Introduction
Bondage
can be a dangerous activity. Neither
the
human body nor ropes are completely predictable and as such, the
combination of
the two comes with certain inherent risks that are never completely
avoidable. While
there is always a
chance that injury may occur, there are ways to minimize the risks. There are many texts on
bondage and often they
disagree on many issues. This article presents my views on bondage
safety based on what I’ve read, learned and experienced first hand. Still, what may be
entirely safe with one
person may cause injury in someone else and in no way do I suggest that
bondage
will be safe even if you follow all the guidelines set forth in this
text.
It
is
very important that all participants are aware of the potential for
injury. I recommend
everyone read as
many texts on bondage safety as possible. Also, I recommend reading
international mailing lists (such as AdultRopeArt
and ShibariNetwork) where safety issues as well
as both major and
minor
accidents are discussed in an open and honest way.
The
below
applies to "normal" bondage. For suspension, there are more and
sometimes different rules, the most important one being not to do it if
you're
not very sure about what you are doing. That might be the best
recommendation
in general anyway -- know what you are doing and don't go too fast.
Remember,
you are responsible for your own actions so use your head and when
necessary,
get medical advice.
Do's and
don'ts before
bondage
Before
bondage, do
determine the mental and physical condition of your partner (and
yourself). Simply
asking if they are healthy or have any medical problems isn’t
sufficient. Ask specifically
about relevant medical conditions like back or spinal problems, neck
problems,
shoulder problems, heart or circulation problems, breathing problems,
fainting,
epilepsy, diabetes, breast implants[1],
etc. Please note this list is
certainly not complete so ask if your partner knows of any other
relevant
issues. If you'll be using hemp rope, you may want to check for hemp
allergy as well. If your partner does have medical conditions
that could be
affected,
determine and discuss the possible consequences and when necessary get
professional medical advice.
Do
warm
up your muscles before a scene. ((There
is a reason both amateur and professional athletes warm up prior to
playing.)) Stretching
exercises are a
good idea -- use "Makko
Ho"exercises
for example.
Do
consider using a
safeword. However, don't fully trust the safe word to be adequate as it
doesn't provide information on exactly what has gone wrong. When a specific rope
doesn't feel good, it is
better to just say so than to say "orange". A safe word is an
emergency break and many submissives find it difficult to use their
safe word
as stopping a scene by using one is not fun by definition.
As bondage is
a dangerous activity, don't
play unless you’re focused and alert. Alcohol and other drugs, physical
tiredness and lack of sleep usually
prevent you from being focused and alert.
Don't let
yourself be tied by a partner you don't trust.
Hardware
Rope:
Make sure
you use rope that is suitable for the kind of bondage you want to do
and check your ropes regularly especially when using natural fibre
ropes (See my article
on
rope for more information on rope materials. During a
scene,(especially when untying), make
sure not to pull the ropes over the skin too fast -- rougher material
and
synthetic ropes can cause serious abrasions. When in doubt, keep your
hand
between the rope and your partner’s skin, and you will know if you pull
too
fast.
Knife or scissors:
Always keep a knife or
good pair of EMT
scissors at
hand. It is very likely that you will never have to
use it -- untying is almost always safer -- but there is always a
chance that a
rope has to come off immediately. Many web sites recommend bandage
scissors
because they don't have a sharp point. However, many bandage scissors
will not
cut through rope well. So if you go for scissors, make sure you get
decent EMT
shears. Another option is a sailmaker’s knife (picture on the left).
Either
way, make sure that the knife or scissors can cut your rope. Use your
emergency
knife or scissors to cut your ropes at the desired lengths so that you
know it
cuts through your rope easily enough. Even better is trying to cut a
piece of
your rope under tension. If you have to cut your partner loose, make
sure to
support him or her where necessary.
Another alternative is a "rescue hook" (picture on the right) used in
moutaineering to cut ropes in emergency situations. They're made to cut
ropes close to the body. They're sharp, but have no sharp point.
Besides, they are perfect for venues where knifes are not allowed, as
no-one can seriously consider a rescue hook a "weapon".
Panic snaps:
:
If you're planning on
tying your partner to any fixed object or with hands above the head,
you may
want to use panic snaps (picture on the left). Panic snaps can be
easily opened even when
under
tension so even if you partner faints and his or her full body weight
places
tension on the ropes, you can get your partner loose without cutting
the rope. The
picture on the right shows a panic snap that can be opened by pushing
the bolt
up (the pin will then fall down, releasing the rope). Please support
your
partner as necessary when opening the snap!
Water and food.
