Suspension

by Slakker

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What's the Thrill?
• Ways to Play
  • Suspension Cuffs
  • Building a Framework
  • Tethering
  • Hoists, Blocks and Tackles
• Health and Safety
• Links and References

Introduction

Suspension is a specialized kind of bondage in which the whole body is lifted off the floor and hangs free in space. Needless to say it should be carried out with great care and using reliable equipment in order to avoid accidents.

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What's the Thrill?

Suspension can be an incredibly beautiful and artistic way to practice bondage. For the bottom the feeling of total helplessness is combined with the free-floating sensation, and when combined with sensory deprivation, a disorientation that many find thrilling. Some forms of suspension are actually relaxing and therapeutic: hanging upside down for limited periods, for example, is said to be good for the spine, allowing it to stretch out completely.

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Ways to Play

There are many different ways to suspend someone, and there are usually three stages to the process in each case. Each step should be mastered before you proceed to the next. Mastering the art of suspension takes practice and you should proceed slowly, only moving on if you have total confidence in what you are doing, because of the dangers involved in the unusual stresses you may be placing on the bottom's body and the possibility that they might fall.

Before you start, you need to have a secure point or two in the ceiling from which to suspend the bottom, or some form of secure scaffolding, grid or framework that provides an anchor point high enough to enable you to hoist them off the ground. A few hints on creating a secure hook in the ceiling of an ordinary dwelling are given under Room Modifications in the Bondage Reference.

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Suspension Cuffs

The most basic way to suspend someone is to simply hang them from suspension cuffs (a type of wrist restraint specifically designed for the purpose). You should be able to find them at your local leather shop, or by looking around on the net. Be prepared to pay for a well-designed, comfortable and reliable product.

If you are using suspension cuffs, the duration of your suspension scene will be somewhat limited. Hanging by one's arms is very stressful on the arms and shoulders. If you take care not to overstrain the body, however, it can be quite enjoyable. You won't need to read the next section, which focuses on a more complex (but more interesting) technique, but you should read the sections on tethering and hoists, blocks and tackles regardless of the technique you use.

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Building a Framework

First, you must build a framework around the subject's body which is capable of supporting his or her weight safely. If you have a sleep sack with preattached support rings, you're already on your way, and can skip to the next section, Hoists, Blocks and Tackles. If not, you can build a web or rope harness instead.

The framework must do two things. First, it must provide an adequate number of supporting attachment points, and second, it must do so without constricting blood flow in the subject's body. Because a web does both of these things, it is well suited to suspension.

In order to suspend someone in a rope harness, you must first master the basics of rope bondage, and you must know how to build a basic web.

Once you have decided to suspend someone, however, the rope harness must meet additional criteria in order to be considered safe. I recommend that the rope used be at least 15mm (0.5") diameter or larger, to avoid cutting or excessively abrading the skin.

At each attachment point, the harness must have a self contained support point. This can be created by firmly securing the rope to the point with a non-sliding loop (a Bowline, for example), then creating a loop (which will be used to suspend), then securing the rope back down to the same point once again. The loop can be formed with a Jug Sling Hitch or a similar knot. In this fashion, when the subject's weight is rested on the loop, the harness will not shift around excessively, creating unpredictable pressure on the body and risking a loss of blood flow. The weight of the subject's body will be held primarily upon the support points, with the web framework helping out as required.

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Tethering

Use a rope which is at least 500kg (1000 lbs) test. Even though your subject weighs far less than that, allowance must be made for the additional stresses placed on the rope by his or her struggling or swinging. Falling to the floor is not a pleasurable experience even for most masochists, so err on the side of caution.

When suspended within a harness, the body should be in a horizontal position. There are a few esoteric positions which could be mentioned as exceptions to this rule, including the 'hanged man' which those of you who read the Tarot will be able to guess at, but they are exceptions. As with most SM techniques, master the basics before attempting advanced activities.

