Inception (A 'Rope Bondage 101' Class) Lazarus Redmayne © www.theduchy.com | 2021 • Intro o About me. Socratic method, so you get used to learning from each other. ▪ leave your ego at the door, learn before you try, ▪ 0 to intermediate in knowledge in an intense weekend, but you still need practice to become competent. o What is it about rope bondage that attracts you? Why are you at this class? o What are some things about rope that are negative, make you concerned or are intimidating? ▪ Slow, dangerous, real riggers hemp, suspensions, one true way, only for thin flexible o RACK, scissors, ▪ There will be more on negotiation and safety throughout this class and next. ▪ Used to do it all at the beginning, but people got impatient to begin. o What is the one and only kind of rope should you use for bondage? (Joke question) ▪ The kind that you have (modified by what you want to do) ▪ (Open kit) Types of rope and making a rope kit. Length (arm), thickness, type, tooth, ▪ Natural – rough, better consistency of stretch under tension, better tooth, grass allergy? ▪ Synthetic – smooth, color, easy to clean/sterilize, requires extra knotting, variable elasticity • First tie: The Wrap-and-Cinch double column o Western-style bondage vs. Eastern/Japanese o Two-finger check. Why did I do that? Blood and nerves. Speed of numbness. ▪ Circulation and nerve compression damage ▪ Strength, numbness, skin temperature ▪ ALSO, you are touching … forming a connection. • You can communication your intentions, the type of scene to be expected, by how you touch your partner o Minimal negotiation ▪ Flexibility, old injuries/surgeries ▪ Blood pressure, diabetes o Non-collapsing, Wrist safety – Sunstone (Black hand > keep tension > hospital NOW) o Style: pull, not push; use the hook; appropriate tension o Square Knot & Surgeon’s knot • Load baring version of the Double Column, tied to an overhead point • Who is responsible for safety? (Before, during and after a bondage scene) o Top’s responsibility. ▪ Communication – YOU are responsible for understanding your partner’s limits and desires … and the condition they are in at all points during the scene. • Subspace – they lose their ability to consent further. Just like being drunk or drugged ▪ You are the one in control. Safety is your responsibility. Know your own limits. What if you have a heart attack? ▪ Make sure you know your Bottom’s limits, and respect them scrupulously. Nothing will damage you so much in our world as being known as someone who violates trust. ▪ Never leave someone in bondage alone. o Bottom’s Responsibilities: ▪ Communication – YOU are responsible for telling your top everything they need to know. • Limits, triggers, needs, cravings, concerns ▪ TOPS: Instruct your partner to tell you immediately if something goes numb or fells colder than normal. Give them more than permission, give them an order. ▪ If anything feels like it is approaching or crossing a boundary. Definitions might be different. You might only think you both understand, but if you use words differently, you may not. • Think about what you can do with just this one tie! o Wrists, ankles, knees, behind the back, over to back of the head, frog tie, overhead o elbow (if flexible), {extended + tying on the inside or outside of joint} o strappado, joint lock o hog tie … but be careful about positional asphyxiation • Lark’s Head double column o Immediate sense of control. (Reverse tension), o But a bit slower, as it requires tail pulls. o (Talk about technique and style: ▪ the hook ▪ pulling your rope like a stick ▪ big movements = more showy <<Segue: But what if you want to have the arms farther apart?>> • The Lark's Head single-column o Same as above, but with no cinch. Smooth, attractive o Wrap away from direction of tension. o Good for when you want the tail to be in the same direction as the column: Single wrist or ankle cuffs attached to anchor points, spread eagle, St. Andrew’s Cross, chair ties, bed ties, a rope collar (talk through safety considerations) o Mention “connected rope” • The Somerville Bowline single-column o Forward tension, no tail pulls o Good when you want your tail to be perpendicular to the cuffs: single column used in box ties, etc o Show the “slipped” version and how it can be used as a safety feature (again, great for box ties) • The Bikini Harness, a simple chest harness o [[Demo partner: stretch your arms and shoulders]] ▪ Bottoms, stretch before sceneing o Style: maintaining tension, appropriate tension o Style (control): control your trailing ends, control your pulling speed (rope burn) o Lack of control indicates lack of experience or lack of recent practice. o Lengthening rope o Don’t have to do it exactly this way, just thread to control the tension. o Where can we go