Bondage is consensually tying, binding, and/or restraining a partner or oneself for sexual purposes. It is the “B” in BDSM. A person may be bound in a variety of ways, including the use of rope, cuffs, bondage tape, or self-adhering bandage. Do not use silk (including silk scarves), nylons, or pantyhose to tie someone up with, as knots in them can quickly and easily get too tight to untie.

Those who tie others up in bondage are sometimes known as bondage riggers or rope tops.

Safety

Some simple preparations are necessary for safe bondage, such as:

• Food. It is common for people (especially those on diets) to faint during a long bondage session. Having a regular meal beforehand is recommended; being fed small snacks during play may also help prevent fainting.
• Cutting tools. A pair of EMT scissors is recommended (useful for safely cutting rope and tape off skin).
• Keyed-alike padlocks, if chains are being used.

Other important safety precautions for bondage include:

• The use of a certain word as a “safeword”, a way for the person bound to indicate they want to be untied. If the person has been gagged or can otherwise not verbally communicate, a different form of the safeword is needed. For instance, they may hum, or release an object held in one hand (such as a rubber ball, or a scarf).
• Never leaving a bound person alone.
• Not using silk (including silk scarves), nylons, or pantyhose to tie someone up with, as knots in them can quickly and easily get too tight to untie.
• Avoiding positions or restraints which may cause inability to breathe.
• Making sure that the subject changes positions at least once an hour (to avoid circulation problems).
• Making sure that the subject can be released quickly in an emergency.
• Avoiding restraints which impair breathing (gags or hoods which block the mouth can become choking hazards if the subject vomits or the nose becomes otherwise blocked).
• Remaining sober; alcohol and drugs should be avoided.
• Asking the bound person every so often if they are all right.
• Checking body parts like hands and feet for numbness or coldness, which can happen if nerves have been pinched or blood circulation has been blocked.
• Checking for skin discoloration. Skin that does not get enough oxygen turns bluish. If blood can get in, but cannot get out because one of the veins has been blocked, that part of the body turns purple.
  

  Types of Bondage

  Bondage for a purpose

  This form of bondage is the best known in BDSM, and means restraining the bound partner for a purpose, such as making them more accessible for a spanking session. 

  Decorative bondage

  In this form of bondage, the restrained partner is bound for a decorative purpose, to be used as an aesthetic object, for example for erotic photography, or a form of human furniture in a BDSM party. Kinbaku (緊縛) and shibari (縛り) are words that both refer to a type of Japanese decorative bondage.

  Torture bondage

  In this form of bondage, the restrained partner is purposefully bound in an uncomfortable or painful position, for example as a punishment in connection of a dominant/submissive sexual play. Almost any form of bondage, when the restrained partner is left tied up long enough, can be used as torture bondage. How long torture bondage is used for varies greatly; however, in bondage erotica such as John Willie‘s Sweet Gwendoline or kinbaku photography, it is often extensive and long-lasting.

  Where To Learn Bondage

  There are bondage classes, workshops, and peer learning groups, which can be found on FetLife.

  Handkerchief Code

  A table in Larry Townsend’s The Leatherman’s Handbook II (the 1983 second edition; the 1972 first edition did not include this list) which is generally considered authoritative states that a grey handkerchief is a symbol for bondage in the handkerchief code. As well, placing a hanky in the left pocket indicates the wearer’s alignment with a top/dominant role, while a hanky in the right pocket indicates the wearer’s alignment with a bottom/submissive role. Townsend noted that discussion with a prospective partner is still important because people may wear a given color “only because the idea of the hankie turns them on” or “may not even know what it means”.