Nerve Damage Study, Version II, Part I
Revision: January 2013

I have made a number of revisions to my original nerve damage study in the light of experience, discussions with models, fellow riggers and my teachers in Japan, further study of how the top Japanese riggers tie and access to better medical modelling software. That said, we are all different and there will never be a guide that can say “Put the rope there like that and everything will be fine”. Furthermore, some of my theories are just that, so are not immutable or necessarily correct, my only qualification is experience with rope and an inquiring mind. If you know better or can add to the advice herein, I welcome your input.

Analysis of upper body nerve injuries

The main focus of this study is injuries caused by upper body ties. In most cases these involve what might be generally referred to as a ‘box-tie’ in western terms. I have used the term box-tie to refer to ties, encompassing the arms and upper torso, often used for suspension. Similar ties are often referred to as ‘gote’ or ‘takate-kote’ within shibari circles. Japanese forms vary considerably in style and functionality.

Akechi derived takate-kote. Osada Steve, 2008.

Some, like those deriving from the Akechi Denki school, tend to be better suited to dynamic suspension whilst others are primarily only for use on the floor, e.g. Yukimura ryu, or for partial or static suspension. It is important to understand the limitations and use such ties appropriately. For example, you wouldn’t drive a F1 car across a ploughed field or enter a Landrover into an F1 race. The same differences can apply with these ties.

TypicalYukimura gote

The purpose of this document is to examine the construction methods and possible implications for the nerves likely to be affected. We will examine the commons elements and the areas that might cause problems. However, these hazards are not unique to this tie and the information is relevant to upper body bondage in general.  Whilst suspension multiplies the forces and inherent risks, similar problems can occur during floor-work particularly if the person tied is lying on a binding or it is under load, e.g. floor-based or partial suspension.

Some of the common mistakes in attempting to execute this tie and the failures of some Western copies are now embodied in an on-going series of articles on my site.

Whilst most injuries can be traced to inappropriate placement of ropes or poor construction, there still seem to be others which seem less explicable. I hope this document will be the basis from which to explore how risks can be reduced or, even, if this type of tie or its usage can be improved.

Traditional Japanese ‘gote’

The simple form is usually based on two ropes, excluding the suspension rope/s or decoration and reinforcement. This is a general guide to common characteristics:

1. It typically comprises two parallel bow-shaped wraps, usually of two doubled bands of rope, one above the breasts and one below, encompassing the arms and torso.  The placement of these wraps is critical! Western box-ties seem to employ more parallel bands.
2. Wrists will, except in reverse versions, be secured loosely at the rear. Wrist position will depend on whether the style uses low wrists or high wrists in an X-shape or forearms parallel to the ground. The latter being the most commonly seen.
3. The upper wraps will normally be under greater tension than the lower wraps. Typically, lower wraps about 70% less tension.
4. Even wrap tension is paramount! Uneven tension can create dangerous pressure and nerve damage.
5. One or both wraps will be ‘cinched’ at the front only. The upper wrap cinching is very gentle but a little more tension is applied to the lower. Some versions might not employ cinches (kannuki) but these are rarely used for suspension without an additional upper wrap.
6. Some or all components will be ‘locked off’ to ensure that each is a separate unit and does not tighten when other bindings are pulled. These frictions or knots must be efficient if the integrity of the tie is to be maintained. In higher stress situations, this is vital.
7. Only the two parallel wraps, not the cinch ropes, to be included in the suspension rope/s. This is by no means universal but is the Akechi school practice as it is said to reduce the load on the cinches. This might be correct for versions where the two wraps are separated at the rear. However, when all components are taken to one central point, as in some older style versions, the tension on cinch lines, in my opinion, might be mitigated.
8. The upper wraps are generally placed around the lower end of the deltoid and the lower wraps about a maximum of two or three fingers width lower, avoiding the area where the radial nerve is less well protected. This is a rough guide and will not be correct for everyone.

In addition to the above, there may be some embellishment or further structural work depending on how much rope is left and whether a third rope is added.  The purpose of the third rope is to provide additional rigidly to the form, especially for side suspension to allow one to anchor ankles to it. Regardless, the above components comprise the basic form.  Unfortunately, many Western approximations and many tutorials do not take all these considerations into account. Consequently, this can lead to increased risk. Hopefully, this document will also alert people to the risks inherent in some non-standard or reverse engineered versions. Specific risks and errors are discussed after the section identifying the main nerves.

Nerves of the upper body

It should be stressed that every person is different, not just on the outside but equally on the inside. Thus, this document can only provide a general guide. These differences can be marked. An extreme example is Dextrocardia Situs Inversus Totalis, where the positions of organs are reversed, including the heart.  The position of nerves and their vulnerability varies between individuals. Just compare the paths of visible veins with some friends and you will see how much they vary. I suspect that nerves are not much different in their degree of variation, so diagrams can only give a very rough approximation. In addition, weight and degree of protection afforded by muscle or fat will be other factors. Individual assessment must be combined with the guidelines in this study; ever then, this does not guarantee safety. Suspensions, especially the Japanese style, are edge play. They are not SSC, they are RACK! Think of it as an extreme sport with the same potential risks. Before copying the pros, consider that they are pros so are highly skilled and have fit bomb-proof models. Owning a motorbike doesn’t make you Evel Knieval…and even he had accidents!

