After reading Aisha's post http://beingaisha.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/how-does-it-work/ and also when i mentioned it to Cassandra she had not heard of it, it occurred to me that the term RACK is not widely recognised or acknowledged, its generally SSC that is considered the way to go..and i thought maybe its just here (here being the UK) because i dont recall RACK being used/mentioned on blogs that are written by those in the US or elsewhere but yet its a fairly common term here....or maybe im missing it!
SSC...Safe, Sane and Consenual
RACK..Risk Aware Consenual Kink
It is i guess just another label to add to the plethora of others, what differientiates the two? SSC is about being safe and sane, which is reasonable, more than reasonable but yet there are 'activities' within bdsm that one may not consider safe and sane, there is an element of risk, perhaps more accuratley there is a higher level of risk involved in some things than others. By default some of these 'activities' because of the level of risk involved may not be considered sane.
Rack implies that the risk is acknowledged and both parties are aware of said risks, of course safety is paramount, but yet there is still risk, but nevertheless its an 'activity' that is engaged in. Breath play perhaps being an ideal example. I love breath play and it can take a few forms, my favourite is wearing the rubber hood which just has 2 thin nasal tubes for breathing, i like being tied down and having him clench the tubes and therefore cutting off my air supply. There are other forms of this i/we enjoy.
Commonly known as erotic asphyxiation....this has risks, huge risks....so is it safe? is it sane? well thats really down to the people that choose to engage in it.
So yes we tend to follow the priniciples of Rack but as safe as is possible, but still i wander if its a term that is mostly known here.
I have heard the term RACK used in the BDSM community. I know it involves edge play. I believe that it means no safe words.
ReplyDeleteHug,
joey
Yep i think it is most usually is associated with edge play but i havent heard it meaning no safe words,
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I too have heard of RISK, and I agree with your differentiation. I think that RISK can encompass all of BDSM-including more edgy play like breath, fire, blood and more. SSC is all that is required for others.
ReplyDeleteThanks, its just not a term i hear used so im glad im not alone and people dont think i made it up our ot my head lol
Deletex
When I first got into BDSM, I only knew SSC. Whether that's because RACK wasnt around then or not, I'm not sure. As my experiences have grown and I've met more people locally (southern US) in the BDSM community I've heard RACK more. I agree with your definitions. RACK is used for more riskier/edgier participants. RACK is what we try to teach newbies more than SSC. Honestly I believe its because they're often exposed to the edgier play quickly (watching). Plus there is risk to almost every kind of BDSM play, even just the simple. There's always the risk that things wont go the way planned or expected. We often forget the emotional triggers that can occur, which are just as harmful, as the physical risks. RACK can make you step back a bit more and recognize those risks quicker than just saying Safe, Sane,and Consensual. Just my $.02! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteThankyou Laws Desire
DeleteThats an important aspect really that i hadnt considered..the mental/emotional triggers which can be more harmful.
I agree that RACK makes one perhaps think more about what their engaging in and i do personally believe it encompasses more than SSC does.
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I have heard of RACK but seeing as I am fairly new and have search every possible site to learn as much as I can, could contribute to my knowledge of it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, on that being more appropriate...and have often questioned myself in the sane sense of TTWD...
Now you got me thinking, what is sane anyway? many people do things such as jumping out of airplanes, is that sane in the sense of the risk involved? Is it sane to do many circus acts... or going in a cage with lets say a lion... none of that is sane in the sense of safety yet people do it, and are considers quite sane.
I could go on and on but that would be to much writing and the point would get lost.
Thank you Tori for putting that thought out there,it is surely something to think about indeed.
hi Anna May
ReplyDeleteI really hadnt looked it that way..ie jumping out of planes etc, come to think of it that is probably seen as more acceptable than bdsm but yet in my opinion just as risky...hell i wouldnt jump out of a plane lol
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