Rope Podcast

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!