When assessing a person to be tied, the following areas should be considered:

• Past general medical history, e.g. any known susceptibilities, previous injuries that might be relevant.
• Details of any numbness or nerve related problems. It is particularly useful if they know why it happened/what caused it.
• Nerve injury can be cumulative. Repeated trauma is likely to reduce function.
• How well they tolerate the suspension tie during floor work.
• Is the thickness of the rope and the proposed number of wraps appropriate for their weight, body tone and degree of padding. There can be a big difference between rigging for a super-fit 45kg/100lb professional bondage model and Mr or Mrs Average. Be aware that thicker rope does not necessarily safety, apart from obviously offering additional strength in critical applications like main suspension lines (natural fibre rope is not strong or predictable). The downside is more bulk and bigger knots, which can dig into nerves or other sensitive areas. The area most at risk from this is the radial and brachial plexus (upper inner side of arm/armpit).
• You can learn a lot by gently probing for nerve sensitivity. Note whether there are unusual sensitivities or placements.

IMPORTANT! Always ask for feedback during the tie, especially for any unusual sensations, however seemingly insignificant, and act upon it FAST if they might be a problem.  I have seen instances where an injury probably occurred due to a rigger thinking he knew better or could fix it ‘on the fly’. The latter requires a lot of skill and very precise instructions from the person tied. If in doubt, untie!

There follows an illustrated discussion of the main nerves, and arteries which supply them, relevant to this tie and, indeed, bondage in general.

The following terms might be helpful in interpreting medical texts:

• Anterior – The front side
• Posterior – The rear side
• Lateral – Away from the midline of the body
• Medial – Towards the midline of the body
• Proximal – Towards the centre of the body
• Distal – Away from the centre of the body
• Pronation – To rotate the arm inward so that the thumb points towards the body
• Supination – To rotate the arm outward so that the thumb points away from the body
• Extension – When a joint is held straight out (opposite of flexion)
• Flexion – When a joint is bent (opposite of extension)

Nerve damage duration: Times involved are hard to estimate, but will partly depend on the spread of focussing of the compression, the weight of the person suspended, and the concurrent presence of blood vessel compression. Be aware that serious nerve damage can happen very quickly and often without warning. Incident reports have show this damage can occur in seconds. Consider this before you experiment with suspension or tight bondage.

• Short term compression - tingling and loss of sensation.
• Longer term (minutes) - loss of motor function (neuropraxia).
• Longer still – longer recovery time.
• Even longer - possibility of permanent injury (neurotemsis)

Recovery time depends a lot on how badly the nerve is damaged. It may just take a very short time if the nerve is mildly compressed. However, if the structure of the nerve is damaged, it can take weeks or months. A nerve is made up of thousands of nerve fibres held together in a bundle. Each fibre that has been disrupted will die back along its track to where the body of the cell is located which is right back to the spinal cord. It can regrow from there usually at a rate of about a millimetre a day. If the nerve sheath is not disrupted, then the individual nerve fibres should be able to find their way back to the sensory or muscle ending that they were originally connected to. In severe cases, surgery might be required to regain use.

A sketch of a dissected body, showing the nerves of the hand, can be found here in Gray’s Anatomy. Starting at the wrists, you have three main nerves: ulnar (little finger side), median and radial (thumb side). The median isn’t easily compressed by ropes, even under suspension as it lies deep within the carpal tunnel running up the middle of the wrist. People with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are probably the exceptions as fibrous tissue fills the tunnel and leaves less room for the nerve.

The real problems are the other two nerves, radial and ulnar. Let us examine how and where injuries can occur and thus what to avoid.

Wrist ties

Tying wrists overly tightly, so as not to permit enough movement and slack, seems to be the most common mistake I encounter, even with quite experienced students. The main purpose of the wrist tie is more to support the forearms than restrain as this is done largely by the torso wraps going around the upper arms. This being so, it is not necessary to make the wrist tie tight and I tend to leave much more slack than a normal wrist tie.

No less safety space!

Why is more slack needed? Firstly, during a suspension the arms are likely to be forced inwards, thus the forearms are pushed into the wrist binding. Forearms are much wider than wrists so the rope becomes tight. Secondly, it also removes the important ability to move the arms to relieve discomfort or nerve compression. It is a vital skill for rope models to learn how to identify the early signs of nerve compression, e.g. odd twinges or electric type sensations, and communicate this to the rigger who should act instantly.

Too tight & close to wrists

Take care not to apply too much pressure in the area from above the notch at the base of the thumb (Fig 1, Point A) to about 2cm (1″) up the forearm as this is a common area of radial nerve injury. On the other side, you’ll feel another notch at the end of the ulnar bone where the forearm ends and the hand starts (Point B), see Fig 1, where the ulnar nerve can be at risk, although it appears less easily injured than the radial. At both these points, the nerves are running near the surface over bony prominences, making the nerve compressible by overly tight or thin, i.e. narrow diameter rope or insufficient wraps, wrist bindings cutting into this area. Also watch out for the knot being driven into the radial on the upper wrist, as in the photo above.

When tying a gote, the wrist tie should incorporate a locking knot, or other mechanism, that prevents the tie from tightening.  I prefer to add a second knot to prevent the first loosening or capsizing into a slip knot. In general, it is safer to ensure you run the bight under the wraps to avoid secondary tightening. Whilst several old-school kinbakushi do not seem to do this, they know what they are doing and the problems involved. I believe this is one area where technology has moved on and it is a risk best avoided by the rest of us.

Arm and hand position

One should adopt an arm position that feels natural and does no cause torsion of the upper arm muscles. I am veering away from encouraging placing arms so that inner wrists are together as often advised in the west and prefer to let my partner take their preferred position.

Maria Masato wrist tie

I have noticed that Japanese models adopt a position with both inner wrists facing backwards and forearms stacked one on top of the other with hands pushed towards the opposite elbow (see above for an example featuring an unusual double wrist tie). This has the advantage of placing the, in my opinion, more vulnerable radial nerve away from the main pressure point, which is likely to be at the bottom of the loop should the rope move into this area. True the rope runs across the veins of the outer wrist but the pressure there should be low, as the load is on the underside.

