WHAT’S YOUR RISK PROFILE?
Let’s not brush aside the fact that Shibari IS essentially edge play and very dangerous, there are many risks involved and whilst we can try to mitigate those risks and be as safe as we possibly can, those risks of different degrees will still remain. It’s important to evaluate your own personal risk profile before tying and what every session with different partners will look like as a top or bottom. Risk profiles are a vital element of “RACK” (Risk Aware Consensual Kink) and “P.R.I.C.K.” (Personally Responsibility, Informed, Consensual Kink).
There are many risks involved with this practice, both physical and emotional. But something being risky doesn’t automatically make it bad. It all comes down to what activities you are willing to do even when knowing all the risks involved, and how you are able to control and reduce those risks or take responsibility and act in case of an accident. We encourage you to take the time to establish and update your own personal risk profile and share it clearly and honestly with your partner. If you don’t know the potential outcomes of the activities you engage in, then you are not informed, and cannot give informed consent.
To be risk aware means accepting the risk can happen regardless of someone’s experience level. Here are some factors we recommend you consider before tying, and whilst this list may be informative, reading it does not alleviate your risk… Communication does!
THE 5 W’S - WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE & WHY
Consent! It is your responsibility to actively offer transparency and guidance to your partner so they can engage with you in a respectful way. To respect you, they need to know you; only you can provide them with the necessary knowledge of your unique wishes and boundaries. Remember, Consent must be given freely without any level of coercion or impaired judgment and it can be revoked at any time.
Take responsibility for yourself. This includes choosing the environment and partners you tie with very carefully. It is of crucial importance to inform yourself about their experience, skills, preferences, reputation, motivations, etc. For example, have you vetted your rigger or bunny? It’s okay to reach out to people that they have previously tied with. Why do they want to tie with you? What are their intentions? Sometimes a rigger may want to lab or experiment to learn a new tie, if this is outside of your risk profile then be very clear about your boundaries before you begin and express that you’d prefer more of a play/scene. Taking responsibility for yourself also includes the ability to recognise if the environment or person you’ve approached is not a good match for you. It is always ok to come to the conclusion that you should not tie together (today or ever) after discussing and negotiating.
Remember that any information you choose to withhold before, during or after a scene might compromise yours and your partners safety.
Making an effort to learn about methods and techniques relating to Shibari and specifically the human anatomy in order to enjoy safe and satisfying rope experiences will go in your favour! If you’re able to communicate efficiently with your rigger then you’re more likely to problem solve quicker and be comfier, safer and perhaps even last longer in the ropes- Saying, "The lower wrap kanuki on my right arm is pinching” is much more effective than saying, "My arm hurts”. Riggers are responsible for the health and safety of their partners and themselves, and bottoms too are responsible for themselves and communicating with full disclosure to their partners about their needs and limits during a scene.
ALL THE GEAR AND NO IDEA
ROPE
When was the last time you checked your ropes? Inspect your partners ropes for your own safety. Keep an eye on wear and retire any ropes that look past their best or require treating. Decide if you need to turn some lengths into ‘shit bits’ or whether it would be best to only use that rope for floor work. You may need to fix high stranding, singe of any fuzzies, whip your ends or re-do your stopper knots. Patience is key and cutting the rope doesn’t fix all your problems! When checking your ropes you’ll notice how the bight can exhibit the most wear, or perhaps the ropes you use as uplines as these can have a lot of friction applied to them depending on the tie. This will eventually become a weak point and a potential source of failure which can become dangerous during suspensions. Getting into a routine of regularly checking your ropes is good practice as well as taking other preventative measures such as reinforcing your bight and using carabiners in places. Rope maintenance and knowledge is essential.
How clean are the ropes you are being tied in? Hygiene is of course an important part of play and kink in general. Having ropes used on you that have been in contact with different body fluids from other people is not the one. If crotch rope, a penis predicament or other intimate ties may be involved then perhaps have designated ropes for different partners. Note that blood, sweat, saliva and sexual fluids can harbour bacteria and other pathogens and using dirty ropes can lead to infections and other health issues. Ropes made of natural fibres are a lot harder to clean than synthetic rope as they swell when wet and need to be dried under tension.
