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.

Knots

Anchor Bend

ABOK 1723

The anchor bend is very similar to the round turn and two half hitches. The only difference is that the first hitch is tied through the round turn instead of after it. We like the anchor bend because of its resistance to jamming under load.

Use this knot for:

The anchor bend is a great choice for securing a line that’s going to be under load. It’s particularly useful for tying off vertical lines when you’re using a single rope rather than a doubled rope, since wrap and tuck with a square knot only works with a doubled rope.

Do not use this knot for:

The anchor bend is useful in a wide range of situations, and has few serious weaknesses. It can, however, be difficult to tie under load.

For extra credit

You may recall that a hitch joins a rope to an object, while a bend joins two ropes together. So why is this hitch called the anchor bend instead of the anchor hitch? Welcome to the quirky and folkloric world of knots.

Tying the anchor bend

1

Make a round turn around the object you are attaching to by passing the working end twice around the object.

2

Make a half hitch by bringing the working end behind the standing end and then under the two turns.

3

Snug the first half hitch and make a second half hitch, traveling around the standing end in the same direction as the first half hitch.

4

Snug the knot into place and inspect it.