Insufficient flexibility

Good flexibility is important so the tie will not be right on the wrist. If one cannot put ones fists close to the inside of ones opposite elbows behind the back, the tie will be at the wrist near the danger points A & B indicated on the photo thus risking injury at the wrist. In which case, a modified tie might be advisable. I believe proper arm position with a fairly gently wrist tie is a good way to ensure safety.

During suspension, it is not advised to lock thumbs into elbows as this can create uncomfortable strain on the thumbs and restrict the ability to change arm position when under load.

Don’t lock thumbs!

The shaded area on the forearm where the radial nerve runs over the bone can be sensitive (see below). Although it is unlikely that rope will subject pressure here, I have encountered a case where the model inflicted injury by trapping the nerve between the bone and the heel of her hand with additional pressure from suspension.

On a more general note, one should be aware of the vulnerabilities at the wrist when applying any ties that might come under load, e.g. hands behind head, hog-tie, tied overhead. The load can cause the bindings to cut into these sensitive areas, as can escape attempts or other struggling.

Try to keep at bindings flat, ropes parallel and uncrossed with even tension to avoid pressure spots. Some people prefer an extra wrap at the wrists. Ultimately, the tie should suit your partner. Don’t try to make them fit the tie.

We will now move up the arm.

Ulnar nerve

A sketch of a dissected body, showing the nerves of the arm, can be found below from Gray’s Anatomy (click to enlarge).

Avoid the “funny bone”, aka humerus, where the ulnar nerve runs over the bony prominences of the ends of the humerus and top end of the ulna (Fig 1c). Compressing here gives similar symptoms to whacking it (the “funny bone”) i.e. tingling in the inner (little finger) half of the hand (see Fig 1b), and depending on degree of injury might also lead to weakness in the fingers, loss of grip strength and precision.

Injuries to the ulnar nerve may also occur if the arm is very tightly bent (>90 degrees) at the elbow for prolonged periods; if the arm is twisted inward so the thumb faces the body, tension on the ulnar nerve is further increased (think of the way you hold your arm while imitating a chicken wing or as in a wrist to upper arm tie).

Symptoms of ulnar nerve injury:

• Abnormal sensations in the 4th or 5th fingers
• Numbness, decreased sensation, especially in areas marked blue in Fig 1b.
• Tingling, burning sensation
• Pain
• Weakness of the hand

Median nerve

The median nerve, in the middle of the front of the elbow is difficult to compress, as it’s deep and surrounded by soft tissue, but with enough pressure the radial artery can be compressed, leaving the lower arm short of blood & oxygen.  This point is just proximal to the bony parts of the wrist with the hand supine, where the pulse is normally taken. This remains vulnerable in a straight line up to about half way to the elbow, at which point the increased muscle bulk around the deeper running artery will be protective. Compression is both painful in itself and after a few minutes can start to cause early tissue damage. Releasing the pressure the causes more pain as the blood supply returns.

Avoid the back/inner upper humerus (5-7.5cm/2-3 inches below the armpit) as the lower branches of the brachial plexus are compressed against the bone of the upper arm here, this time including the median nerve (causing major functional problems for the elbow and hand).

Radial nerve

Symptoms of radial nerve injury can affect the following:

• The hand or forearm (dorsal surface, the “back” of the hand)
• The “thumb side” (radial surface) of the dorsal hand
• The fingers nearest the thumb (2nd and 3rd)

The following symptoms might occur:

• Numbness, decreased sensation, tingling, or burning sensation, especially in the un-shaded areas in Fig 1b.
• Pain
• Abnormal sensations
• Difficulty extending the arm at the elbow
• Difficulty extending the wrist

If the injury is at the wrist, patients complain of isolated sensory changes and paresthesias (unusual sensations) over the back of the hand without motor weakness, e.g. wrist drop, inability to grasp firmly. If the injury is high above the elbow, then numbness of the forearm and hand may be an additional complaint.

Kinoko Hajime at LFAJRB 2011

The radial nerve is vulnerable at the wrist as mentioned above. In addition, it is also prone to injury where it twists around the outside of the arm. You can explore 3D images like the one below at Biodigital Human:

Path of radial nerve

I suspect that a substantial number of injuries are the result of compression of the radial nerve by the lower wrap, rather than the upper wrap as has been previously suspected. This will be explored further in Part II.

Since it is included in the brachial plexus, compression in the underarm area can also occur. A branch of the radial nerve near the lateral and posterior portion of the wrist does run close to the skin surface (see Fig 1, Point ‘A’)  and tight ties in this region may lead to numbness along the back of the hand.

In the diagram on the left below, you can see the path of the radial and in the second photo you can see it traced on my arm. The red spot is for reference. In the final photo, you can see the red spot has moved towards the outside of the arm.

In the left-hand picture below, so you can see how the nerve appears to be affected by the change of position, the third photo is superimposed on the first diagram. The right hand photo gives a better idea of the path from a side view.

This would appear to be the evidence that lower wraps should be higher than is often the case. I believe westerners tend to tie the upper wraps a little high, although this does not appear to cause nerves issues, it can lead to the wrap slipping out of place since placing the wrap at the very lower end of the deltoid provides a natural ‘stop’. However, they then seem to leave a large space between the wraps, which tends to place the bottom wrap too low, which can then stray into the area where the radial is at risk. The next section, Part II, will examine some examples.

Brachial plexus:

In the armpit, all the major nerves to the upper limb are branching after emerging from the neck and upper thoracic spine, see below. They pass through the soft tissues beneath the shoulder joint. This is pretty well protected from above by the joint itself, behind by deltoid and trapezius, and from the front by the pectorals. Underneath, though, these nerves are vulnerable.

