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== External links == [[categoryEirik Fatland]] on Kutt and Brems http:Techniques//larpwright.efatland.com/?p=339 [[Category:Safety]]
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When someone says ''Brems'' (Norwegian for "brake" or "slow down"), it signals that the current situation is going in a direction that the player is not comfortable with. It is the responsibility of the other players present to change the direction and/or reduce the intensity of play.
Brems is a commonly used [[safewords | safeword]], employed in addition to [[Kutt]] as a bare-bones structure for managing risk and handling emergencies at Nordic larps.
== Uses ==
Brems is a tool for players who feel that they are closing in on their personal boundaries, either physically or psychologically. It can be interpreted as "this far, but no further" or even "one step back, please", depending on the situation. It can be inserted into ordinary conversation, as in "please - 'brems' - don't be so mean". Recepients Recipients of a brems have a collective responsibility for resolving the situation.
Unlike [[kutt]], [[brems]] does not declare a crisis or stop roleplaying, which lowers the threshold for using it. By saying "brems" a player is implicitly making the statement that "I am in control, and the roleplaying we did leading up to this situation was OK", which can have a reassuring effect on the recipient.
=== Examples: ===
* Player A is interrogating player B. B's face is pushed down on a table and it's getting really uncomfortable. B says "Brems". A loosens the grip so that B can find a better position and continues the interrogation. OR: A lets go of B and continues the interrogation.
== History ==
The Brems rule was introduced at Norwegian larp [[Moriais Vev]] ([[1997]]), and spread to other Nordic countries in the early 2000s - as evidenced by the word (meaning "brake!") retaining its Norwegian spelling and pronounciation pronunciation even when used outside of Norway. It was made as a supplement to the Kutt rule to give players a tool to get out of uncomfortable situations without having to break the game. Part of the idea was that this would make the players feel more safe about pushing each other comfort zones.
