Rope Podcast

Fox and Mya go deep into power exchange, erotic slavery and rope with in this interview with Andrew James, Ph.D., an author and educator in the field of alternative sexualities. Author of 6 books on alternative relationships and sexuality, including the wonderful Erotic Slavehood (as Christina Abernathy) and the way of the pleasure slave, AJ is A trans man who identifies as both a Master and a Daddy. Involved in D/s and the kink community since 1992, he has been in a 24/7 authority-transfer dynamic with his wife for 8 years. In the episode, hear Fox and Mya talk to AJ about: * AJ’s entry into the kink scene and how he first encountered rope * Terminology and what power exchange means to him * How to come back to sex and kink after a period without it in a relationship * Using rope to meet different emotional needs * How power dynamics can develop and strengthen intimacy * How to integrate rope into a power exchange relationship * How a D-type can demonstrate strong power exchange in a rope scene * How an s-type can best show their submission when being tied Episode sponsored by FrictionLive.ca who offer live streamed kink-related video classes. Go check them out! Note - once again, our guest was so interesting we’ve had to split it into two episodes - so look out for part two coming next!

Fox and Mya explore the world of cosplay, fetish modelling and the challenges of navigating the kink world as a person of colour with the vibrant and creative MakiRoll. Based in Washington DC, in the USA, she has over twelve years of cosplay and seven years as an entertainer where she has entertained the masses as a panelist, shibari model, burlesque performer, side show performer, and much more. In the episode, hear Fox and Mya talk to MakiRoll about: * Her rocky start in the world of rope bondage, and some of the challenges she had as a new rope bottom * How she developed her bottoming skills and a discussion of the importance of bottom advocacy * How she creates her incredible cosplay looks * The sensations of mixing latex and rope * Discussion of some of her rope shoots, including favourites and the most challenging * How she collaborates on shoots with riggers and photographers on shoots * How rope and cosplay have helped her build a healthier relationship with herself * Her work facilitating the Kink in Color panel at BlerdCon * How being black has affected her journey in rope * Advice for BIPOC listeners on how to navigate kink spaces * Suggestions on how non-BIPOC can support BIPOC in kink

Fox and Mya discuss bamboo in rope - specifically when it’s being used directly within the tie; such as tying limbs to the bamboo, or sliding it into the tie. They also talk about: * Why you might want to use bamboo, and some of its mechanical properties * How might you use bamboo in a tie and what it can do * Ideas to use bamboo really painfully! * Challenges of tying with bamboo and how you might overcome some of these * And of course - safety and risk management with bamboo

In part two of the interview, and Fox and Mya go behind the scenes with Zero-Gi and SamJay about one of their photos, the incredible TK vertical hang from a bridge in Central Park. In the episode, hear them discuss their stunning collaboration further, including: * Walking through how they created their iconic shot against a bridge in Central Park * How SamJay and Zero-Gi’s D/s relationship does - and doesn’t - play out in this project * They answer some of the wilder questions people have about how they create the art (spoiler alert - it doesn’t involve helicopters or cranes!) * The toughest challenges of their shoots from each of their perspectives: rope model; rigger and photographer * How they manage risks and danger * New York city’s unique history and how their project has been the beneficiary of the work of pride and the LGBTQ+ community * Advice on how you can improve your own photos * Their collaborations and what they’ve got coming up with Feterotica * Weather play! The incredible NYC Street Shibari project team consists of rope model Zero-Gi, photographer The Dirty Archangel, and rigger Sam Jay. Their gorgeous project brings shibari to the streets with iconic backdrops from New York city contrasted with Zero-Gi doing incredible feats of rope Note - this is the second of a two-part interview, catch the previous episode for part one!