Restraints should never be placed around and under the armpit as this will almost certainly lead to compression of all of the nerves that supply the arm.  It’s not just compression, but also excessive stretching, which can happen if the body is suspended with arms above the head. Obviously, the risk, and speed of onset of any injury, is greater in those who weigh more. This is also a risk if the arms are pulled behind the back, as in a hog-tie or strappado (below) , when the head is turned to the opposite side, and when there is downward pressure on the shoulder.

Strappado by JBC Productions / Aussie Rope Works

While certain scenes may require positioning that puts stretch tension on the brachial plexus, moving the person in bondage to the position slowly and steadily (without sudden movements) and minimizing the aforementioned pressures may help make arm restraint safer.

However, while nerve damage to the areas discussed may appear to be the source of change in sensation, in fact there are times that the pain is actually the result of compression of the nerve points around the vertebra. For instance, suspension with the head in a plane that might deform the natural position of the vertebrae; thus, pinching the nerves coming out at the vertebra. This situation is very highly probable in horizontal suspension when the head is unsupported. Often the sensation of pain from the cervical pain is manifested at a distance from the vertebra and could include sensation along the radial nerve right to the finger tips.

Muira Takumi takate kote

Summary

There are many variables, knock-on effects and bio-mechanical issues; there is no magic formula which avoids all risks.

The next section, Part II, will examine some of examples of rope placement and specific dangers.

There is no medical specialisation in bondage related injuries, so creating this expertise is down to us. Your peer review, anecdotal evidence, field reports or expertise can all provide valuable input and correct errors. The success of this project depends on your feedback. Please email me with any details of incidents, comments or additions: bruce@esinem.com

In spite of all the best care and knowledge, shit happens. All we can do is be aware of the risks and how to minimise them.

With thanks to: Vitimin A, Sluttylatexboy for their medical input and those who have shared their experiences.

Please circulate this information freely. However, it would be courteous to include this message with the following:

Tuition information & bookings

Information on monthly courses, private tuition, teaching at your event or club: www.esinem.com/main-tuition

I also have a set of tutorial DVDs: Japanese Rope Bondage: Tying people not parcels. Available from Amazon, Alibris and my shop: http://www.esinem.com/shop

Rope shop

A wide selection of natural fibre rope, including jute, hemp, cotton at great prices. Many items have free international shipping: stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/ESINEM-Rope

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I have just been testing the practical application of E=MC2 and the results are somewhat chilling and, in my opinion, go some way to explaining a couple of recent rope breaks under the dynamic load of a high speed lift. Based on some experiments, it seems quite easy to unwittingly load your lines with 4 times the weight of your rope partner, which is many times the safe working load (SWL) of the rope, even under perfect conditions. I haven’t even begun to quantify how much ‘less than ideal’ conditions affect this but, once all the variables are factored in, I suspect many of us are on very thin ice.

I should state, and some might have spotted it already, I know nothing of physics beyond my real world observations as I didn’t study it at school. I’m told by those who are better informed that this is not the ideal formula, I should have used basic vector physics to deal with force, acceleration, friction, etc., but it is close enough to illustrate the point as energy and force are inextricably linked. In any case, I do not intend to rely on theory as there are a lot of imponderables which cloud the issue, what actually happens in the real world is what matters. A calculator in a lab saying it’s OK won’t help the person who has just landed on their head on a concrete floor.

In E=MC2, simplistically speaking, E is the energy (the load on your rope) you exert to get M (your model) airborne and C is the speed of a direct lift into suspension, i.e. one uses only the main line to lift somebody. You see, the issue is that the effect of the speed is exponential. The issue is the energy required to accelerate the mass from standstill. The greater the mass and the faster you try to move it, the greater the effort needed and the more strain on the rope. It’s this peak load that breaks rope. Once one component of the rope fails, there is a domino effect as the load is transferred. This happened rapidly with a bang, not tantalisingly strand by strand over several minutes like in the movies. One rope breaking will most probably cause the second part of a doubled rope to fail. Here’s a real life illustration of the statement below, watch how fast the slow motion re-play of the break is at 9 seconds in.

“If the object is initially stationary, the upward force must first overcome both inertia and gravity to start to move the object. Once the object is moving upward at some velocity, a force only equal to that from gravity is necessary to continue the upward movement at that velocity.”

Visualise the difference between trying to push a car from a gradual slow start and by running as fast as you could into the back of it. See what I mean? The latter generates a lot of energy but won’t move the car much and will hurt a lot as this energy is absorbed. Have you got the slightest idea what forces lifting can produce on rope? I didn’t till I did some tests lifting a 10kg load. For those unfamiliar with metric weights, 1kg = 2.2lb approx.. There’s a conversion application here.

In my experiments, I tied two reels of rope (10kg approx) to the knotted ends a doubled 3-ply twisted jute rope of about 5-6mm diameter. This then ran through a carabiner hung directly above the load allowing me to attach a 50kg spring balance to the bight and pull from the ring from which the balance would normally be hung. To record the peak load, I used a home-made marker fashioned out of a business card which would be pushed up by the pointer to rest at the maximum indicated. Each test was run 3 times.  As you’ll see from the results later, there is the odd inconsistency so we need more data to see how often such anomalies occur. So far, I have done tests with untreated used 5mm 3-ply tossa jute over a ‘biner and a wooden gym ring with a tubular diameter of 25mm approx.  Some tests with waxed rope seemed to reduce effort slightly but I’ll do more to see if rope type and treatment make a significant difference. It’s not exactly a precision bit of kit but it does, at least, show which way the wind is blowing by showing relative loads with a rough degree of accuracy. Hopefully, we can get some tests done on more scientific equipment if this article generates enough interest to get the help of somebody with proper facilities. So far, there have been some interesting potential offers for the use of lab test equipment facilities which I hope will come to fruition. Meanwhile, I have ordered a 300kg crane scale with a peak load facility, which might take a week or two to arrive, and I might also pick up a Dillon Dynamometer with a 15,000lb/6800kg capacity for destruction testing rope.

