What kind of equipment do you need? Well, in honesty, not really that much. In fact, let’s start with what you do not need.

You do not need a tackle or other hoisting apparatus. This is not used in Shibari suspension and for good reasons. Tieing someone to a tackle or beam and then bringing the recipient up is actually, considered the complexity of the bondages, quite dangerous, since you can neither control the overall tension, nor the effects of the individual suspension ropes and windings. And it does not allow for the all important building up.

What you do need is your rope set (check Level 1 for types of suitable rope) and a beam.

Harì (The Beam)

“Hari” is what you suspend from. From a purely traditional point of view this should be a thick bamboo beam (about 6 inches, 15 centimeters in diameter) but actually, in a western society, a wooden beam (adapted garden pole for example) will do better. Good quality bamboo is hard to find. It dries out (and cracks) relatively quickly, especially in homes with central heating, which will make it dangerous to use and the surface is slippery, which sometimes makes it somewhat unpredictable. An unpainted wooden beam will do just as well. Use a round one. A round beam will chave and wear out your ropes less quickly.

A steel bar will do as well, but it is simply less natural and steel too has a somewhat slippery surface.

Ceiling hooks to suspend from are not a good idea, because they are always in the places where you don’t need them and working your rope through a ceiling hook can be quite a challenge, especially when you are also supporting the recipient. A chain in between two ceiling hooks will do, but a chain has no stiffness which again will make your life more difficult. The chain bends and swings. This makes it difficult to get the tension right and evened out.

You need a beam of anything in between 2.5 and 3.5 meters (9 to 11 feet) predominantly depending on the recipients’ length (the beam as a minimum needs to be as long as the recipient standing upright with the arms stretched above the head) and of course the amount of space, you have available. Secure panic hooks to the beam (two on either side or three with one in the middle) and create ceiling hooks to hook the beam to. That is all there is too it. Of course make sure the beam is clean and lightly sanded. Make sure the panic hooks are at least 50 centimeters (12 inches) away from the end of the beam, to avoid the end slipping out.

Hari: Notice how panic hooks are in between the beam and the ceiling hooks. This will allow you to bring the entire construction and the recipient down in the fastest and safest way in case of an emergency.

A frequently asked question: do I need a mat or something to catch a fall? Actually, that is a matter of personal preference. If you have a tiled floor, it is probably a good idea, but if you are going to put something underneath, by all means be clever. Do NOT use a mattress. The giver will trip over that constantly and that is a major distraction. A gymnastic mat is great if you can find one and it is affordable. If you can not, opt for a tatami (thick Japanese rice straw mat). Many things are called a tatami, but few are. You need the original, which usually comes in at least one inch (2.5 centimeter) thick tiles. Make sure to interconnect the tiles, so they don’t go places you don’t want them to go to during a session. Two or three thick carpets over each other will also do the trick. Airmattresses are outright dangerous. They form an instable surface for the giver to walk and stand on and in case of a fall they are likely do do more damage than good.

Another question: how much weight must the beam be able to carry? Actually, the most important part is not the beam itself, but the ceiling hooks Each ceiling hook must be able to hold at least for times the combined weight of the recipient, the beam and the ropes. The average swing hook will do nicely, provided it is secured into a solid ceiling beam. Don’t try to be clever and think that, since there are two hooks, each of them should be able to carry half the load. In the event one end of the beam comes loose, you want the other one to stay put!

Check, double check and check again

Never assume safety. Check and double check everything prior to each session. To test the safety of ceiling hooks and the beam, hang a chain from it, stand in de loop of the chain and jump up and down a few times. if that holds, it’s safe! Inspect ropes regularly for signs of wear and tear. If you have the slightest doubt, do NOT use them for suspension purposes, but buy new ones.

Bandage scissors? Forget about them. Bring a decent knife. A Buck knife will do, a sailors’ knife (available from boat shops) will do better, since it has a marl pick (that will help to undo very tight knots). On the other hand, every Nawashi carries a knife, few have ever had to use it. Bringing the recipient down in case of an emergency and quietly and calmly untieing the knots usually works a lot better.

You will have spotted that traditional Shibari suspensions are not done high up in the air. The reason for this is, there is no need to. It is not a circus act. What we are after is changing the perception of reality and quite often an inch of elevation is actually more than enough to send someone off into ‘” outer space”. It is the combination of the different levels and the impulses and effects, they bring about, we’re after. It does not need to be overly spectacular.

 

The above article is a reprint from our information/educational site Kink Culture.
A joint project between Wasteland and PowErotics
Copyright © Hans Meyer