An interview with SamJay and Zero-Gi of the NYC Street Shibari team Fox and Mya interview two of the team behind the incredible NYC Street Shibari project, which consists of rope model Zero-Gi, photographer The Dirty Archangel, and rigger Sam Jay. Their project brings shibari to the streets with iconic backdrops from New York city contrasted with Zero-Gi doing incredible feats of rope, such as hanging from a vertical chest harness off a bridge in central park. Fox and Mya talk to SamJay and Zero-Gi about the project, its inspiration, and how they work together with The Dirty Archangel to make their art. In the episode, hear them discuss their fascinating collaboration, including: * How they both got into rope, and how the NYC Street Shibari project started * The extent they go to to research the risks of their ties * The unique blend of experiences and talents the team possess between them * The unusual culture, laws and history of New York that enable them to create their art * The reactions from bystanders and law enforcement and how they handle them * What colours of underwear say to those looking at it and the colour that doesn’t sell! * How they distinguish between art and kink in what they do and how they share shibari with others Note - this is the first of a two-part interview, catch the next episode for part two!

Fox and Mya introduce a new type of episode, a Rope Field Report! @-Cad- and @-Miscellany- came to Bangkok and taught two workshops, Freeform Floor Rope and Freeform Suspension Rope. Fox and Mya share their experience of the workshops including: * Some of the exercises included * The differences between the very switchy rope relationship of the teachers and Fox and Mya’s power exchange rope * Pre-requisites that you probably need to have for this type of rope * What skills Fox and Mya developed from the workshops * What a bottom can bring to workshops about tying * Fox and Mya’s different approaches to workshops and face to face learning * The concept of ‘no plan’ in rope and how we found a middle way * Ways to get the most from this kind of workshop * The concept of making things go wrong on purpose, and how that can help your rope practice more generally * The learnings we took from the workshop into our rope Spoiler alert: Fox has dubbed this ‘Chaos Rope’!

Fox and Mya discuss active bottoming in rope - what it does (and doesn’t!) mean to them and the pros and cons of being an active bottom in scenes. They also talk about: * The different things people call active bottoming in Rope, and how Fox and Mya differentiate what they call active bottoming * How bottoms might prepare for active bottoming by knowing their strengths and development areas in rope * Mya gives some examples of what she knows about herself in rope, and how she uses active bottoming to compensate - and where she doesn’t have the skills to do this * What a bottom might be ‘active’ about and how * Why you might active bottom - and why you might not * Safety in active bottoming * How and why you might want to discuss active bottoming with your top in advance, to make sure you don’t accidentally change the dynamic of the scene

Fox and Mya interview Miranda, the person behind Friction Live, who host video conference classes live streamed to the comfort of your own home. They partner with experienced presenters, so individuals can access high-quality educators outside their locality, and educators can reach multiple communities at the same time - brilliant for those of us who don’t live close to more formalized rope education. (Or, you know, in a global pandemic where you can’t leave home.) In the episode, hear Miranda talk about: * How these kind of events work and what’s different from video courses * How to get the most from this style of event when you attend * How the Covid-19 crisis has affected the business * What’s next for Friction Live (check out this week’s question to make suggestions on future classes in the comments)

We know you love these! Fox reads one of his recent pieces of erotic writing, this time writing in advance of a scene he planned for Mya on Valentine’s Day. Read about the wicked delights he had in store for her. Contains rope suspension, sadistic rope, fear play and needles.

Fox and Mya discuss the pleasures and pitfalls of using rope bondage photos as an inspiration for tying. They also talk about: * Why we might want to use rope bondage photos as inspiration * Where to find such photos * The pros and cons of there being so many rope photos out there * The risks of tying from photos * How you might use photos for inspiration in creative ways They also play a quick game where Mya selects three photos from Fetlife in real time, and Fox shares what he might do to recreate them.