Test rig

Showing 42kg peak

Regardless of method and equipment, I believe the key is sufficient test data to highlight exceptions like how often a rope falls well outside the expected performance parameters. What causes it? How can we mitigate the danger? The problem is not what is the average failure level but how often it falls below the safe level since averages are made up of highs and lows. If a rope tests at 250kg 9 times out of 10 and once at 50kg, the average breaking strain is 230kg but the failure rate at 50kg is 1 in 10. It only takes one ‘low’ to cause an accident. If you are not already a member, you can sign up for free or get unlimited access to everything for less than the price of a couple of coffees.

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Just a quick taster to tempt you before we all go off to Peer Rope London. More later…

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Some of you might have noticed that I have expanded into general purpose braided ropes with the addition of red, black and red cotton mix ropes of around 7-8mm diameter. These are for those who want soft, forgiving and ready to use ‘basics range’ rope at a bargain basement price. Encouraged by their popularity, I have sourced some higher quality braided coloured ropes in a wider range of colours with a slightly smaller diameter.

The new range, pictured above, appears to be fully synthetic, although described as ‘cotton’. The result is very similar to cotton but with a slight sheen and no issues with strength or deterioriation like the real thing. Of course, no treatment is needed so they are ready to go. I suspect they will wash well and still stay bright, which is great for those who clean their ropes frequently or get messy in their play.

The current colours include:

• Bright red
• Black
• Purple
• Grape (very limited stock)
• Pink

The diameter is around 6mm and the ropes come in a generous 10m length. The ends are finished with a plastic shrink wrap. If you need to cut the rope, it can be heat sealed or you can buy plastic shrink wrap for electrical insulation on eBay or Maplin. I will be listing the new ropes shortly on eBay and Amazon.

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Nina’s spectacular tie on Gorgone, photographed by Jay Graham, currently has nearly 2,400 ‘Love its’ on Fetlife. This is an incredible accolade for this team’s work. The cynical might say that much is down to a great photo or beginner’s luck. There is no denying it is a stunning photo. Although, I have to say that this could well be over-shadowed by the final series as this was prised out of Jay at an early stage. I have seen his work and we have discussed his ideas, so I can safely say that, in the words of the song, “You ain’t seen nothing yet”. There will be more from that series and another shoot she did this weekend shortly.

Judging by the response to her latest work, the doubters will have to eat their words. In barely 24 hours, one photo already has 1,670 ‘Love Its’ and the rest well apprecited too. This time, there was no studio set up, no fancy lighting, just a few opportunistic shots by Red Red under less than ideal conditions in my living room. Well, OK, there were his tender ministrations with Photoshop and his skilful eye, I’m not denying that.

What is particularly gratifying is that Nina’s work is refreshingly different and original. Too often, we see the same ties and poses in photos. I heave a big sigh of relief when I see something that isn’t a 3TK, futo-momo or whatever is currently the flavour of the month. Of course, one expects the less experienced riggers to show case the ties they know and not step outside their comfort zone. I wouldn’t wish to see otherwise. On the other hand, I am disappointed that some far more experienced riggers seem afraid to experiment and merely re-cycle the same ties in every photo. In fact, some rarely seem to vary their live performances, which to me seems a shame as I feel it turns what should be an act of spontaneous passion into just a slickly rehearsed act. Maybe that’s just how I feel about it? It would be a dull world if we all tried to convey the same thing from our shows. The only test is that others like it. If they do, show them. Otherwise, it’s best kept to yourself unless you can take the flak.

I am proud to see that the embryonic talent I spotted in Nina, when she first started tying a mere 12 months or so ago was not an illusion (or as the less charitable might say, ‘cock-blindness’), and that it is flourishing. No doubt 2013 will see her grow even more. Under the circumstances, I find this very apt:

“One repays a teacher badly if one always remains nothing but a pupil.” 
―    Friedrich Nietzsche,    Thus Spoke Zarathustra

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Having recently been tipped off about some of my material being on torrent sites, I have sent off a flurry of DMCA take-down notices. Rather surprisingly, the response in all cases was to remove the offending material immediately. This leads me to assume that some of them are running scared of the attention being turned upon them by the authorities. Judging by the number of off-line or blocked torrent sites, it seems to be not without good reason.

Torrent downloading is becoming more hazardous as users, as well as providers, are now being targetted in the latest moves. I think the net is tightening and, as greater controls are implemented, the wild west days could be numbered. When one considers the degree of tracking affored even by consumer programs like Google Analytics, it is frightening to think what detailed information must be available to ISPs and governments; read this for example.

“The Copyright Alert System (CAS), designed to provide notices to consumers if their ISP suspects any illegal downloading, will start rolling out “in the coming weeks.”

Originally announced last year, the CAS will be used to deliver infringement notices from content owners to ISP users that attempt to illegally download copyrighted material. Initial notices are designed to be purely informational, however Internet service providers will take additional action on repeated offenders.”

Read more at ISP Copyright Alert System Launching  ‘In The Coming Weeks’ Mobile & Apps.

I’d be very grateful for information regarding the URL’s of any sites offering illegal downloads of my copyright material. I would ask those who feel they must infringe copyright to try to be more selective and choose those who can afford it, like Bill Gates with his alleged £3,356,100,000pa salary. Consider that I need it more as I probably earn less in an entire year than he does during a single visit to the toilet. What’s more, his £6,165.67 per minute earnings assumes he is working 24/7! To make matters worse, I suspect my working week is closer to 24/7 than his.