How are you storing your ropes when you’re not tying? Storing your ropes can affect the quality and wear of them and also the hygiene element. Ideally, when you can it’s best to hang your rope to let them breathe, relax and allow the kinks to fall out. Alternative methods include hanking or coiling your ropes and storing them in a cool, dry place which isn’t exposed to direct sunlight or excessive heat as this will cause damage over time. It’s also worth considering keeping them in a place away from any moisture or a high humidity environment to avoid mold or mildew as this will result in the fibres to weaken. If you’re using your ropes regularly, then there are a variety of ways to store your rope and it’s about finding out which method works best for you- some techniques are great for quickly finding your bight and allowing you to continue or start a tie fast, this is very useful with performances or when speed is needed! If you don’t get your ropes out as often as you’d like then we recommend tying some loose hanks which still allow air to circulate around the inner fibres.
What type of rope do you enjoy being tied with? Lots to consider and all depends on your shibari journey. Does the strength of the rope matter to you? If you’re doing suspensions then this is something you may want to look into. Synthetic ropes tend to be stronger than natural for example but may not feel as nice on your skin and the risk of rope burn is higher- Everything has its pros and cons. Do you care what it looks like? Rope bondage can be seen as an art form and shibari is aesthetically beautiful so some may want a particular rope depending on the tie. How does it feel? Exploring sensuality and how you’re able to handle the rope as a rigger is vital. Some things to consider when choosing your rope; strength, aesthetics, feeling, handling, allergies, grip, intentions, storage, maintenance, affordability, elasticity, material, water sensibility, rope structure.
CARABINERS
If you’re intending to suspend then carabiners can be a great aid. Do you have to use them? Nope! But here are some pro’s- they can help when lifting someone heavy by acting as a pully system and can decrease the friction applied to the rope, reducing the wear. They offer a quick release solution where unclipping a carabiner is faster than cutting rope or untying. They can help keep suspension or partial uplines organised and separated and can also help when you need to create new fixing points or introduce different heights.
Are you using load bearing carabiners? If the answer is yes, good! Do you understand the anatomy of a carabiner? Different parts of a carabiner can load a variety of kilonewtons (kN). A kilonewton is a measure of force, not weight (but 1kN roughly equates to 224.8 lbs), it’s measured this way because if you were to fall, you will generate a higher kN. Check if the carabiners being used are right for the kind of rope bondage you’re doing.
So what should you look out for when working with carabiners? Avoid nose-hooking, cross loading them and watch out for any time where the gate might be compromised. These situations will significantly lower the kN rating of your carabiner and could put you and your partner at a higher risk. If carabiners fall outside of your risk profile, ask to tie without them, or ask why they like using them.
HARD POINTS
Evaluate what you are being suspended from. Putting aside any additional equipment being used, a hard point, suspension frame or even a tree is seen as a single point of failure and it’s important that what you are using to suspend from is checked in terms of it’s working load limit, consider all safety factors and bare in mind the minimum breaking strength.
What else might come into play when being suspended? Rings, bamboo, swivels, slings and hoists of all different shapes, sizes and colours. Be inquisitive and evaluate all equipment being used for your safety.
What kind of flooring is under and around the suspension point? Is there padding in case your head ever touches the floor unintentionally? Is it slippery? Are there trip hazzards around?
