Rope Bottom (Safety) Skills
There are a lot of writings explaining to rope bottoms how they can be better rope bottoms. Often times, they focus on being able to withstand more strenuous positions for longer. Instead, I want to focus on a number of things that you can do to make things safer for you because it’s the rigger’s responsibility to choose ties that suit you, not for you to make your body suit the ties. I will talk about limits, session preparation, nerves, and communication.
limits
When talking about limits, there are three concepts that I consider important, namely (1) risk profile, (2) soft and hard limits, and (3) physical limits. In short, they are things that you can’t or won’t do. This can differ between different tying partners, but also change over time. Maybe you cannot have marks this specific time because you are going swimming with your family in a few days. That is totally fair! Many people don’t distinguish between these three categories during negotiations, but they might help you think about your limits before entering into negotiation. It could be helpful for you to write down which limits you have in these categories.
- Risk profile. This consists of the limits that you have, related to the possible (negative) consequences of certain actions. How risky X is can be considered by asking how likely it is X will happen and how bad it will be if X happens. For example, rope burn is something that is pretty likely to happen, but for a lot of people the resulting wound and chance for a small scar are not a problem. On the other hand, a rope breaking when doing a single upline suspension is not very likely, but if you land on your head you could break your neck, which can be fatal. For many people that would be an issue. Common things to consider for your risk profile include wrist drop because of nerve damage, falling, rope marks, and rope burn.
- Soft and hard limits. These are things that you do not want to do for whatever reason. This can include rope or touch on certain body parts, types of play or language or intentions that you do not want. Hard limits are things that you do not want. Period. Unless you yourself bring them up, these will not be talked about. Soft limits are things that could possibly be different at a different time or in a different context. These limits are also not up for debate — because limits are not up for debate — but your tying partner might check “can we do X today?”
- Physical limits. There are some things that your body might not be able to do or that otherwise don’t work well with your body. You might not be flexible or strong enough for a certain tie or you might have especially sensitive nerves in a place. It could also be that you are particularly prone to fainting. Of course you can find this out during sessions, but it can help to mention some less expected things that would be an issue for more common ties.
session preparation
There are certain things you can do the day of the session to prepare. Make sure you eat and drink enough, but not so much it would get in the way. Do not drink alcohol or take recreational drugs. Choose comfortable clothing that is not too bulky or loose and does not have any metal (like an underwire bra) that could stab you. Leggings and a tanktop are an example of a generally suitable outfit, although many people like to just wear underwear instead. In case it is chilly, layers to wear before and after the tie might be wise. If there are any small health issues that popped up, such as a strained muscle, or something else that was not yet mentioned or present during negotiations, communicate that. Some people like to stretch before rope, some people don’t. Just like with other physical activity, if you’re expecting to push your body, it’s probably best not to do so when cold and stiff. Then, as the final thing before the session, go to the toilet.
nerves
You will do yourself a huge favour if you know something about nerves and learn how to do self-checks, since nerve issues are a common and possibly severe rope injury that is not visible from the outside. Nerves run all of your body and give signals from the brain to the body and vice versa. They control movement and sensation, meaning nerve damage can result in issues with sensation (e.g. numbness or tingliness), or a loss in strength and/or movement (e.g. not being able to grip something or raise your hand). It is also possible to have issues with both these aspects.
Self-checks are ways for you to check whether the nerves on your extremities are still functioning normally. Riggers can also do these checks on you, but it is beneficial if you don’t have to rely on them asking you. These are 3 self-checks you can do on yourself whilst in rope:
Fingers: Touch your thumb against each of your fingers. Can you feel this and do all of the fingers feel the same?
Flaps: Flap your hands, like little wings, to see whether this is a movement you can still make.
Fists: Make fists with both hands, to check whether you still have strength in your hands.
Doing them with some regularity will give you a baseline to compare to, so you will notice if anything changes. Do them on both hands. If there is numbness, tingling or loss of sensation, mention it to your rigger. This is especially urgent if you feel this in just part of your hand or a few fingers, rather than the entire hand. This is because your entire hand going tingly is most likely caused by restriction of blood flow, not nerves issues. However, since this will mask any tingling caused by nerve issues, you should still mention it.
For more info on the nerves of the upper limbs, check out rope365. They have great pictures and many more resources at the bottom, if you want to dive deeper. A very complete resource covering the nerves in the entire body is Rope Study.
communication
Finally, communicating the relevant information to your rigger can be very helpful in giving them the information they need to keep you safe and happy. The degree to which people are still able to communicate whilst in rope can differ and knowing where you fall on the spectrum might be useful. But what is okay or good to mention to your rigger? Especially if you don’t tie yourself, it might be difficult to know what kind of things you should mention. Here are some guidelines:
- If it is related to nerves or circulation, like discussed above, it is always good to mention it immediately.
- If you feel like you are going to faint, fall, or vomit, mention it immediately.
- If there is physical discomfort that is unintentional and not desirable, you can tell the rigger. They cannot always see that their rope is pinching you or that that line would be more comfortable when moved up a few centimeters.
- If there is emotional discomfort that is undesirable, you can tell the rigger. You should both be having a good time and riggers can unfortunately not read your mind.
- If you feel like you do not have a lot of time left in a tie, it is very much appreciated if you mention it, especially if you can give a time estimate with that. This will give the rigger enough time to get you down in a comfortable manner and could avoid an emergency exit.
- Harnesses are typically more easily adjusted before they are suspended and (suspension) lines are more easily adjusted before they are tied off. These things are frequently 3 second fixes when done immediately, so if it doesn’t feel right, mentioning it earlier can make things easier for both parties.
- Most importantly: you can always use your safeword. It is there for you to get out of the situation or stop whatever is going on immediately.
conclusion
I hope that this article about limits, nerves, scene prep, and communication helped you figure out a couple of things that you can do to increase your experience as a rope bottom. Have fun getting tied!