Fox and Mya introduce a new type of episode, a Rope Field Report! Most of us are stuck at home right now, and kinks events are (rightfully!) cancelled. Fox and Mya came across a new type of event for them, a live streamed class, and were thrilled to attend from the comfort of their home in Bangkok. The workshop was hosted by @FrictionLive, and presenters @YumYumPanda and @ShaktiBlissBunny did a great job educating through this format. Fox and Mya share their experience of the workshop including: * An overview of the workshop and what to expect if you attend * The things they enjoyed about the workshop and this format * The knowledge and skills Fox and Mya took from the education and where they’ve applied it already * The pros and cons of this kind of workshop versus face-to-face learning

Fox and Mya discuss the aspects of what makes a good rope scene from a top point of view (whilst reminding us that what good looks like might be different for every top!). As a rigger/rope top, Fox shares his experience as a case study, and they explore the factors that make scenes good for him. They also discuss: * Connection for tops * Working successfully with a bottom * The idea of competence and how tops can feel it * The notion of flow and how it applies to tops and rope * How bottoms can support their tops in having a great scene

Fox and Mya discuss the less common topic of rope top health, and how to keep our rope tops (whether we’re the rope top ourselves, or the rope bottom!) in good emotional and physical health. They discuss: * The types of common physical injuries rope tops might sustain * Potential emotional and mental health challenges rope tops might face * Ways to warm up physically before rope * Tools, adjustments and props to help with rope top health * Preparation before a scene to manage potential emotional and mental issues * Some things to do after a scene for rope top health

Fox and Mya interview rope power couple, @WykD_Dave and @clover! The pair have just celebrated their 10th anniversary together and gotten engaged, and this year they also opened their amazing rope space, Studio Kokoro. Fox and Mya discuss with them how they’ve evolved as a rope couple, the changes they’ve been through and their rope journey, and how they’ve seen the scene change. In the episode, hear from them about: * Their couple origin story * Their power exchange relationship and how it’s evolved over time * The shocking news they’re not just into Japanese rope bondage! * The origins of the Rope Bottoming Guide * The journey to get Studio Kokoro up and running * What they see as being necessary to evolve and stay in the scene long-term * How they’ve evolved their own teaching and practice as rope culture has changed and grown See behind the scenes into the relationship and lives of these well-loved but down to earth rope experts.

A listener’s question from Co, who asks: What’s a good way to respond to a bottom asking them to tie them - when the bottom has no idea what they want to do. Fox and Mya discuss the topic, talking both in the abstract and concrete, looking at how rope tops can deal with this very common situation. They explore: * Why different types of rope bottoms (experienced and new) might respond with ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t mind’ when a rigger asks them what they want in the scene * Why this kind of question is important, and why it shouldn’t be treated lightly * The type of negotiation style they’d recommend in this situation * Balancing the risks of this situation * Why every rope top isn’t necessarily a good match for every rope bottom * Reminding both parties of some of their ‘responsibilities’ in rope, as well as the importance and detail of communication and consent (we continue to recommend the FRIES consent model) * What you might need to do after the scene * How rope bottoms can avoid the ‘I don’t know’ response in the future!

Fox and Mya build on their previous episode and go deeper with the minimalist technique of ‘one-rope’ (also sometimes called Ichinawa or Ipponawa) - with one rope, two people. They share: * What’s awesome about it and why they love it * The benefit of preparing some ‘ichinawa forms’ and muscle memory * Why Fox both loves it and dreads it * The risks and the challenges * Rope top Fox’s perspective on this kind of rope * Rope bottom Mya’s perspective on doing one-rope * Some of the scenes they’ve done that involved ichinawa They also get some input from friend long-time rigger @Jake_Wing.

Fox and Mya discuss the minimalist technique of ‘one-rope’ (also sometimes called Ichinawa or Ipponawa) - with one rope, two people. They discuss: * What it is and some definitions * How you do it * How to start * Where music fits * Safety and difficulty levels They also get some input from friends experienced rigger @ChristianRed and the host of the Japanese bondage podcast, ’Kinbakunomicon’, @Faviola_Llervu.