The body must be supported equally across its mass, not its volume. This means that the body must not be supported only at the ends, the wrists and ankles, nor by the arms and legs. Primary support must be affixed to the torso and hips of the subject.

The importance of this rule increases with the duration of the suspension, as the stress put upon the body by the suspension will only grow with time. And, since suspension is a lot of work if you don't plan to enjoy the results for some time, and since it takes some time to get out of, it's better to play it safe even if you intend the scene to be short.

And, of course, it's always better to learn it the right way, and not to develop bad habits.

Points which are suitable for tethering include:

• Torso
  The subject's body must be well supported in the torso. To provide adequate support, I recommend a thorough, well tied rope harness as a starting point. If you have a sleep sack, by all means use it. Tether to the harness in multiple points, being sure to tether the shoulders, chest, stomach, and hips securely. These tethers should hold approximately 80% of the body's weight.
• Wrists and Ankles
  The wrists and ankles are easy to attach to because of their natural anatomy. They must be secured in order to prevent undesirable thrashing around, especially if your bottom is prone to such behavior. However, they cannot support a great deal of weight, nor can they support any significant amount of weight for a long period of time.

  While it is entirely appropriate to suspend the wrists, do not use them as the primary support point, as many novices tend to do. Not only does this restrict circulation, but it can strain tendons and ligaments, and if used for an extended period of time, has been known to cause dislocation of the shoulders.

  If the bottom is wearing boots, then attach tethers to the boots if possible. If there are no attachment points on the boots themselves, attach to the ankles. The presence of the boots will help prevent the loss of circulation due to the rope by spreading the pressure over a wider surface area.

• Arms and Legs
  The arms and legs are not appropriate tether points for most suspension, the reasons being those cited for wrists and ankles. It is safer and more secure to tie the arms and legs against the body or against themselves, to proscribe their movement without risking circulation problems.

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Hoists, Blocks and Tackles

Once the subject is tethered, you need a way to lift him or her from the ground to a suspended position. If you are lucky enough to have a crew to help, you can simply have them hold the subject in position while you attach the tethers. Most of the time, however, you will find yourself with insufficient help to use this method. Or, you could place the subject on a table while tethering, then remove the support.

A more elegant and efficient method is to use the block and tackle. A block is a structure made of a frame which holds one or more pulleys (also called sheaves). A tackle is an assembly of blocks and ropes which multiplies pulling force. To construct a tackle, the blocks are laid out and the rope is reeved (threaded) through the blocks. Every tackle system contains a fixed block attached to some solid support (a standing block ) and may have a traveling block attached to the load. The single rope leaving the tackle system is called the fall line. The pulling force is applied to the fall line, which may be led through a leading block. This is an additional block used to change the direction of pull.

A simple tackle system uses one rope and one or more blocks. To determine the mechanical advantage of a simple system, count the number of lines supporting the load. In counting, the fall line is included if it leads out of a traveling block. In a simple tackle system, the mechanical advantage will always be the same as the number of lines supporting the load. So, a system with four lines supporting the load has a mechanical advantage of 4, or 4:1. This means that if you apply 50kg (100lbs) of pull to the fall line, you will be able to actually lift around 200kg (400lbs). Of course, in practice it doesn't work out exactly because some of the pull is lost to friction. Still, it allows even a small man to lift much larger weights than otherwise possible.

Since I weigh only 60kg (135lbs), the use of the block and tackle is not optional for me. Without them, I cannot lift most men, but with a tackle system, I can lift even the largest bear with ease all by myself.

A block and tackle might be more work than many of you want to get into. Take my word for it, however, it is worth the initial effort. Whoever said SM was easy? Rig your tackle ahead of time, and I guarantee your bottom will be impressed.

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Health and Safety

Follow the same rules as with any heavy bondage: see under Safety in the Bondage Practical. Watch for circulation problems as with rope.

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Slightly adapted and expanded from a piece that appeared on Slakker's original ABC of BDSM.