One Rope Exercise
A great way to practice fundamental tying and bottoming skills.
The one rope exercise is deceptively simple: have your partner hold the bight of your rope, then wrap the rope around them and unwrap it.
It’s a popular exercise, however, because it’s such a good way to practice your fundamental skills. One of the best riggers we know practices this exercise for five hours a week—that might be excessive, but it’s one of the best ways we know to improve your tying.
One Rope Exercise
Exercises for tops
Work on your fundamentals:
- Rope handling
- Tension control
- Pacing
- Building intimacy
Can you tie while blindfolded?
Does a blindfold improve your tying?
Exercises for bottoms
Practice active bottoming:
- Actively co-create intimacy
- Respond to your partner’s actions
- Solicit the things you like
- Give feedback (When? How?)
How does a blindfold change the sensation of being tied?
Variations
This is an infinitely adaptable exercise:
- Try standing vs sitting
- Put a single column on the wrists
- Extend your rope and keep going
- Use the spiral wrapping technique
- Roll your partner around
- Unwrap partway and then re-wrap