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Things are moving ahead. I have an AP Dillon 15,000lb/6800kg dynamometer arriving in the next day or two. Admittedly, it’s overkill but it was a tiny fraction of its new cost, so was an irresistable bargain. Here’s the brochure which will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about it. In simple terms, it allows a peak load to be recorded, e.g. breaking strain of rope. The only downside is that it measures in 100lb/45kg divisions, I would have preferred smaller.

For lower loads, a 300kg crane scale with peak load recording seems to just about fit the bill, again for very little money. The HS4-300 hanging scale will weigh in 100g units so will allow quite accurate readings, albeit with a lower maximum that is ideal. However, I think a simple pulley system could be used to introduce different factors via mechanical advantage, e.g. a simple 2:1 advantage doubles the maximum from 300kg to 600kg. Anyway, it will certainly be sufficient to see what loads my model’s 40kg or so (around 90lbs) generates under suspension even assuming the 4x increase in load during ‘drop lifts’ that has been indicated by my rough experiments with a 10kg load can be extrapolated. I was gratified to hear my estimates of around 1.8x increase in load due to friction of running over a karabiner concurred reasonably well with mathematical estimates of 1.6-1.7x. However, I suspect that mathematical estimates based on pulleys don’t take into account the increased friction due to the small radius and greater contact area of a ‘biner as the direction of pull reaches vertical. There seems to be less friction when using a wooden ring due to the increased circumference causing a more gentle curve. I also have every reason to believe are safer to the less destructive curve and a less knife-like edge. This will be a very interesting component to throw into load testing, as will the friction coefficient of the rope due to construction, e.g. profile of the twist, braided v twisted,  or lubricants, e.g. wax or oil.

The next challenge will be to build a safe test rig for destruction testing. The rapid dissipation of energy when the rope breaks needs to be considered if one wishes to avoid catching 7kg of dynamometer in the teeth or tangling with a very rapidly travelling bit of rope. As the video belows shows, standing on the right-hand side of that rig might make a full-on bullwhipping seem like a tickling. It is also interesting that the characteristics of the rope can be far more important than simple rated breaking strain.

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Whilst this resource doesn’t include a specific section on shibari knots, it does have a couple one might use for special purposes and shows very clearly how they are tied. What also has is some very useful guides on splicing and whipping, which have always been a dark art to me unless the latter involves a single tail. Anyway, it’s knot to be missed. (Editor: Groan). Enjoy!

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Since we have had quite a lot of requests for Saturday group classes, and in particular for beginners, Nina and I have decided to reintroduce them starting this Saturday 9 February. I realise that I have been somewhat tardy in writing a post albeit I updated the tuition page and calendar some while back. Life has been totally hectic here with a house full of vistors for BOUND, IT hassles and various projects so unfortunately one or two things have been overlooked.

Anyway, this Saturday there will be a beginners’ class for those who want to tie and connect with rope using Japanese techniques by Esinem and Nina Russ. This goes beyond making pretty patterns and begins to explore the real power of shibari. For more details on classes and my teaching, see Tuition.

An unique advantage of my classes is that Nina Russ, my assistant, has a lot of experience as a model and is a very talented rigger so can add an extra dimension to them. She knows exactly how the ties feel so can provide valuable tips on optimising them based on both first hand experience and on world-class tuition through attending courses by Japanese masters Yukimura Haruki, Kinoko Hajime and Kazami Ranki…and, of course, me.

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Bondage seems to be the new black. Over the past year or two, I have noticed that rope is creeping into all manner of areas outside of the scene. I suppose once latex had become almost respectable with couture outfits, adoption by various pop stars hoping to be a bit wild and, finally, we had rubber clad girls symbolising the forecast on Powergen sponsored TV weather reports. Japanese style and shibari provided something edgy and beautiful, that could always be passed off as art and given a veneer of respectability, yet still shock the vanillas, which is always good for publicity.

Over the past year, I have received a lot of very interesting commissions and been involved in collaborations with exalted names that I would never have dreamed of working with a few years ago. Who would have thought I’d be working with top fashion photographers, Vogue models and internationally acclaimed artists or appearing on national TV? Anyway, enough of me. There must be many others who are receiving these sorts of job, so it would be interesting to see what everyone has done. Stories will be published as they come in, your suggestions are welcome. Hopefully, this will both stimulate additional projects and create a wider understanding of what we are doing within the general public by creating a counter-balance to salacious tabloid newspaper depictions of BDSM and stories of non-consensual criminal acts being associated with kink. Why to they insist in associating the non-consensual with the consensual? It makes no more sense than branding everyone who is sexually active as a rapist or paedophile. It’s not those who can express their kink consensually that is the problem, it’s those that can’t and thus build up steam until they feel they must take what they want regardless of consent that you need to watch out for.

What Lies Beneath by Mert & Marcus from LOVE

 As you might recall, I did a shoot the What Lies Beneath shoot with Mert and Marcus last year with a raft of top models. One of those involved was the face of Kalvin Klein, Lara Stone. Sadly, Ms Stone did not fall prey to my ropes and I had to content myself with chatting and scrounging her cigarettes. You can imagine how gutted I was to discover somebody else had already popped her bondage cherry. If you know who the rigger was please let me know so I can kill…erh, credit him Here are the photos from the shoot in Visionaire Issue 60.

Bob Ropemarks has a list of media appearances to his name longer than his arm. Being the delightful pervert that he is, many of the more mainstream ones seem to be explaining what shibari is all about to the public, although I’m only guessing as I don’t speak a word of Dutch. Here’s a still from one of the videos where he has lured some poor unsuspecting TV presenter into a dungeon to be shown the ropes, although she doesn’t seem to mind too much.

