This is an understandable point of confusion. One way to think about half hitches and nodomes is to think of nodomes as a half hitch plus another fold around the line that is being crossed. So half hitches will go on, and the running line will emerge on the same side of the rope that’s being crossed. So the hitch starts and finishes on the same side of the line that is being hitched to. A nodome is a half hitch with an extra fold under the line being hitched to, so the running line will emerge on the opposite side from where the hitch started.

Thanks for your question! Using a U lock on bamboo isn’t recommended. The reason for this is: the purpose of the U lock is to help to stabilize the line and hold the weight of your model while you create additional locks. Doing a U lock on bamboo is ineffective, because the ropes are so far apart that the lock doesn’t introduce enough friction into the suspension line to hold your model’s weight. You’ll also find that, if you try to bend your rope tightly around the bamboo at the very top, the size of the bamboo will exert a pressure on your suspension line that makes the line want to pop open. This is counter to our goals. But bringing our ropes together a bit below the bamboo, we work with the ropes at a location where they are more amenable to being brought together and staying there.

You could definitely start at the waist if you wanted to! You could also tie the upper body in a variety of different ways and still achieve a similar effect. This course is more about the whole body position than any particular tying technique, so we’d encourage you to try it out in whatever way you feel inspired!

That makes sense! Some of the rope handling here is tricky! Can you say more about which part of the tie is failing?

Quite possibly! If you experiment with this and have success, we’re sure that members on our discord would love to hear about it, so please share :)

Thanks for the question! It’s true that even in a regular Somerville Bowline you can get some slippage. The main difference between these two locking techniques is that, for the somerville bowline, the loop that collects the bight gets collapsed over top of the piece of rope that wants to slip around. By using rope with a decent amount of inherent friction in it and by firmly compacting your knot so that it distorts the cuff underneath it, rather than just sitting on top of the cuff, you can mitigate a lot of that slippage. When we do the fast bowline, the loop that collects the bight collapses on the opposite side of the cuff as the free running rope, so that rope is left to run through the cuff unblocked. ‌ The short answer to your question is: notice how much friction is/isn’t inherent in the type of rope you’re using (it will be harder to achieve this effect with nylon than with jute, for example). And make sure that your somerville knot is tidy and is collapsing in such a way that it bends the rope in the cuff below it.

Oftentimes, especially when you’re first learning, it’s helpful to be able to untie to initial single column tie to get someone out of rope quickly. This SCT method can’t be untied, meaning that it’s not always an ideal way to start a harness. All SCT lock offs come with their own set of pros and cons! There really isn’t one best option, but rather the best option for each scenario (and your own skill and confidence in your rope handling is part of that equation). So we encourage you to explore all of them while developing your own sense of when each method is more/less appropriate.

Yes, it is just a half hitch! We’d technically describe it as a “slipped” half hitch

Akechi Kanna and their partner Akechi Kagura are a Japanese queer rope couple that have been together for 14 years. They have traveled around the world to teach and perform their style of Japanese Kinbaku, which draws for Hojojutsu. You can find more info about them on their website. https://kannawakai.carrd.co/

Hi and thanks for your question! We don’t recommend using this tie in a side suspension. For a side suspension, a gunslinger harness (found in Fred’s Leg Ties) would be a great choice.