Once again, Fox and Mya have cajoled their interviewees from the year into sharing some bonus materials, in order to bring you a very special Christmas present episode - details of their favourite scenes. The rope couple then share their thoughts on the themes, learnings and ideas that the rest of us might be able to draw from their scenes, whatever our levels of experience. This year, Fox and Mya also share their top and bottoming perspectives on one of their favourite scenes on a holiday in rural Thailand. The episode includes: @GuiltySmile talking about objectification at Eurix @Pyth01 playing with subtle tension, movement and control between rope top and bottom @Kinky_Engineer sharing a scene with playful rope that started with him as the rigger, and ended with him being tied @Jake_Wing recalling a magical scene with fear play, outdoor rope, eroticism and heightened senses @FoxofBangkok (Fox) and @MyArms_BendBack (Mya) share a scene they both loved with impact, sex and exposure

In 2019, a beautiful new Studio opened by veterans of the rope scene, @WykD_Dave and @clover in Mansfield, UK. Mya had the opportunity to visit, and had a wonderful time. Fox questions her about her experience as a visitor, how she approached her touristing, the rope she did, her perspective on the studio itself and the people she met, as well as her tips to get the most from your visit.

Fox and Mya discuss power exchange and how it interacts with rope. As a 24/7 power exchange couple, as well as rope partners, this is a subject dear to their heart, and something they have researched, read about and explored in detail in their own lives. They share their ideas (while noting their ideas are not the only way!) and really welcome thoughts from listeners about their experiences in the comments. They talk about: * Different types of power exchange * Where topping and bottoming and power exchange interact * The challenges of the word ‘bunny’ in rope * Whether there are any truly ‘D-type’ or ’s-type’ activities (Mya and Fox have strong views!) * What their D/s means for their rope * The challenges and potential dangers of combining power exchange and rope * Balancing shared responsibility and encouraging bottoms to be empowered and educate themselves around risks * Abuse, power exchange and rope * Risk profiles and rope * What a rope scene might feel like with and without power exchange * How your rope origin story could impact your links with power exchange

In one of our most popular episode styles, Fox reads one of his recent pieces of erotic writing, inspired by his and Mya’s play. Contains rope, D/s, impact, whipping, exhibitionism and fear play.

Fox and Mya interview podcaster Faviola Llervu about her interest in rope, her podcast (including some of Fox and Mya’s favourite episodes such as Shibari myths), and her aim to get Japanese kinksters more represented in the global rope community. Listen to this interview to hear Faviola’s inspiring thoughts on: *The very unusual reason she started to learn Japanese *How her studies of Japanese SM and rope connect, including the reality of rope versus what she’d initially encountered in comics and stories *What she’s currently exploring in her Japanese SM studies *What her access to Japanese source materials gives her in turns of her approach to rope, and how she translates that into her podcast episodes *The perhaps surprising intersection between rope and Japanese prostitution *How and why modern rope bondage now is a sanitised, fantasised and idealised version of bondage that had been going on in other parts of life for years *The fetishes that go along with rope in Japan that don’t typically get represented in translated English language materials *What English-language Japanese ‘rope purists’ get wrong *The rope anarchy collective The Devil’s Mask Society and how it was formed, and how you might form similar in your area *And Mya and Faviola’s bonding over their perfectionism - while Fox despairs! Faviola Llervu is the creator and narrator of The Kinbakunomicon, an informational podcast about the historical traditions and foundations of kinbaku. She has translated for bondage artist Kasumi Hourai's official website and for Nawapedia, and has presented at Bondage Expo Dallas. She is also a founding member of the Devil Mask Society. Faviola's main interest is in tracing the development of torture, eroticism, sadomasochism and censorship represented in Japanese media from pre-modern times to today, as well as understanding its impact on early SM in Japan.