It seems that what counts as ‘mainstream’ in the Netherlands is somewhat different from UK and US TV definitions as his most recent appearance was on the charmingly named ‘Spuiten_en_Slikken‘ show, which I believe translates something like ‘Shoot and Swallow’ and not in the horticultural and ornithological sense. Whilst British TV is getting a little more permissive, on US TV you certainly can’t show a ‘tit’, let alone any ‘shooting’ or ‘swallowing’. There all ‘money shots’ usually feature the face of a president but we are talking green-backs, not bukkake.

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Chez Esinem is in a state of chaos. Well, OK, what I mean is an a worse state of chaos than usual. Not only have we just had 28 kilometers of rope just arrive but there are only have a few days till The Love Nest Valentine’s Ball run by those lovely people from Artful Badger. You might have come across them in the woods at Secret Garden Party or the like and thought you had fallen down Alice’s rabbit hole.

An artful badger

Consequently, Nina has been hunched over the sewing machine amidst acres of satin drapes and I’m busy compiling CD’s of Japanese music, selecting videos for projection onto a huge screen, making lists and floor plans. The mild sense of panic that ensued after Murakawa had to pull out to care for his ailing mother is now receding as we have pulled in the BOUND team to help out. With assistance, the image in my mind of a bare and empty room has been replaced by our vision of a sumptuous Shibari Room draped in muted shades of gold and silver satin, decorated with bamboo, Japanese artefacts and screens, kimono and pictures. In addition, there’s video wall and, of course, a stage for shows throughout the night star acts from BOUND and the internationally acclaimed London Festival of the Art of Japanese bondage including Jack The Whipper & Zahara, Nina Russ, LacedLines, Mo Anytime, Maleficant Martini and others.

Gestalta tied by Nina Russ

There will also be the chance for some of you to experience what shibari is all about at the hands of one of our experts (male and female), some of whom have received extensive training from the grand masters of Japan.  Forget all you think you know about bondage! What you will experience will be a million miles away from any mental image created by 5o Shades or ‘top shelf’ magazines. Shibari is not just about beautiful patterns and positions, the secret is the way the rope is applied, which can be anything from softly sensuous, gently but firmly dominating to hard and nasty according to one’s taste. Think of Argentinian Tango with rope and you might be getting warm. Don’t worry, we’ll be gentle and are unlikely to do anything like the picture above…unless, you ask really nicely.

The post The Love Nest Valentine’s Ball preparations appeared first on ESINEM .

I’ll be talking about rope: what the difference is between various type, choosing the right rope and how to look after it. You might be surprised by some of the facts like how thicker rope can be less safe or how easily rope can break in some situations. RopeJester will be covering my favourite subject, nerve injury. I’m told it is extremely informative, so it should be on your ‘not to be missed’ list.
Where: The Resistance Gallery, 265 Poyser Street, Bethnal Green, E2 9RF

When: 4pm until 10pm, Sunday the 3rd of March

Tickets: £5 on the door – SOME of which goes towards charity. The organisers put together PRL purely on a voluntary basis. We also use the funds to cover costs incurred in organising the event (most importantly: sweets and toilet paper, but not at the same time).

See What’s On.

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I was looking at the YouTube stats for a couple of videos from BOUND and was amazed to find more viewers from Japan than anywhere else and represented 25% of the views. Even more surprising was the fact that there were 3 times as many viewing Nina’s hip harness from Japan than any other country (1,500 versus 500 in USA). When you consider the relative populations, it is an astonishing proportion of the population (Japan 127,817,277 & US 313,914,040) and a HUGE % of the rope community presumably!

I wonder what effect we are having on Japanese rope? Surely, some if they are watching us as assiduously as it appears. So whilst, we watch them, they watch us. Interesting times.

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It was only after receiving yet another copyright infringement notification from Fetlife for the picture below that I realised that I hadn’t actually posted the series here. In fact, it happens almost every week with the same picture so I can’t imagine how I overlooked posting such a popular shoot in the galleries.  The shoot was for .Cent magazine by Manuel Vason and the model was October Noire. Anyway, here it is finally. It is an public gallery so you don’t need to be signed in.

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Today saw the release of Primal Scream’s latest single ’2013′ from their tenth album “More Light” in which appears some rope by me with Nina Russ as model.  Bobby Gillespie asked Juliette Larthe and Prettybird to produce the films directed by designer & artist Rei Nadal,  SHOWstudio’s new shining star, with  styling by Katy England and Ellie Grace Cumming, and Nick Knight as creative consultant.

The film breaks down the boundaries between fashion, rock ‘n’ roll and art. Rei took the politically and socially motivated lyrics and shot a series of scenes closely linked to the properties of the lyrics.

Along with the first film released today, further releases will include a 3 minute film on Channel 4 on Wednesday night, followed by a 9 minute film on 25 February.

“It’s a rock ‘n’ roll record, but modern rock ‘n’ roll,” frontman Bobby Gillespie told BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne previously. “Pretty psychedelic rock, it’s kind of guitar-driven but we use guitars in an orchestral way, not in the normal way people make rock records. I think we do it in a more interesting way. We weave the guitars in with electronics and other acoustic instruments to make the core sound.”

It’s the final solution
to teenage revolution
the total subjugation of the rock n roll nation
Inducted, corrupted, seduced & reduced
Deluded, excluded,
Shackled and hooded

The post Primal Scream’s ’2013′ video: Bondage by Esinem and Nina Russ appeared first on ESINEM .

