Predicament Bondage: A Guide

Bondage bunnies are very familiar with the pleasures that come from being tied up, along with the loss of control. But what if you're interested in a more devious experience? Victoria Blisse gives you the lowdown on predicament bondage...

Losing control; feeling helpless and vulnerable, being exposed: those are just a few of the reasons why the submissives among us get so turned on by bondage.

Indeed, being restrained by bondage ropes, cuffs, tape, etc, can be hugely erotic and satisfying. But as well as the physical torment bondage provides, there is often a psychological element to it. And with so-called predicament bondage, this psychological play is ramped up to the max!

With the word predicament defined as a 'difficult, confusing or embarrassing situation,' in day-to-day life, a predicament is probably not something many of us would hope to experience. However, when it comes to kinky BDSM scenes, being stuck in a difficult, uncomfortable or challenging position can be an immense turn-on for many subs.

So, what is predicament bondage?

In the world of bondage, the predicament forces the person tied up or commanded to make decisions that have no easy way out. More often that not, it involves placing the sub in a position that requires them to make a choice between one type of discomfort or another. So, they can choose to stay in one uncomfortable position or move into something equally or more uncomfortable. For example: 
 

• Being tied in a stress position whereby moving to ease the muscles causes pain elsewhere, such as hair tied to an anal hook. For the sub to take the strain off their scalp or neck, they let the anal hook sink deeper, adding to discomfort in that area.
   
• Being commanded to hold a position and then distracted by introducing another point of pain. Adding punishment for not keeping the original position can make this type of predicament bondage this even more sadistic.  
   
• Tying multiple subs together and making them decide between taking the pain or inflicting it on the other sub/s.
   

The bonds that break us? Predicament bondage involves an element of torture

Unlike regular bondage, predicament bondage also features the added dimension of making the bound person become more consciously engaged in their situation. That's because they need to make a decision about which sensation they want to experience (or tolerate)  more.

“In the world of bondage, the predicament forces the person tied up or commanded to make decisions that have no easy way out. More often that not, it involves placing the sub in a position that requires them to make a choice between one type of discomfort or another.”

However, like, all forms of kink, you can enjoy predicament bondage in a playful or silly way, as well as in a harder, more serious manner. It all really depends on the preferences of you and your partner. 

What do I need for predicament bondage?

The fantastic thing is you don't need any special equipment at all. In fact, you can practice predicament bondage with just some commands and your hands – there doesn't have to be physical bonds at all. All you need is a fiendish imagination and knowledge of how your sub moves, thinks, and gets turned on. 

Safety notes:

• Think about a person's health concerns.
   
• Ensure they have access to any medication or aids they might need.
   
• Don't make them hold positions that could worsen existing injuries/issues.  
   

However, if you're a bondage lover and have the kit, bondage rope, ties, and chains can all feature in predicament bondage. There doesn't have to be any discomfort in the ties, either. You can make it all very comfortable but then have what the sub wants just out of reach. Make them toss and turn and pain themselves to reach that violet wand, part of your body, etc.  

MORE LIKE THIS:

• BDSM vs Abuse: Recognizing the Difference
• Fear Play: A Guide to Going Beyond Dirty Talk
• Take My Breath Away: a Breathplay Guide

Orgasm control and torture fit here very well indeed. It's incredible what an overstimulated person will do to get away from the pleasure-giving implement when that pleasure becomes excruciating pain.  
 

Being forced to kneel for hours in cuffs: one BDSM predicament to try

Do only sadists/masochists enjoy predicament bondage?

Not necessarily. People who don't enjoy pain may enjoy enduring it for their Dominant. Someone who isn't a sadist might, however, enjoy driving their bottom insane with lust. There are ways to use this kind of play within any dynamic.  
 

“In the world of bondage, the predicament forces the person tied up or commanded to make decisions that have no easy way out. They can stay in one uncomfortable position or move into something equally or more uncomfortable.”

It's all about teasing and tormenting. The person who is in the bondage isn't ever going to win. All the options are going to end in some kind of surrender and/or pain for them. It is in giving up that control; in breaking down and giving in to a happy and smug Dom type, where the pleasure lies for everyone involved.  

Be kept on your toes with predicament bondage!

4 predicament bondage scenarios to try

Has what you've read so far given you the taste to be placed in a predicament? Here are four scenarios you could try:

1. Being kept on your toes

Being restrained so that a sub is being kept on tip-toes is devilishly evil and challenging – so is having something on the floor below their heels that they don't want to stand on, e.g. something rough or spiky (but nothing too sharp, unless, of course, blood play is a fetish.)

2. Staying still

Stay still and keep that paddle/cane/crop held up above your head while you're being tickled, poked or stroked. If you let it drop, you know you're gonna get extra punishment.

3. Staying silent

Maintain absolute silence while your nipples are being bitten or clamped ,or your ass played with, even if inside you are bursting to scream out with orgasmic moans and pleasure. If you utter even a whimper, you will pay the price!

4. Burn, baby, burn

Try to hold a candle in a precarious position for a set amount of time. Stay still, because if you move, the candle – or hot dripping wax – will burn you. 

Can I do predicament bondage as a newbie?

It's advisable to get a little experience in bondage before diving into predicament bondage. As a top, you need to be confident in how you're restraining the person and know how to do it safely before adding another level of danger. 

As the one in bondage, you need to know how you respond to the feel of being tied and/or immobilized and what you can and can't take before incorporating stress positions and pain into your play.  

Finally, as long as you practice Risk Aware Consensual Kink (RACK), you can have all kinds of fun adding a bit of danger and pain with predicament bondage. •

Victoria Blisse was an erotic author and sex-positive Reverend. She helped shape fetish.com and FET from the very beginning and we're eternally grateful for her passion and creativity. Sadly, she passed away in January 2024. We hope that whenever her articles are read, she'll be honored.
 

Are you into predicament bondage? Share your stories with the community, below... 
 

Images: shutterstock.com, shutterstock/Sorbis, shutterstock/K Petro