Shibari and Safety

Consent

Donʼt touch anyone without their consent. It is crucial that before you begin, you negotiate what you will and will not do. Moods and preferences can change last minute, so even if you have something planned it is important to discuss limits and boundaries before you begin.

A safeword is a word typically used in BDSM to indicate when a bottom has reached their limit. Common safewords include ‘amber’ to indicate that the play is approaching too much, and ‘red’ when they want the play to stop completely. It is important that the person tying is attentive and regularly check in with the person being tied.

Drugs and alcohol

Ropeplay requires a high level of concentration, skill, and attention to detail. Engaging in play while intoxicated is dangerous and should be strongly discouraged. Being drunk impairs coordination, judgment, and fine motor skills, increasing the likelihood of mistakes. This can lead to improper knots or ties that could tighten or loosen unexpectedly, causing injury or circulation problems.

Medical History

Ensure the person being tied feels well enough to do so. It is important that they have eaten, and are well-hydrated. Itʼs also a good idea to ask your partner if they need to use the bathroom before you start.

If you or your partner has a condition that requires medication (for example an inhaler) you must keep it to hand during play. This is something that should be discussed during negotiation.

Itʼs important to discuss any injuries that might interfere with tying. For example, if the person being tied had trouble with their shoulder, itʼs important that you discuss that and tie consciously around that to avoid furthur injury.

Sometimes a person can become faint when doing rope. If this happens, untie the person as quickly as possible (or cut your rope) and ensure that they are seated. Ask if there is anything they might need, for example a drink, a chocolate bar, some fresh air and respond accordingly.

Risks

Rope is edge play. There are serious risks involved which can cause life-changing injuries. There are some things we can do to mitigate those risks, but they are always present.

Nerve damage is one of the more common injuries with rope play. Sometimes these injuries give very little warning. Things to look out for include discolouration of the hands, feet, or part of the body being tied, or a sense tingling or numbness. It is crucial that if you begin to experience numbness or tingling that this is communicated clearly. One good practice is to feel the hands of your partner before you start, to guage their temperature so you can tell if they become cold during the course of tying, it is also advisable to do hand checks which include getting your bottom to wiggle their fingers, and ensuring that they can grip your fingers.

Other things to avoid

• Never run rope across the front of the neck.
• Never run rope across the inside of the elbow, the backs of the knees and the very crease of the thigh. These are sensitive areas with a lot of nerves running close to the skin.
• Never leave a tied person unattended, under any circumstances. This is particularly true when the personʼs hands are tied, as they have nothing to break their fall if they do become faint, or trip over. Leaving a tied person unattended puts them at serious risk of injury.
• Take care when placing people in face down positions. This can cause positional asphyxiation where the chest muscles become tired from lifting the weight of the body. When playing in face-down positions such as hogties for a long period of time, this is something to bear in mind.
• As with all these things, communication is key.

Stretching

Itʼs always advised that you stretch before you engage in any rope play, this is to help avoid injury and ensure that you have the best experience that you can.

For people being tied, it is important that you communicate if you are feeling uncomfortable in a tie, or you begin to feel faint or lightheaded, feel numbness or tingling whilst being tied, or if you are simply not having a good time.

Donʼt exceed your skill

Rope is something that can take a very long time to learn, it is important that you donʼt move into suspension play right away. Suspension is something that requires a lot of learning, and is something that you should receive proper training in before attempting.

Cutting Tool

A cutting tool is the most important part of your rope kit. Under no circumstances should you practice rope without one. Rope shears are perhaps the most common cutting tool that you will see. They have a little lip that will help you get under the edge of your rope and they have minimal risk of you cutting your partner.

Under no circumstances should you use a knife as a rope cutting tool; this is very risky and may injure the person that you are tying.