Rope Bottoming
Compiled with contributions from and gratitude to Arctic_Foxglove and others. Also consider checking out the Rope Topping section — understanding bondage from that side can help with your bottoming!
Articles & More
Advanced Nerve Safety, Basic Safety, and Basic Suspension Safety by Topologist on Crash Restraint
A Guide to Bondage for Disabled People: background info and advice
Bondage Safety flyers and more, on Twisted Windows
Fat Girls Can Fly: Advice for Exploring Rope Bondage in a Fat Body, by Rachael Hope
Hardpoint Evaluation, on Crash Restraint — yes it is in your best interest to learn this if you will be doing suspensions
More Than a Body: Rope Bottoming Matters, by Anatomie Studio
Negotiation and Consent, on Crash Restraint: includes a negotiation checklist
Nerve Injury Reference Card (downloadable), by Frozen Meursault
The Rope Bottom Guide, by Clover: downloadable PDF available in several languages
Rope Negotiation Template, by Cassandramae
Things I Want Beginning Rope Bottoms to Know, by Riley L. Ham
Books
The Little Guide to Getting Tied Up and Better Bondage for Every Body, by Evie Vane (that's me) 😊
Put Me in a Box: A Bottom-Centric Guide to Box Ties and Their Modifications, by fuoco
Somatics for Rope Bottoms: 12 embodied inquiries for transforming your experience in rope bondage, by Natasha NawaTaNeko
FetLife Groups
~POC~Ties~: a gathering place for People of Color including Black, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Indigenous to the Americas, and more who have an interest in rope
Rope Writing Library: a true treasure trove
Very Engaged Rope Bottoming (VERB): an organization centering people IN rope (PIR): humans that get tied (or that endeavor to be tied)
FetLife Writings
There are so many that it would be better to just check out the Rope Writing Library’s section on rope bottoming, but the Risk Evaluation Database in particular is a must-read
Groups
Rope Bottoms' Share Group: a worldwide Google Group with rope bottoming discussions and shares about specific rope tops (positive and negative). Note: Careful vetting done by application; you must have some demonstrable rope bottoming experience to join
Podcasts
ropecast by Graydancer: what started as a focus on rope bondage has extended into performance, relationships, culture, politics, and anything having to do with kink, sex and culture
Rope Podcast: covers rope bottoming and topping; recommended episodes include ep. 75: An Interview with MakiRoll - Cosplay and RopeBondage, and Being Black and Kinky by RopePodcast; ep. 184: Hyper-mobile EDS and giving up being a rope bottom—an interview with Vahatva, pt 1 and ep. 181: The importance of rope bottoming education: Mya runs a rope bottoming fundamentals workshop
Shibari Study by Wicked Wren ep. 50: Axel. Axel discusses her journey into kink, navigating whitewashed kink spaces, the emotional depth of rope bottoming, and the personal growth she’s experienced through self-tying and exploring the intersection of mental health and kink.
Videos
Anatomy for Rope Bondage, by Julie Fennell
Neural Glides for Ulnar, Median & Radial Nerves, by AskDoctorJo
Bottoming Tips for Rope Sluts, on Kink University
Rope Bondage: Curves Ahead, by Evie Vane
Rope bottoming Ed 1: Body Basics & Safety, by Julie Fennell
Rope bottoming Ed 2: Stretches and Body Prep, by Julie Fennell: good intentions here, but this is a personal routine and doesn't offer modifications for those with different flexibility ranges, and doesn't really hammer home the idea that you don’t want to be pushing your flexibility before a rope scene
Rope bottoming Ed 3: Managing Challenging Ties, by Julie Fennell: some good basic tips for rope suspensions
Website Instruction
Rope Study's free 101 course on basics for rope bottoming and on risk-related Prevention & Response
Q. Why do I need skills for being tied up? Isn’t the whole point to not do anything?
A. You certainly could be a voiceless rag doll, buuuuuut:
1. It doesn’t sound like much fun for you or your partner; and 2. It’s a good way to get seriously injured.