Fox and Mya discuss Hashira tecniques, which are suspensions to a vertical beam. They discuss: *How you do it, including on different types of beams *The benefits and Fox’s three scene styles he tends to use it for *The risks and the challenges *The perspective on this kind of suspension from the rope top from Fox *The perspective on these ties from the rope bottom from Mya and why she finds it a tougher suspension *Detailed descriptions of a number of scenes they have built around this kind of suspension *Fox’s surprising first Hashira suspension (hint - his bottom wasn’t breathing)

Fox and Mya (in slightly giddy form) discuss the ball tie, which is where you tie your bottom into a ball - or as close equivalent as possible! In the episode they discuss the variations and ways you can do it, the functions, safety and risks and what it feels like. They also share a number of examples of scenes where they’ve used the tie, and how it worked for them. Check it out now and try the tie!

Cats-Pajamas, who is primarily a rope bottom, runs a munch in Malaysia with her partner, KitKatKen, and came to us with a potentially controversial topic. She’s been thinking about the needs of rope tops and whether in the current climate where there is a great deal of focus on rope bottoms, the needs of rope tops are becoming invisible, and whether we’re truly treating our rope tops as humans rather than rope dispensers. Fox and Mya talk with her about * The consequences of bottoms being passive and the expectation being more focused on tops * How we can use negotiation better to cover the needs of both parties * Whether we should focus more on what the bottom can do for the top, as well as the other way round * Making sure the bottom isn’t passive, but takes responsibility engages with the rope and the top * The load on tops and how bottoms can share this * The challenge of giving feedback versus ‘topping from the bottom’ * Fox’s experience of this as a rope top and the question only one new rope bottom has asked him

Mya shares a rope erotica piece inspired by her play with Fox. Contains Ichinawa, D/s, choking and rough body play. (If you’ve ever wanted to know what it was like to be choked unconscious* while doing Ichinawa, now’s your chance :) ) . *Don’t try this at home kids without training and experience!

Fox and Mya interview @Jake_Wing about his view on the changing nature of the rope bondage scene, the influences he’s seen come and go, the Austin rope scene, and his most memorable experiences with rope. Listen to this interview to hear Jake’s thoughts on: * Dark rope versus friendly rope * Chinese Rope Bondage and how Jake was influenced by Bruce Lee * Eastern versus Western Rope Bondage and how they’ve mixed over time * Where rope fits in the wider BDSM community * What’s changed the most in rope bondage over time * Accessibility, consent and what the rope community needs to figure out next * The two most important things riggers need to pay attention to And much more! Jake’s been in the scene for many years, and ran a bondage website in the early days of the internet from 2000 with his wife. He’s taught at a number of venues, including Ropecraft, and is one of the team who run the Austin Rope Slingers, Texas, USA.

Fox and Mya had a busy week hosting three rope events in a week. They had a great time, but all wasn’t plain sailing - listen to this week’s episode to hear their discussion of what it’s like to put on rope events, what happened, and their practical suggestions on how you might put on a rope event yourself. In the episode they discuss: * What kinds of rope events are there, and how does the name affect the audience? * Why might you want to run rope events? * What are the benefits/challenges you might encounter? * Practicalities like logistics, cost, risk, liabilities, handling cancellations, legalities etc. * Tips to make your life easier as an event organizer * The fun versus work ratio And discover if it was all worth it for them!

Fox and Mya discuss what makes a good rope scene from the bottom’s point of view, considering the many aspects that could make a scene ‘good’ - whilst acknowledging bottoms are different and the mix that makes up good for one person might be different for another. Mya, as the bottom/bunny in the rope partnership, shares her own experience as a bottom as a practical case study (including what makes good sex in a rope scene), and shares the top few things that make a scene great for her. In addition they discuss: * The difference between process-orientated and outcome-orientated bottoms and why it’s important * Questions for tops to ask their bottoms to help them understand what a good scene might look like for them * How to make sure the scene is good for the bottom before the scene even starts * What a top might ask or look for to make sure the scene is going well for the bottom Click the links below to listen now! Note: We’re not ignoring tops and what makes a scene successful for them, we’ll cover this in a later episode :)

We interview @Pyth01 and GuiltySmile, the founders of Singapore Rope Studio ‘0101 Studio’. The D/s couple studied at Anatomie studio in London for four years, and when they moved to Singapore, decided to open up their own space for rope jams and practice. Listen to this interview to hear about: * The challenges and rewards of setting up a new studio * Integrating into a rope community successfully * Attracting new people to rope * Visiting riggers and rope people * Silly rope! * The differences they’ve seen between European and South-East Asian rope communities And a lot more! If you’re flying through or visiting Singapore, they’d love to see you at Studio 1010. Let us know how it goes.

