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.

H is for…

Handbrake

Squeezing all the vertical lines together is a remarkably effective way to control the load.

The handbrake is a convenient technique for controlling a vertical line that hasn’t been tied off. Simply squeezing all the passes of the line together will usually create enough friction to prevent any vertical motion. The handbrake isn’t suitable for every situation: depending on your partner’s weight, the slipperiness of your rope, and the number of passes, there may be times when it doesn’t hold securely.

Hardpoint

High quality marine pad eyes are often used for hardpoints.

A hardpoint is a fixed attachment point that can support a suspension. Hardpoints typically consist of eye bolts or pad eyes mounted to ceilings, but any suspension-worthy point can be referred to as a hardpoint.

Harness hang syndrome

Harness Hang Syndrome (HHS) refers to a combination of problems that can occur when a person remains in an upright position without moving their legs. It was first noticed in individuals who had serious medical problems when they were rescued after spending time in rope harnesses.

Based upon the most current available data, we believe that harness hang syndrome is probably not a significant risk during suspension bondage.

Suspension trauma is approximately synonymous with harness hang syndrome.

Reflow syndrome is hypothesized to be one of the mechanisms involved in harness hang syndrome. According to the theory, reflow syndrome occurs when blood that is contaminated with the toxic byproducts of anaerobic metabolism is suddenly returned to circulation, causing organ failure.

Unlike HHS, orthostatic hypotension is very much a concern in suspension bondage.

Headstrike

Ouch

A headstrike is an incident in which someone’s head hits the floor or another object. Headstrikes are extremely dangerous, and you should go to great lengths to avoid them.

The most obvious kind of headstrike injury occurs as a result of a fall, although a more subtle (and therefore perhaps more likely) danger involves a moving bottom colliding with a fixed object.

Hogtie

A classic hogtie.

A hogtie is a popular position in floor bondage. There are many variations of the hogtie, but the classic version of the position involves the bottom lying face down on the ground, with their ankles tied to their wrists. There is typically enough tension on the rope to force the bottom into a reverse back bend.

A military hogtie is a more strenuous form of the hogtie in which a rope from the ankles passes around the front of the neck. This creates a predicament in which the bottom must maintain a rigorous back bend in order to relieve the pressure on their neck. The safety issues with this position should be obvious.