One of the first things that I always get asked when it comes to bondage BDSM basics is: what kind of rope should I use? What bondage type is the one I should be doing? For beginners these questions can be quite vexing, especially if you don’t know where or how to start. And that is why I will be talking you about this in today’s lesson. Has everyone taken their sits? Wink*
First, as you know there are a lot of ropes out there, so choosing one will be a matter of what are you planning to use it for. Here are a few of the most common materials and what are they good for:
- Silk: On one hand, the feel incredibly nice against the skin, so you won’t get any complaints on the submissive’s part, wink*; they are virtually friction free so they will be super comfortable. I consider soft silk ropes the perfect choice for beginners for those reasons, they will not scare anyone away, wink*. Oh and they are also ideal for Japanese rope bondage (don’t worry I will talk more about this a bit bellow)
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Hemp: This is usually the most common used rope when we talk about rope bondage. The reason? They are durable and strong. The downside is most people will find it scratchy and uncomfortable because it’s hard (ha ha, like other things). Although it does get soften up after a few washes, it can be a bit hard to untie as well. The good thing is they can make for a very tight bondage… And this also a downside, so don’t ever use them for suspension bondage.
- Cotton: These ropes are really comfortable for the submissive, however they don’t have that much stretch and they don’t hold the knots as well. They can also harbor a lot of bacteria, just because cotton locks up moisture. These types of ropes should also not be used for suspension bondage.
- Silicone: Oh to be that flexible… They have a good amount of stretch and are smooth yet they can be quite restrictive. Silicone does not permit any bacterial growth and the warm up good to body temperature. The thing is it might be too stretchy for some; besides, they can also pinch the skin where there are knots.
- Other synthetic materials (including plastic): They can be quite soft and robust, but they can also be difficult to mold, as they can be really stiff. And obviously that makes it hard when you are trying to make knots. They can also cause rope burn, even more than their natural counterparts, so use with caution.
On the other hand, as I mentioned above, how about we talk about some of the most common bondage techniques?
- Symmetrical: I like to suggest beginners should start with this. Visually it can be calming and look perfect because well, it’s symmetrical and visually appealing. Want a visual? An example of this type of bondage is when you bind both hands together, for example.
- Asymmetrical: On the other side we have the opposite. This bondage can work if you want to punish someone because it’s not pleasant and can be difficult to get used to. Tying the left wrist to the left ankle is an example of this type of bondage. So yeah, definitely not for beginners.
- Suspension: Ok, so the first thing I have to say about this is: don’t try it unless you have some serious training. This is definitely not one of those things when you wake up and say,” let’s do it today” unless you have experience on it. The first few times you try it on your own, it’s advisable to have an expert right there inspecting that everything goes smoothly. If suspension is something you are interested in, learn it and practice it with experts, but know this is something that takes time.
- Japanese rope: This kind of bondage is inspired by ancient martial arts. Is usually done with silk ropes and it’s visually incredible. And oh yeah, it also feels incredible as well. The idea here is for some of the knots to provide stimulation to… some erogenous parts, if you know what I’m going with this, wink*. This bondage typically uses asymmetrical positions to provide better sensations and impact.
