If you read our entry, [lvb link=]No Fake Bondage[/lvb], you know that Dee is very good at getting loose. Last month we were playing with rope, something we do a lot, and I decided to go back to basics and check out Midori's fabulous how-to book, The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage.

Dee can escape from a lot of shibari positions if the arm loops are low enough to pull over her elbows. But this tie, called ushirote munenawa or "arm and chest tie" puts the arm ropes just below the arm pits, making this version secure.

A good chest tie is the basis for so many rope ties. Adding a wooden dowel or bamboo rod and some leg ties makes a ball tie (left).

Or you can put her on her stomach and tie the legs to the back of the rope harness makes a great hog-tie.

The chest tie is also the basis for most suspensions, as the torso is the safest point to suspend someone by.

Taipain taught the Hojo Jutsu class at ShibariCon showed how to use a chest harness as an alternative to the front of the neck for safe versions of those ties.

Given all the ways to use a chest harness, it's important to get the fundamentals right. Thanks, Midori!

See all the photos in our Rope Practice Journal Gallery.

So what else is new?

Our string of good weather in October finally came to an end with a week of rain and another week of rain forecast. But that's okay, because the second to last thing we did was spread grass seed on the new clearing and trail Mick made in the backyard.

So next year we should have another place for outdoor bondage photos.

In the mean time, we have at least 8 galleries of outdoor bondage from the summer and fall, so we'll have more outdoor bondage even as the weather gets colder.

You may have noticed that we've updated very frequently this month...that's because we finally have a whole month where we're not travelling anywhere, and we wanted to make up for the irregular schedule during the summer.

Next month will be irregular again, as we'll be making our annual November trip to Jamaica for Kink in the Caribbean 5. We'll be taking lots of pictures, but won't have Internet access. So we'll have a double update on November 4th, and a double update when we get back on November 14th.