Suspension Bondage Is Dangerous

We love suspension bondage and we’re excited to share it with you. We want to be very clear, however, about the risks involved.

1. Suspension bondage involves unavoidable risk. Like rock climbing, suspension is a risky activity. Good preparation and training can reduce your risk, but even if you do everything right there is still a chance that you may be injured or killed, or that you may injure or kill another person.

2. We don’t have all the answers. Unlike rock climbing, suspension bondage has no professional standards bodies and no expert consensus about best practices. This book is based on years of study, practice, and consultation with outside experts. Nonetheless, you should be aware that suspension is still a developing field, and our understanding of the best way to do things is still evolving.

3. You can’t learn suspension from a book. The only safe way to learn suspension is to work with a qualified instructor or mentor. This book is a valuable adjunct to expert instruction, but not a substitute for it. Without a skilled teacher to guide and evaluate you, you cannot learn suspension without placing your partner in tremendous danger.

4. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Suspension is fun and exciting, and you will likely be tempted to rush ahead and try activities that you aren’t yet ready for. We can’t stress enough the importance of proceeding slowly and methodically, and always working within your skill level.

5. Always use good judgment. Your best defense against mishap is your own common sense and good judgment. Always be mindful of what you’re doing, and err on the side of caution.

Your partner is placing tremendous faith in your competence and judgment. If you are careless or overly ambitious, they are likely to pay a heavy price for your foolishness. Make sure that you are worthy of their trust.

Suspended Animation accepts no responsibility for any injury or death which may occur as a result of the activities described in this book. By reading this book, you agree to take full responsibility for your actions and their consequences.

From The Ground Up

This book is about suspension bondage—one of the most beautiful forms of BDSM, and also one of the most challenging. We’ve had the pleasure and privilege of introducing many hundreds of people to suspension over the years, and we’re thrilled to be able to share our passion with you via this book.

Suspension is an incredibly versatile art: it can be beautiful, sexy, athletic, fun, challenging, technical, silly, dramatic, or exhilarating, depending on your desires. No book can possibly cover every style and technique, but we have endeavored to provide a comprehensive guide to our particular school of suspension bondage.

Enjoy the journey!

Introduction

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single waiver of liability.

100-Level Classes

FTGU 101

Fundamentals of Suspension

FTGU 101 is dedicated to mastering the fundamentals of suspension rather than on exploring many different techniques. For now, we will present exactly one way to accomplish each task—variety and exploration will come later, once your basic technique is sound. Each chapter builds on the previous ones, so you should thoroughly master each section before moving on to the next.

By the end of 101, you will be able to perform a simple face-down suspension under expert supervision.

FTGU 102

The Apprentice Rigger

Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals of suspension, you’ll be ready to start growing your skills. In FTGU 102, you’ll learn numerous new techniques that will add variety and interest to your suspensions. In addition, you’ll learn the emergency management skills you need to safely perform suspension without supervision.

Take your time, and don’t rush into this section. When we teach FTGU, we wait a month after finishing 101 before starting 102, to give our students time to practice and deepen their skills.