Fox and Mya often get asked by listeners how to come up with ideas for rope scenes. In this episode, they discuss how to find sources of inspiration for rope scenes, and Fox generates some ideas on the fly to show how you could do it. He discusses his own creative process for rope scenes, and the building blocks that he uses. The rope team share plenty of ideas to get your own creative juices flowing, and to make sure you never run out of new ways to do rope.

Fox and Mya discuss the marks on their bodies bottoms might get when doing rope bondage. They discuss: * Factors that might create marks on different bodies * The various kinds of marks you might get in rope bondage play * Mark envy * How we might cause marks intentionally and by mistake * How the bottom and the top might feel about the marks * How to treat the marks

Fox and Mya discuss the Hip Harness, a fundamental of suspension and usually one of the earliest suspension ties rope tops learn. It’s a very versatile tie that can be used in a large variety of ways. The episode includes discussion of shape, function, variations, difficulty level, safety and risk of the hip harness, what it feels like for the bottom, as well as some ways it can be used in suspensions or even floor work. Fox and Mya also discuss scenes where they have used the tie.

What to wear during your rope scenes might feel frivolous, but it can make a big difference to the tone of your scene. In this episode, Fox and Mya discuss factors both tops and bottoms might consider in their choices for scene clothing, including: * Safety * Comfort * The activities in the scene (including sexy times) * Why and when you might want to (or not want to) be naked * Clothes to enhance how you feel * ‘Dress up’ clothes

Mya and Fox share their philosophy that rope is a journey, not a destination - and you can always keep learning in your rope practice, no matter what your role, or your level of expertise. The rope partners discuss: * Why should we keep growing in our rope practice? * A ton of different areas where you can develop your practice - including several you might not have considered. How many can you tick off so far? * How learning ‘default world’ (or vanilla) skills can also help with your rope * Where you might pick up these skills, even if you’re not based in a big rope community And remember kinkies, Competence is Sexy!

Fox and Mya have built several permanent spaces for rope both together and individually since they started doing rope, with and without hard points. They’ve also created many temporary places to do rope on their travels, and have visited the studios or spaces of many others. In this episode, they discuss the space where you do your rope, and some of the factors you might want to consider when putting your own rope space together. In this episode hear them discuss: * The purpose/s you might want the room to serve * The kind of feel you might want your space to have, and a number of ways you might achieve this * Some things to watch out for, such as hazards * A few practical things to make sure your space has, or doesn’t have * How you might create a temporary space * Some of the rope spaces they’ve visited and the features they had

Fox and Mya discuss a less-commonly explored topic, around the hows, whys and whats of emotions in rope. They share thoughts about: *Why we have emotions in rope, from a psychological and physiological perspective *What happens when these emotions come up - when we do want them, and when we don’t *Examples from their own scenes of the range of emotions rope can explore *The difficult of explaining feelings in rope *The challenge of a mismatch of feelings in rope, and Fox’s interesting and useful idea of how to channel sexual emotions in rope as a top when you’re bottom wants only non-sexual rope *The question they suggest you add to your negotiation to ensure you’re on the same page as your rope partner emotionally during the scene

Fox and Mya discuss single rope suspensions (where a single rope takes all your body weight and you fly from that one rope). They discuss: *Types of single rope suspensions *The benefits and where and when you might want to use them *The risks and the challenges *The perspective on these ties from the rope top from Fox *The perspective on these ties from the rope bottom from Mya *The single rope suspension that Fox loves and Mya is starting to like more…

