ABSTRACT
Knowledge about rope selection, coiling, and accurate knot tying are skills you should learn early on in your training. Not every rope or line will work for every purpose, and you should know how to make a proper selection. Knots should be tied with the same understanding. Some types of knots, especially if misused, may dangerously reduce the load limit of a rope. When over-stressed, ropes almost always break at the point where a knot has been tied or some other kink has disturbed the straight passage of the line. Choke is one member of a family of knots that uses a double wrap around a pipe for extra gripping power. Types of cordage are used in the theatre, those made of stranded fibers that are twisted together, and those that are woven or braided together. Twisted ropes are made from fibers that are spun into loose strands known as yarns, that are then twisted together to form the line.