If you’re unsure on anything, feel free to grab someone who you think will know about the requirements and can answer any questions you may have. Ask for a spotter, the more eyes the better! Test the hard points with your body weight before being suspended.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
THE RISKS AND HOW TO LESSEN THEM
Circulation Impairment. A sensation which is common with rope bondage, not usually a major concern and should feel different to nerve damage. It’s important to know the difference- If you are at all unsure about any sensations and you have tingles in any body part whilst in bondage, then perhaps it’s time to be untied, you can always be tied up again but better to be safe than sorry. The main concern with lack of circulation is that it can mask any nerve relating symptoms. If your whole hand is numb and tingling from loss of circulation, you have no way to know if part of your hand is tingling from nerve injury. Bottoms, Learn how to do sensory and motor checks and make it a habit to do them. Circulation issues are usually caused from rope being too tight around a limb and can be easily fixed. If it’s left unaddressed for an unhealthy amount of time then Hypoxia can set in. Hypoxia occurs when oxygen is insufficient at the tissue level to maintain adequate homeostasis, stemming from various causes such as hypoventilation, ventilation-perfusion mismatch, or right-to-left shunting. We advise that you’re able to slide a finger under the wraps at all times. Look out for any change in colour, temperature or size of the limbs as these can be good indicators that the ropes are too tight. But here’s where getting to know your partner before tying helps a great deal as everyone’s body is different and reacts in bondage in various ways. Communicate communicate communicate. When untying, Slowly relax the tie- the tighter it was or the longer the rope was on, the slower you need to go. Drink lots of fluids such as sports drinks, a high sugar drink, something with electrolytes in it or of course, water! This will help the liver remove toxins from the blood; a blocked vascular pathway will accumulate toxins over time. By doing this you should cushion the impact on your system and liver, hopefully reducing the risk of any complications.
Nerve Damage. Nerve damage can happen instantly or can build gradually over time by repeated strain, it may be caused by one of the following; compressing or shearing the nerves, indirect stress and anoxia/ischemia. Note that every persons body is different and some peoples nerves may be more exposed in places than others making them more vulnerable and sensitive to nerve compression. Those with loose skin or with larger amounts of subcutaneous tissue are also at a greater risk of nerve injury, take extra precautions to make sure your wraps and cuffs are evenly tensioned and are appropriate for the limb being tied. The risks are higher the more vulnerable the location of the rope, the longer the rope is on the body, the greater the tension of the rope, the narrower the band applied and the more uneven the tension of the wraps and try to avoid tying on or near joints. At the sign of a potential nerve impingement, speed is of the essence. Again, Bottoms, Learn how to do sensory and motor checks and make it a habit to do them and remember, communication is key!
Asphyxiation. Breath Play titillates many shibari enthusiasts, whilst an extra dynamic can be inflicted purposefully, a breathy tie can sometimes unintentionally happen due the shape a rope bottom ends up in, how tight the rope is applied or perhaps even due to the amount of pressure on the chest during a suspension for example. Let’s not forget that breath play is also edge play- Cutting oxygen off to the brain is not recommended as it can lead to death, brain damage and permanently impaired cognitive functioning. Recognising the danger allows us to play safely, evaluate our personal risks and navigate kink in a fun environment. Communication is key and paying copious amounts of attention to your partner when anything is placed around the neck is highly recommended. You may want to avoid locking off these pieces of rope so you have control over the tension applied or even use a quick release in places to rapidly alleviate pressure from the arteries. Bottoms may also want to choose their clothing carefully- a corset may not be the best thing to be tied in.
Falling. Probably one of the most serious risks we can come across within shibari as you’re usually taking away the ability for someone to be able to protect themselves if they were to fall. Best case scenario, that individual will walk away with a bruise or an abrasion but broken bones, serious head injuries, damage to the spine and permanent damage is not so fun. We’ve already touched on equipment used in suspensions and how to help mitigate points of failure there which should help lessen the risk of falling from a suspension, but what other scenarios should you consider? Your legs are being bound together in a standing position and your arms are already tied behind your back, though you may not be being suspended, ask your rigger to attach a safety upline if they haven’t already so it will catch you if you were to fall, if no hard points are available then sit down for example. Just use your common sense, do you feel safe? How’s your balance? If you feel faint or like you’re going to fall then actively do something about it and speak up.
TO CONCLUDE;
This is only just skimming the surface of a few factors that might come into play when evaluating your personal risk profile. Note that we’re not medical professionals and there is a lot more information out there on the human anatomy (especially nerves), consent and general safety that will help both tops and bottoms learn and grow within the shibari community. We strongly encourage you to research and to never stop learning, I’m sure we will break this blog down further in the future and go over it in more detail but for now, thanks for reading!