We interview associate Professor of Sociology and kinkster Dr Julie Fennell shares with us why she thinks people need to care more about rope bottoming, especially given the challenges of some of the issues in the rope community today. Listen to this fascinating interview to hear about: * Rope escape games * Why she shifted her energy from mostly rope bottoming to mostly rope topping * Skill versus talent in rope bottoming * How she did an unusual (and dangerous?!) quest for a year to gather ideas for a rope bottoming curriculum in * Some of the skills she believes rope bottoms benefit from, and some examples of exercises she can suggest that can help them * The difference between concrete and soft skills in rope bottoming And a lot more!

For many bottoms, one top sounds good, but TWO sounds even better - and tops can often feel the same about bottoms (ahem!). In this episode, listener and Patreon supporter @Happy_Tortoise, and his partner Dragon ask Fox and Mya to share some of their favourite multi-player scenes, and they talk through some of their learnings and most fun experiences when they’ve been playing together with another bottom (or two!) Fox and Mya discuss combinations of: • Two bottoms - one top • Two tops - one bottom • A top - a middle - a bottom • A top - a bottom - a switch • And more! They also discuss their learnings from this kind of scene, and the factors that make them more complex that you might need to manage if you decide to play in this sexyfun way.

Another one of our rope erotica pieces. Mya’s turn to read one of her rope stories, which contains rope for restraint, orgasm control and predicament, impact and ass play. So far, the rope erotica pieces are some of our most popular episodes, so we hope you enjoy this sexy story from us!

We interview @Kinky_Engineer, a kinky educator who has been practicing elements of BDSM and kinky play his whole adult life. His personal play style draws on a professional and martial arts background, and is imbued with a strong focus on safety, Risk Aware Consensual Kink and a joy of playing near the edges. We interviewed him about his experience as an engineer designing and creating kink gear and equipment. Essentially, what’s useful for doing rope bondage - besides rope?! He tells us: * How growing up on a farm makes you kinky! * His Western bondage versus Japanese bondage experiences * Why he prefers a suspension ring to carabiners and how that led him to design a better suspension ring * The best cutting tool to buy * His very surprising choice to answer ‘if you could only have one piece of non-rope gear in your kit, what would it be? * Where suspension equipment tends to fail most, and how to prevent this * How best to check hard points in a new venue to you

Fox and Mya rope tourist in their own town! Some highly experienced Japanese and other international rope bondage enthusiasts come to Bangkok, and your podcast hosts were lucky enough to be invited to an event with them run by the Thai community. Fox and Mya attended a public event at a new dungeon opening up who hosted a rope salon, and then a private event with a lot of rope - and they share their personal experiences (whilst noting they really did feel like tourists this time as they had no idea what was happening for most of the time during the events!). (And Mya shares she still has no idea which part of Bangkok Fox actually took her to the event!) Hear from them about: * What they think is the difference between a Rope Salon and a Rope Jam (listener comments invited!) * The incredible new RedRoom Dungeon they visited, with fantastic furniture and other equipment (Mya liked the cages especially, Fox more the giant anal toys) * Which animal the majority of the latex masks in the dungeon were of * The tie that Fox and Mya did at the Rope Salon (and how Fox and Mya got Mya down from the suspension, got 25 coils of rope off her and coiled super fast when suddenly time was up) * A question to riggers: Who coils your rope? How this might connect with D/s * Some of the scenes they watched, with the techniques and skills that inspired them * How Mya vies for the title ‘Most Awkward Rope Bunny Asking For a Scene’ but managed to get tied by a visiting rigger anyway, and what was new and different about that scene

