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.

R is for…

Roles in BDSM

BDSM can involve a seemingly endless number of terms for different roles. Here are a few of the most important. Remember that how someone identifies may change depending on who they are playing with.

Top

A top takes an active role that involves doing things to someone else. Someone who ties someone else up is a top.

Bottom

A bottom is a person who has things done to them. Someone who gets tied up is a bottom.

Dominate is a verb referring to the act of domination. The technical term for a person who uses “dominate” as a noun is idiot.

Dominant (dom)

A dominant is a top who takes a dominant role (i.e., who tells someone else what to do). Dominant is often used incorrectly as a synonym for top. While all dominants are tops, many tops are not dominant. For example, a person who ties their partner up but doesn’t psychologically dominate them is a top but not a dominant.

Submissive (sub)

A submissive is a bottom who takes a submissive role (i.e., who is told what to do). Submissive is often used incorrectly as a synonym for bottom. While all submissives are bottoms, not all bottoms are submissive.

Switch

A switch is someone who sometimes tops and sometimes bottoms. How and when a switch chooses one role or another varies from person to person.

Rigger

A rigger is a top who performs suspension bondage.

Bunny

Some rope bottoms refer to themselves as bunnies. We think that bunny is an excellent term for people who like it, but we object to generically referring to all rope bottoms as bunnies.