Rope play

Rope play

LuminousGlimmer • Aug 18, 2023

I was absolutely thinking of offering rope play to my partner but then I ran into a site that said it was absolutely not safe and at best you could minimize not inflicting serious damage or death. I’ve never tried but can you do rope play without injury, and can you do it for control and beauty, and not pain?

Villanelle​(staff) • Aug 19, 2023

This CAGE Magazine article has some good info for starters:

https://thecage.co/magazine,84.html

TopekaDom​(dom male) • Aug 19, 2023

Best advice I can give is no slip knots and always have safety scissors handy.

plus maybe not to start with noose play.

Miki • Aug 19, 2023

Definitely read the article cited above by Staff.

With sufficient knowledge and caution it can be OK. There are many ways to engage in that without going anywhere near the neck. Stay away from that and as another post says "no slip knots" and it is not all that dangerous.

Oh yes never forget the safety scissors in case you botch the knot and want to un-stuck your partner.

MsLas​(sub female) • Aug 19, 2023

Rope is a form of edge play. You can mitigate the risk, but you can’t remove it altogether. And in my opinion, the best way to decrease that risk is through education.

There are a few great online shibari class providers like Shibari Study and TheDuchy. Both have free and paid material available. Rory’s Brainworks on YouTube is all free and has some really good decorative rope classes. All have multiple intro videos on safety, nerves and circulation, rope types, etc. Shibari Study and TheDuchy both also offer advanced classes and their material is respected in the rope community. And you see people posting pics of Rory’s patterns all the time. It’s important to remember that just because someone posts a few instructional videos on YouTube and calls themselves an experienced rigger, doesn’t mean they actually are. So be careful where you get your information from.

Decorative is probably the lowest risk rope you can practice, so it’s a nice starting point. Plus it’s pretty… the bottom loves wearing it, the top loves looking at the bottom wearing it, everyone gets what they want. And it’s a good excuse to buy pretty, colorful rope.

All three of those sites also have some bedroom bondage videos as well. I’ve been the recipient of several of the ties taught in them and they were fantastic.

If you’re in a location where you can both go to in person rope jams or rope classes, then you should absolutely go. Learning hands on is always better, then you can supplement with online stuff if you want more frequent instruction.

Anyway, I hope this helped. If you educate yourself beforehand and (this is critical) use common sense, you should be fine.

Miki • Aug 20, 2023

@ MsLas

Oh you said the magic word.. Shibari-- and although I am not versed in the terminology I have had the pleasure and honor of being the bottom for a trained and experienced artist of senyojo jutsu.. Kinbaku.. which is a more harsh yet much more erotic variation on the theme.

But that stuff is for, well, trained and experienced practitioners.

My job was just to endure the combo of discomfort and pleasure.

But again there are risks. The bottom line is, although one would have a hell of a time asking around for a rope bondage academy, so to speak, ---- it is still not anything I would allow just any yoo-hoo I would run into at a bar or club to try.

But the more basic shit.. hands and feet tied to bed posts.. that is of minimal harm and can be exciting in and of themselves.


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Digressing here, but by way of example I always was curious about erotic asphyxiation, but that one stays on the shelf because again, I honestly don't need some inexperienced ying-yang miscalculating that type of play.

One mistake has the potential of having me end up taking a trip through the Great Toaster and landing up in an urn-- and the aforementioned jamoke being sent up the fucking river to the House of Many Doors-- to which they never give the residents any keys.

LuminousGlimmer • Aug 23, 2023

Thank you all for the insight and advice.