Suspension Bondage Is Dangerous

We love suspension bondage and we’re excited to share it with you. We want to be very clear, however, about the risks involved.

1. Suspension bondage involves unavoidable risk. Like rock climbing, suspension is a risky activity. Good preparation and training can reduce your risk, but even if you do everything right there is still a chance that you may be injured or killed, or that you may injure or kill another person.

2. We don’t have all the answers. Unlike rock climbing, suspension bondage has no professional standards bodies and no expert consensus about best practices. This book is based on years of study, practice, and consultation with outside experts. Nonetheless, you should be aware that suspension is still a developing field, and our understanding of the best way to do things is still evolving.

3. You can’t learn suspension from a book. The only safe way to learn suspension is to work with a qualified instructor or mentor. This book is a valuable adjunct to expert instruction, but not a substitute for it. Without a skilled teacher to guide and evaluate you, you cannot learn suspension without placing your partner in tremendous danger.

4. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Suspension is fun and exciting, and you will likely be tempted to rush ahead and try activities that you aren’t yet ready for. We can’t stress enough the importance of proceeding slowly and methodically, and always working within your skill level.

5. Always use good judgment. Your best defense against mishap is your own common sense and good judgment. Always be mindful of what you’re doing, and err on the side of caution.

Your partner is placing tremendous faith in your competence and judgment. If you are careless or overly ambitious, they are likely to pay a heavy price for your foolishness. Make sure that you are worthy of their trust.

Suspended Animation accepts no responsibility for any injury or death which may occur as a result of the activities described in this book. By reading this book, you agree to take full responsibility for your actions and their consequences.

B is for…

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Bar tack

The ends of a sling are sewn together with a bar tack.

When sewing two pieces of webbing together (for example, when sewing the ends of a sling), manufacturers use a pattern called a bar tack. The bar tack is stronger than the webbing itself, but it is vulnerable to damage from bending.

See also: Technical Details

BDSM terminology

BDSM refers to the full spectrum of kinky sexual activities. The term itself is a composite of three acronyms: Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadism and Masochism.

BDSM activities are broadly referred to as play, and a BDSM session is typically referred to as a scene or play session. Scenes may or may not include sexual activities, depending on the preferences of the people involved.

In a similar vein, BDSM implements are often referred to as toys, and BDSM gear bags as toy bags.

Kinksters use the term sensation play to refer to a wide range of activities ranging from very mild (gentle stroking) to very intense (heavy punching).

When playing, some BDSM enthusiasts experience an altered form of consciousness referred to as headspace. Submissives sometimes experience a particularly intense form of headspace known as subspace.

In order to distinguish legitimate BDSM from abuse and other undesirable activities, we often use the criteria of Safe, Sane, and Consensual (SSC) or Risk Aware Consensual Kink (RACK).

See also: Roles in BDSM, Lab scene, Edge play, and Aftercare.

Becket

A bullet block with a becket (left) and without a becket (right).

A becket is a small attachment point on a block. We typically use a block and tackle system with one 3-pulley block with a becket and one 3-pulley block without a becket. The becket increases the mechanical advantage of the system from 5:1 to 6:1.

Block and tackle

A fully-rigged block and tackle system.

A block and tackle is simple mechanical system for lifting a load into the air. A block and tackle is typically constructed using pulleys and rope, but the term sometimes refers to any such system (for example, one using carabiners and rope).

The main purpose of a block and tackle is to provide mechanical advantage that makes it easier to lift a heavy load.

The most common block and tackle consists of a length of rope and two triple pulley assemblies, each of which is called a block. We particularly like blocks intended for marine use, which are often called bullet blocks.

No, we don’t know why they’re called that.

See also: Becket

Bondage ride

A bondage ride is a bondage scene (usually but not always suspension bondage) that’s presented as a safe, low-key way for a newcomer to experience being tied up.

Suspended Animation is known for providing bondage rides at Burning Man, where we normally fly several hundred new people every year.

Box tie

A simple takate kote (TK).

The CTK attempts to combine the safety of a chest harness with the comfort of a TK.

A box tie is a form of chest harness that binds the arms behind the back and wraps around the chest and upper arms. There are numerous box ties, but the mostly widely known is the takate kote (TK)—the most important tie in shibari.

We believe that it is imprudent to use any box tie as a weight-bearing component of a suspension due to the high risk of injury to the radial nerve.

We are watching Topologist’s research into a chest-loading takate kote with great interest, and hope to someday see a tie that combines the safety of the chest harness with the aesthetic and functional benefits of a TK.

Burn speed

When rope is pulled too quickly across skin, it can cause rope burns. The speed at which a rope will cause rope burn is called the burn speed. The burn speed depends on the type of rope, how much pressure the rope is under, and the angle at which it’s traveling. In general, synthetic ropes have a lower burn speed than natural fiber ropes, so they are more prone to causing rope burn.