Mya has been both a naughty and a nice bunny and has been working with Fox to bring you a Christmas present - new bonus material from our interviewees this year, where they tell us about some of the favourite scenes. We share our thoughts on the themes that come out, and the lessons and ideas that we can all put into our scenes even if we’re not as experienced as the illustrious interviewees. The episode includes: @Raiju telling us how she tied up, beat and humiliated a germophobe in rope - and the catharsis that experience brought @Belle- telling us about two very different scenes that pushed her to new levels of intensity @ChristianRed telling us about his favourite takedown rope and forced exhibitionism scene (includes neck rope, yay!) @-EM- telling us how one of his rope/drowning scenes might have saved his bottom’s life @IpCookieMonster talks about the most powerful, intense rope scene of her life - one that took several days to decompress from and included sex and rope magic

We interview associate Professor of Sociology and kinkster Dr Julie Fennell exploring her background into rope and kink, and her research on rope subculture, one of her key areas of interest. She tells us about: Her first rope scene * The tie that actually got her into rope (despite her having tied several times before) * Why she doesn’t feel she fits into ‘ropeworld’ * Circus Bondage and how contrarty to many people’s opinions, performance can still be connective * ‘Expectations’ in rope and how she likes to mess with them * What her research has taught her about rope subculture * How sex and rope connect in American shibari Listen now for a fascinating insight into rope subculture!

Fox and Mya discuss the Strappado. Originally a torture method, the rope community adopted the position for a tie. The episode includes discussion of shape, function, variations, difficulty level, safety and risk, what it feels like for the bottom, as well as some ways it can be used in floor work or suspensions. They also discuss two example scenes where they have used the tie.

Trying to develop your edge-play in rope? Fox and Mya talk to experienced edge-player -EM- on the podcast this week in the second part of their interview with him, to understand more about how he has built up his experience in the collection of ‘abnormally horrible’ things that he does to his partners, and the many sadistic activities which he blends with rope. Among the many interview highlights, you can hear: - How he built up his experience to be able to safely (as much as one can) do many high risk activities, from suturing to waterboarding, from cutting to whips, along with his rope. - How he deals with injuries - How he has amazing photos - but doesn’t do photoshoots - How he approaches the first scene with a new partner to make sure they’re a match with him We got so engrossed in chat with -EM- that we had to cut the interview into two parts. Check out the previous episode to hear part 1 of this interview!

Want more ideas on how to be a better sadist in your rope play? Fox and Mya talk to respected edge-player -EM- on the podcast this week, a man whose kink risk profile is pretty out there even compared to the fetlife norm. -EM- considers rope a versatile tool in his BDSM kit, rather than considering himself a ‘rope person’, and yet is definitely a ‘name’ in the world of rope. Among the many interview highlights, you can hear: - How he takes things from the very physical world of whips and sadistic rope to the emotional and mental play space that is his focus - The point at which many Dominants or Tops stop, but which for -EM- signals when play really begins - How he built up his experience with choking his partners to unconsciousness We got so engrossed in chat with -EM- that we had to cut the interview into two parts. Look out for the next one coming soon!

Negotiation and consent is a highly relevant topic in rope bondage, and one of the Rope Podcast’s listeners, @Sensual_Dominant, asks Fox and Mya to share their thoughts on the best way to safely negotiate. Fox and Mya discuss what consent and negotiation is, and the basics of what we’re looking for in the area for a scene, and when it is and isn’t a good idea to negotiate. They share examples of the methods and content of a negotiation, as well as some of their suggestions from their own negotiations as a rope top, and a rope bottom. Also discussed are a number of key points to look out for that might make *you* safer negotiating - remembering that we all have difference preferences, and doing it in the way that suits you is likely to make sure you negotiate in the safest way possible. They also share an important definition about two different forms of consent-based negotiations - and Mya even manages to convince Fox of an even safer approach to negotiation for the future.

Rope bondage is an activity that carries risk. Fox and Mya discuss the different types injuries you can get (including some that Mya doesn’t really mind), how you might get them, how to identify them as early as possible, how to react to injuries, and we how might address and treat these injuries. We also discuss our own experience with injuries during rope scenes, and the learnings we acquired and applied from them, such as the question Fox added to his pre-rope negotiation questionnaire based on one incident.