in hojo-jutsu for all patrolmen. His basic teachings remained in use until after apan's defeat in World War II. The subsequent ban on classical martial arts and ways did not include hojo-jutsu, as this art was considered an essential part of the training of Japanese policemen. Special studies made in 1949, I951, 1955, 1962, and 1968 by Shimizu produced some modifications in his original methods of hojo-jutsu and made them more suitable for use in situations likely to arise today.
THEORY AND TECHNIQUES A seventeenth-century classical bujutsu, hojo-jutsu of the Itatsu Ryu, forms the basis of modern police hojo-jutsu. Though the classical art is distinguishable as a separate formal system of combat, it is in reality only the final stage of action in the classical martial art of torite, the art of seizing and restraining an aggressor; the aggressor must first be brought under control before he can be rendered helpless with the tying-cord. In modern police work one can accomplish with taiho-jutsu what the Edo-period policeman did with torite; the application of keijo-jutsu, keibo soho, or tokushu keibo soho techniques may also precede the use of hojo-jutsu.
Modern hojo-jutsu, as used by the Japanese police, consists of five kihon, or fundamentals, of handling the tying-cord; three techniques of tote-nawa (hoshu-nawa, or frontal tying; and four techniques of inchi-nawa (goso-nawa), or rear tying. The operator using hojo-jutsu must be capable of keeping his victim under control while tying him.
Tying a victim must also be accomplished quickly, and a great deal of training is required to develop the necessary manual dexterity. The various methods of tying make possible different degrees of control. For instance, there are methods that restrict the use of the arms without immobilising the hands, needed for eating and the like. Some methods permit the prisoner to use his legs for limited walking, but he is unable to run; still other methods completely immobilise the victim. Certain patterns of tying are used to produce pain in the victim if he struggles to escape, while still other patterns cause loss of consciousness if he tries to escape. A trained policeman is also able to subdue and tie a number of people by himself.
Hojo-jutsu. Today It may appear strange to some that so primitive a method as tying a prisoner with a simple cord should still be used in police work. But in this day of mass arrests during violent demonstrations, the simple tying-cord is not only more economical than metal handcuffs and other restraining devices but also, when hundreds of prisoners are to be immobilised, more readily available. Shimizu and his assistant Kaminoda Tsunemori are carrying out constant study of the use of hojo-jutsu in modern police work."
(The accompanying pictures show Kaminoda Sensei, who I had the honour of training with in 1981.)