Always
keep some water
at hand. Playing is not much fun if you go thirsty and when your
partner is
tied up, you shouldn't leave the room to get some. Some food can be
useful too
-- preferably a light snack or some glucose tablets. Also, water can be
useful
in an emergency if you're planning to use candles. | | |
Sailmakers knife | Panic snap | Rescuehook |
Circulation and nerves
You
always want to be careful to prevent injury during play and there has
to be
good communication between the Top and bottom. The bottom must
understand that
if something feels like "bad pain" ((you might want to differentiate
between “bad” pain and not bad pain)) it usually is. Say so! It won’t
necessarily mean that you have to be completely untied, but the Top
will have
to solve the problem, possibly by shifting some ropes. Always
paying attention also implies that you can't leave a tied up bottom
alone, not
even for just a moment. Well, ok, with some bondages a moment might be
possible, but in that case at least stay within hearing range and make
sure
that you can be back within a few seconds.
The Top
must constantly assure there's no problems with their partner’s
circulation or
nerves. The first part is fairly well-known -- bondage should never be
so tight
that fresh blood supply is cut off to any part of the body. The one or two finger rule
is a handy
memory aid ... bondage usually is too tight if you can’t easily slip
one or two
between the ropes and the skin. It is true that most body parts can do
without
blood for a reasonable time without being damaged, but be very careful
with
genitals, breasts[2]
and the brain.
None-the-less, cutting off the
blood supply won't increase the bondage fun so it's wiser and safer to
avoid.
If body
parts like hands, ankles or feet become colder during a session, or
change colour, that can
indicate a circulation problem. You can always do a capillary
refill test.
Press
at one of the bottom’s fingernails and see how long it takes before the
original colour returns. If it takes more than a few seconds or longer
than
usual, circulation may be impaired. Tying at elbow or hollow of the
knee is
often asking for problems.
Unfortunately,
less known is that nerve problems can occur during a bondage session.
They can
happen without warning so, in addition to checking the bottom’s
circulation,
check that there’s no loss of sensation, no tingling nor numbness, and
that
movement is still possible. This
is
called a CSM Test for circulation, sensation and
movement. But
even that
test does not provide a 100% guarantee.
For instance, finger movement is partly controlled by
muscles in
the arm
that are well above any possible wrist tie[3].
Thus, even if you are
an experienced rope Top, it is important to get to know the bottom’s
body
sensativaties and to slowly increase the time you let your bottom
remain tied
up.
While the
risk of nerve problems is greater in suspension scenarios, it can also
occur
during regular bondage. In the upper
arm, several
nerves run close to the
surface of the skin and nerve problems can occur with takate-kote
style
bondage -- an arm/chest harness with ropes over the upper arms. Damage
to these
nerves can lead to loss of sensation and movement in the wrist, hand or
fingers. Also, problems can occur when the femoral
nerve in the
waist/upper leg
area gets compressed during bondage positions that bend the bottom
forward,
causing loss of sensation at the knee[4].
Fortunately, nerve damage
is often temporary. If a problem does occur and hasn't gone away in a
few days,
please go see a doctor.
Breathing
Some ties
can cause breathing problems. A gag in combination with bondage, can
worsen
this problem, or quicken its occurance. This doesn't necessarily mean a
rope
has been misplaced though. The
bondage
position itself can sometimes cause breathing problems, (for instance a
hog-tie).
This is known as Positional
Asphyxia
and sometimes can cause death. (This is another good reason not to
leave your
bottom alone, and to continually keep an eye on him or her!) A
misplaced rope
-- at the diaphragm for instance -- can also cause breathing problems
as can a
rope around the neck or across the throat like with some hojojutsu
bondages or
a military hogtie. Those
can also
restrict blood flow
to the brain. Don't
do them unless you know very well what you're doing!
Fainting
One of
the more common emergencies during bondage is fainting. Sometimes it
occurs
after a long, intense session ... sometimes after a few minutes. There
is a lot
of speculation on the internet as to the reason fainting occurs. Factors can include having
the hands tied
over the head, a too-cold or too-warm environment, having had too much
or too
little food, and dehydration. Another possible factor could be from
having
locked knee joints when standing which you can try to prevent by
bending your
legs a little when you have to stand for a long time. But in many
cases, the
reason remains unknown
Fainting
need not be dangerous as usually your partner will recover quickly. Lay
your
partner gently on the floor and remove all ropes. If your partner
doesn't
recover almost immediately, call for medical assistance. If your
partner faints
regularly, a medical check up might be smart.
What's important is to be prepared when something like
fainting
can
happen. Make sure you know what to do and keep your knife or scissors
close at
hand. Use panic snaps if you like. Also, make sure that your partner
doesn't
get hurt during the actual fainting (While fainting might not be that
dangerous, hitting your head against something sharp definitely is).
When Things Go
Wrong
The first
time pluu fainted, I was scared shitless. I was very glad I wasn't the
one who
had tied her, and that a very experienced rigger was nearby. When it
happened
again later, I was more prepared, but it was still scary. Fortunately,
we
quickly continued tying. Also when pluu got (temporary, thank heaven)
nerve
damage, that was really scary. It's no fun for the bottom, but as a Top
you can
feel quite guilty (no pun intended). Keep talking, and be aware that
accidents
can happen to anyone.