An exploration into the human form through photomedia and performance. A collaborative effort from artists Garth Knight (see photo), Paul McDonald, Francesca D’Amico, Jacq Sherry, Steven Cavanagh and Thomas Luscombe

Let this exhibition really soak under your skin as you delve into all manners of raw beauty that this exhibition exposes.

Under My Skin aims to engage, provoke and celebrate diversity while investigating sexuality and gender through photomedia and performance.

This exhibition challenges established conventional imagery as providing only a limited representation of who we are. Under My Skin is not concerned with making the viewer comfortable.  The gap between what we see and what we understand is in constant flux.  The body stripped bare is a physical and psychological space, both graceful and awkward. Under My Skin aims to broaden the conversation with ourselves and each other.

Dates for this truly exceptional exhibition are:

Wednesday 20 February 2013 – Saturday 2 March 2013
2:00PM – 8:00PM
HRS laboratorium

17 Waterloo St, Surry Hills, NSW, 2010, Australia

Opening Night: 20 February 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Tuesday – Friday:  2:00pm -8:00pm
Saturday – Sunday:  12:00pm – 6:00pm

This is a free event

 Under My Skin – LOTL – Web Articles 2013 – Australia.

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For the next BOUND, we’ll open at 7:00pm on Friday 22 February with this format:

7:15pm to 8:00pm – Intro to Shibari (demonstration/tutorial)
8:00pm to 9:30pm – Rope Play Time/Social Space
9.30pm till late – Performances and Shows / Social Space

We’ve noticed that a lot of foreigners are coming in London just for BOUND. To encourage more visitors from overseas we have decided to give free entry upon presentation of travelling documents (air plane, train, bus).

Once again, we have a great international line up. Come and have fun !

PERFORMERS:

- Jack TheWhipper & Zahara (UK)
– Vinciens & Kenyade (Austria)
– Yu Miumi & Gorgone (Japan/France)
– Savalski & Nina Russ (France/EU)

Get your tickets here or :

-20 early bird tickets, £5 each, are now available at:
WeGotTickets.com/event/BOUND

-Advanced ticket, £15 each, are now available at:
WeGotTickets.com/event/BOUND

-20 tickets will be available at the door, £20 each.

For further details see What’s On and BOUND web site.

The post BOUND shibari night at The Flying Dutchman London on 22 February appeared first on ESINEM .

Well, the Shibari Room was a resounding success thanks to all the BOUND team pulling together. We had Mo & Bee Bzz, WykD_Dave & Clover, Jack and Zahara, plus Nina and I with MaYa, Gestalta and Maleficent Martini keeping the atmosphere buzzing all night long. Artful Badger are a lovely crew to work with and The Love Nest Ball had a beautiful festival vibe. Both Aiofe, who booked us, and the venue management seemed extremely impressed judging by comments like “Worth the ticket price of the ball on its own” and “The best we have ever seen this tunnel look”.

As you can see from the ‘before’ picture, the space was somewhat unprepossessing but we could see the potential.  I love spaces like this and the Old Vic Tunnels is a rabbit warrens of such rooms. Although a lot of London clubs don’t look an awful lot better with the lights on, we realised we had taken on quite a challenge. The brief was to create an intimate space with a Japanese feel.

Since my attempts to beg or borrow  drapes wasn’t a huge success, we headed for Peckham and returned laden with metres of silky fabrics in gold and silver hues from on of the indoor market stalls. Nina then toiled late into the night sewing the fabric together.  After raiding my flat for props and BOUND for the panels that we use to flank the stage , we had assembled the materials we needed to transform the place.  With the help of the BOUND team, in less than a day, it was done and the result was even better that we expected. Here are a few photos but we will post full galleries and videos shortly.

The Shibari Room was packed all night, in spite of being located secretly away from the main party. So  much so that it was decided to leave a half hour gaps between shows to create an ebb and flow of people to allow the room to clear. Given that so few of the audience had ever seen anything like our performances before, each was followed by a short Q&A session.  We were very gratified how many people seemed to be blown away by what they saw and felt. It certainly struck a c(h)ord with some and I have a feeling that they will become confirmed rope addicts.

We hope to be working with the Badger crew again soon. Hopefully, we will manage to get to Secret Garden Party and hook up with them for some animal themed rope in the woods.

The BOUND team are keen to put on similar sort of things at other parties, festivals and corporate events.  We can provide a turn-key service, even down to our own suspension rig. If you’d like to see what we can do for your event, please get in touch via the contact form opposite.

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I recently took delivery of my electronic crane scale with peak load ability so I could continue my tests to calculate a factor for the load on a rope during a direct suspension lift. The new scales are accurate to 300kg  in 100g increments.

The experiment involved lifting a 10kg load with a 5mm jute 3-ply rope run through a karabiner and then lifted with a downwards pull at around 25 degrees. The first ‘slow lifts’ were carried out as gently as reasonably possible, whilst ‘drop lifts’ were about as fast as I would ever do them. I also oiled and waxed the rope and repeated the tests to see how this affected the friction.

I did 5 tests in each category (slow lift, drop lift, oiled and dry rope) and then averaged the results. I also recorded the load on the suspension point, i.e. the load to which the overhead point will  be subjected. For the sake of illustration, at the end of each section, I have taken the stated average weight of an average US twenty-something female of 75kg (165lbs) and extrapolated the load. I have yet to run the same tests using a heavier object or human body, so I won’t speculate how closely these estimates might match reality. That’s the next job. The results might be quite different.

If you log on as a Free or full Paid Member, you can see the results:

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Released earlier than I expected, here’s the full length version (9 minutes, instead of 4) of Primal Scream’s 2013 video in which I did the bondage and Nina Russ was the model. It features a lot more rope than the original version posted on Monday.

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