Rope isn’t safe, especially not suspension. However having said that there are degrees of risk so it doesn’t mean that we should accept injuries as a matter of course, they should be few and far between. I’m always worried when people shrug off injuries to models with an ‘oh well, these things happen’. As above this depends on context, yes you’re taking a risk so once in a while maybe but… When there are repeated injuries which shouldn’t be occurring it’s time to ask yourself some serious questions.

When it comes to injuries some people are more ‘unlucky’ than others. Generally the better a rigger is the ‘luckier’ they tend to get. Some riggers just tend to have more ‘accidents’ the more they rig.

Now I would expect someone who has inflicted multiple injuries which aren’t happening to other people to stop rigging so much, to go and look at the common themes in these injuries, to work very hard to stop them occurring again. What I’m horrified to hear is ‘well these things happen’. Yeh, they happen to you don’t they? Can we guess why?

When it happens to multiple models in multiple sessions you have to look for the factor that’s common to all the injuries. And that common factor is likely to be the person tying.

I know it’s a risk that has to be recognised and born for what we do but it’s not to be taken on lightly.

So, what about someone that’s causing injuries as a matter of course? Who shrugs it off, oh it was ‘unlucky’, a ‘peculiarity’ of the model, just ‘one of those things’? It’s not just one of those things if it keeps happening. If it keeps happening then something is wrong. And that thing… is you!

Please, please, if you keep having ‘accidents’ like this be grown up enough to realise that it’s not in fact ‘unlucky’ it’s bad rigging. And if you’re not up to owning this and doing something about it then you are a bad rigger and should not be trusted to tie up anyone knowing not just that injury is possible but that it’s likely and, knowing that you don’t know what you’re doing well enough to prevent it happening over and over.

I’m going to add a note here to say that I’m talking about the majority of standard bondage here. Yes there are more risky practices on the edge and the harder you push the more of a risk you take. If you are aware of the risks and you take them willingly then good luck to you. This note is really to avoid the edge case whataboutery which often accompanies articles such as this. This isn’t about injuries from consensual mutually accepted risks when highly skilled riggers and bottoms are pushing their limits. This is more about those instances when people are having a high hit rate on stuff that should not be causing regular injuries. We’re all clear on that? Good!

There are those who wilfully put repeated ‘accidents’ down to anything other than their own actions. I wish they didn’t. It’s not like there aren’t any good teachers available to those who want them.