from here? (LHSC attached to harness…) << Have a break here if you are teaching 101 and 102 together>> • Wrapping up your scene o The scene is not over until the Bottom is completely untied – help them out of the rope slowly, carefully stretching the muscles that have been under tension. o Aftercare ▪ Checking in on the experience ▪ Rope burn – lotion ▪ If muscles were under tension for a long time • Aspirin, if they can take it, helps with sore muscles – blood thinner. • An excuse for a massage, perhaps some IcyHot o Wrapping and storing rope ▪ Marking middle Inception Level II (A 'Rope Bondage 102' Class) Lazarus Redmayne © www.theduchy.com | 2021 This is part 2 of a beginning rope bondage class that takes up where "Inception (A rope 101 class)" leaves off. This is still a beginning class, but whereas 101 focuses mostly on single-column and double-column ties (mostly for wrist, ankles, etc.), 102 focuses on various beginning-level harnesses. • What you should already know: o Basic knots: Square Knot, Lark’s Head, Half-Hitch, extending rope. o Basic column ties:Lark's Head single-column, Somerville Bowline, Lark’s Head double column, The Wrap-and-Cinch double column, Load baring version of the Double Column, o Basic harness: Bikini Harness • Quick safety review: rope health, cutting tool, first aid kit, dungeon masters ‘ • Next-level negotiation o For Tops ▪ You are responsible for safety. • Understand health, strength and flexibility - capabilities and limits. • Two finger squeeze - “as hard as you can” nerve connectivity ▪ Muscle or bone issues? ▪ Diabetes, hypoglycemia, ▪ Skin sensitivity? fibromyalgia ▪ Any conditions or medications that impact blood clotting? (If yes, no suspension) ▪ Triggers – physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, weight (pig, fat), intelligence (stupid), morals (hoar, slut) o For Bottoms ▪ If anything feels like it is approaching or crossing a boundary. Definitions might be different. You might only think you understand because you use words differently. ▪ You are also responsible for safety. • Warm up and stretch before being tied. • Look for indications of the experience level of your top, gauge your activities accordingly. • Check references, ask scene leaders, • Look for flailing ends, or for confidence. It perfectly fine to do something with someone that has not done it before, but just don’t go as far, don’t plan to sink so far into the scene/headspace. • Tying yourself up as a “Gift” = incomprehensible levels of danger. 10,000% SURE you will be found or have a way out. What if your partner has a heart attack? • Sunstone story about the black hand ▪ Communication • Tops, instruct bottoms to tell you immediately if something goes numb or fells colder than normal. Give them the order, therefore the permission. o STDs – use barrier methods unless you are fluid bonded, get a formal test before doing so and know all your partner’s partners. ▪ You can make a dental dam out of a condom…. o Communicate what you are feeling, the mood of the scene you want. ▪ Light? Exploratory? Teaching? Dark? Violent? ▪ What do they want to feel? Helpless? Controlled? Safe? ▪ Tip for tops: this is when the scene really starts (or can). Take control of their mind and imagination • Extended double-column – Elbow Tie or Hobble • The "crotch rope", (lark’s head single column +) o Variations on the happy knot – Overhand Knot, Figure-8 Knot, Chain Stitch • Leash o “Don’t put rope around the neck” really means NEVER put collapsing knots around the neck…or anywhere. o (Chain-stitch approach that only requires the one tail pull at the end.) o Using the lead to enforce submission • Hishi Karada o “Shibari” style, simple techniques applied to produce beauty. o Teach the standard version, o …then demo the version that separates the leg strands • Where do you go from here? This is the ground floor, things can go as far as you want to take them… • Demo of Gote Shibari (“Takate Kote”) – The go-to secure box tie/chest harness. (No one true way) “I am not teaching this. I am demonstrating this to give you a sense of where you can take things. This isn’t considered a complex tie—more intermediate—but there can be incredible depth and detail here if you care to learn it. So, I will show you this tie and cover a few important style and safety considerations you need to understand that the 101/102 ties don’t give you a good opportunity to learn.” Here we go: o Before you begin ▪ Two-finger squeeze: Test for baseline strength ▪ o Personality of the scene (or scene partners) ▪ Your tying style can set the mood. Power, playfulness, teasing, darkness ▪ Maintaining connection and energy while tying o While tying (safety and technique tips) ▪ Radial Nerve – no rope in that groove, but it is in different places.