Sa ara ten we Rope Bondage has Students Tied Up in Knots Workshop teaches “safe, sane, and consensual” practices to beginners looking to improve their skills Carolynne Burkholder, ‘The Ubyssey (University of British Columbia) VANCOUVER (CUP)—Lisa has been attending bondage and kink events in Vancouver for four-years. “Being tied up has always been a fantasy,” she explained at “Bond with Friends: You’ve got the hands, we’ve got the rope,” an event organized by Kink Vancouver: The Next Generation held at UBC last week. Lisa said she went to the workshop as a favour to her roommate, although she already knew everything that was taught. Around 300 people actively participate in the Vancouver bondage scene, attending events and workshops, and many more enjoy bondage in private. After the Kink event—jointly supported by UBC Pride and BIO Event Productions—hosted last week, that number might increase. Inside the brightly lit classroom where the workshop took place, 30 students, surrounded by plenty of rope, listened and learned about the little-known world of bondage. Defined simply as a “sexual practice that involves physically restraining one of the partners,” bondage has gained notoriety in recent years through portrayals in films such as Pulp Fiction and Mr. and Mrs: Smith. Despite the taboo factor, bondage is a common fan- tasy. According to a US study, almost 50 percent of men find the idea of bondage erotic. The number is smaller for women—estimates put it around 30 percent. “Bondage is often used to ensure and enhance feel- ings of helplessness or powerlessness or having power over someone,” explained Tillie, another participant in the workshop. “And it looks good.” Tristan, the instructor, echoed Tillie’s statement. “It’s about power and beauty,” he explained to the class. “Beauty in the fanciful designs and the sight of the bound human body. And power is either giving it up or seeing your partner writhing on the floor. You know which kind you are,” he continued. Tristan has a background in first aid and has worked as an instructor. After a brief, but heavily emphasized reiteration of the mantra—“safe, sane, and consensual” or “risk aware consensual kink”—he spent over half an hour discussing safety. Bondage injuries can range from the mildly annoy- ing rope burn to nerve damage that can last for months. Bondage-related fatalities are rare, but can happen. Most fatalities occur when a person is playing alone, the majority by autoerotic asphyxiation. Tristan stressed that keeping both partners safe is the most important part of bondage. The discomfort should be part of the experience of being bound and not harmful or damaging, he explained. Before you even begin to tie, “take stock of how the person looks and feels,” he continued. The colour, tone, and temperature of the skin will differ from person to person, but can be an indicator of damage to limbs. “Keep the rope away from the throat,” said Tristan, as the most important rule when beginning to tie some- one up. “Sides not front,” became another mantra for the evening. : Positional asphyxia, another hazard, happens when being hog-tied—your lungs are compressed with no room to expand. This is rare, but potentially fatal. Circulation problems are much more common. “You have to be careful where you place your knots,” said Tristan. Apart from the neck, bondage enthusiasts must be careful not to compress the femoral artery— running from your leg through to your groin—which can be fatal. As well, your wrists can suffer nerve damage that can last for months. This is “the most typical bondage related injury” according to Tristan. As a general rule “if you can see light [between skin and the rope] blood can get through.” Besides the rope, bondage tools are surprisingly util- itarian. Most were bought from fishing or hardware stores—not fetish shops. Tristan’s tool kit includes scis- sors—‘“never cheap out on your safety scissors,” he said—a one-sided knife with a blunt tip, and a Swedish fid, a tool used to work out knots. And, of course, there is the rope. Although Tristan is partial to hemp tope—it smells good and is unlikely to burn your skin—he said you can “use pretty much anything you want.” Thread, razor wire, and bungy cord are definitely out. Over 90 percent of bondage uses the same two knots, even for the most intricate designs. The larks head, also known as the cow hitch, works as a hook— tying arm to arm, leg to arm, or leg to post. The reef knot, or the even easier granny knot, holds the rope in place. The rest is practice. Tristan demonstrated a simple wrist cuff and a more ornate body harness for the class before leaving partici- pants to practice on each other. A few of the more experienced participants helped the novices with the knots. The workshop was targeted at beginners looking to improve their skills in rope bondage. “I got some fun, easy, basic ties, and confidence. Now I can’t wait to tie my friends up this weekend,” said Tillie. Brigette, who also attended the workshop, agreed. “I got a few new techniques out of it, and some interest- ing information about the physiological and biological safety issues involved in playing with bondage,” she said. “And I met some cool new people.” Terminology: BDSM: acronym for bondage/discipline, domi- nance/submission, sadism/masochism Bottom: the “receiver” in bondage, usually the sub- missive, but not always Dominant: person who enjoys controlling a submis- sive person Dungeon: any space set aside for scene activities Dungeon monitor: someone trained in BDSM safe- ty who ensures safe and responsible play in the dun- geon Hog-tie: securing each wrist to the corresponding ankle behind the back Rigging: the act of tying someone else primarily for artistic purposes Safeword: a word or action for the bottom to indi- cate distress and a wish to abort Submissive: person who enjoys submitting to the will of another Top: the “giver” in bondage, usually the dominant, but not always Vincilagnia: being sexually aroused by bondage