“Uh-oh” – What to Do When Things Go Wrong? Neck Rope, Fainting, and What to Do Next (Neck Rope Safety Workshop)

This workshop covers neck rope safety. There will be neck rope demos, including in suspension, and talk of fainting in rope. This can be a triggering topic, please consider this before booking.

About the class 

This workshop focuses on mitigating the risks associated with one of the most dangerous aspects of Shibari: neck rope.

Many people enjoy playing with neck rope, but how many of us know what to do when things go wrong—and have practiced handling such situations? Considering the inherent dangers, both riggers and models should be fully aware of the risks and capable of responding effectively when issues arise.

While this is a serious topic, the class will be interactive, fun, and focused on maximising practical applications for all skill levels.

In this workshop, we will progressively build toward handling fainting in suspension and demonstrate (and practice) a triage strategy that you can take away and apply to all rope scenes.

The class will cover:
•⁠ ⁠The physiology behind fainting in rope
•⁠ ⁠Basic safety precautions
•⁠ ⁠Some quick release neck rope options and lock offs
•⁠ ⁠Emergency scenario management (at all levels, floor to suspension)
There will be practical exercises for participants of all levels within rope.

Due to the practical nature of this workshop, it is best to attend with a partner. If you are unable to do so but would still like to attend, please reach out, as this can be discussed on a case-by-case basis. That said, if you do attend with a partner, you are never obligated to participate in any of the exercises.

The aim of this workshop is to foster a better understanding of what causes fainting in rope and to equip participants with an emergency management framework—particularly for handling fainting situations.

Who teaches this class?

This session will be led by Pen with rigging assistance by Anna Bones.

Pen (KinkNamePending) is a bottom-leaning rope switch based in the UK, originating from London. He finds immense joy in the connections that shibari fosters and in the wide range of experiences with vulnerability and trust it has brought him.

Beyond rope, he is keenly interested in anatomy and physiology and has studied them extensively. He brings his perspective and understanding of the human body into rope and kink. Pen has showcased his talents as a rope-bottom at various events across the UK, including Tangled Festival, the Lust Supper, Pinky Promise, and Fox Badge. Additionally, he has performed and/or taught internationally at renowned venues such as Temple NYC in the USA, Eurix (European Rope Exchange) in Germany, and for Stockholm Pride in Sweden.

You can connect with Pen on Instagram and Fet under the handle @KinkNamePending.

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Anna Bones discovered rope, with her now-husband Fred Hatt, in 2013 and has been in love with it ever since.

Rope quickly escalated from a side hobby to a full-time job, culminating in the opening of Anatomie Studio (the UK's largest and first full-time Shibari space) which she runs with Fred Hatt since 2015.

Anna has taught and performed with her partner all over the world, but her favourite place is still her local hub, where welcoming and teaching beginners is her main passion. From self-tying, bottoming and rigging, Anna loves it all, although she finds being tied the greatest joy of all.

Anna enjoys learning from different teachers and about different Shibari styles, so when she teaches she can cover a range of techniques and approaches. Regardless of motivation or dynamic, she believes rope can be a great tool for self discovery and for building trust and intimacy within healthy partnerships.

Schedule

Doors open at 6:30pm
Class runs from 7pm until 10pm
Doors close at 10:30pm

Who Is This Workshop For?

This class is designed for those actively playing in rope, whether on the floor or in the air. It is best suited for those with some experience (for example, students who have completed Course 2 or 3 in the studio). Complete beginners may find this workshop less suitable.

We will be demonstrating exercises on the floor and also suspensions - you will be asked to tie within your own skill level and we can offer alternatives to suit different levels.

The pre-requisites for this class are:

Riggers:

•⁠ ⁠Be comfortable tying structural harnesses and engaging in floor rope play
•⁠ ⁠Have sound knowledge of nerve injuries and how to deal with them
•⁠ ⁠Be comfortable with staying within your skill level

We will provide options for each activity for those that are less experienced but ultimately we will work up towards covering scenarios for more complex suspensions with multiple factors to consider that may cause harm to a model that has fainted. Therefore we will be covering a big range of skill levels in this class so it’s vital you stay within your level (we will provide options to stay within this for each exercise).

Models:

•⁠ ⁠Enjoy playing with neck rope within a trusted partnership with your rigger (this isn’t a class to tie for the first time with someone, it’s important you have a pre-existing rope connection with your partner for this)
•⁠ ⁠Be knowledgeable around nerve injuries and how to check for them
•⁠ ⁠If tying with someone that will be participating in tying suspension you must have had experience with modelling for this.

If you have any questions around this please feel free to reach out to Pen (@kinknamepending on instagram) or reach out to Anatomie studio.

What should I bring and what do I wear?

We have ropes you can use during the class and we have a communal kitchenette, fridge and microwave. Tea and coffee are free but you should bring your food and snacks (we have plates and cutlery you can use). People usually wear comfortable clothing like yoga or dance attire. We advise against loose fitting clothing and also jeans can sometimes feel a bit restrictive to move around in and difficult to tie on.

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For our Code of Conduct see here.

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Need financial help to access this course? Please click here.

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Membership Perk Alert! If you hold an active Rope Jam Membership, don’t forget to use your membership code at checkout to enjoy 10% off your ticket.

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Please note that tickets can only be refunded or transferred up to 7 days before the event after which they become non-refundable. If you are unable to attend within 7 days, please join the 'Ticket Exchange' channel on our Discord server.