Check-in
A brief exchange during or after a rope scene in which partners confirm how the person in rope is doing, by asking, by watching, or with an agreed signal.
A check-in is how partners confirm, while the rope is on, that all is well. The ESINEM Shibari Classes course asks the rigger to read the face, breathing and skin temperature and to ask whenever unsure. It also describes a silent double hand squeeze that the partner returns if all is well, useful because someone absorbed in the experience may not think about their own safety. For ties involving the arms, Rope 365 recommends monitoring whether the person can still open and close their hands, since compression of a motor nerve shows up as weakness (nerve compression). The term also covers before and after: Rope 365 recommends an honest self-scan before tying and contacting a partner a few days later. Khodulev and colleagues list regular check-ins about pressure or discomfort among their recommendations for preventing rope-related nerve injury.