All of my bows ive broken have blown outwards ( or upwards off my tiller stick),. This makes sense to me as the back of the bow is the area under tension. That said, pieces would likely blow outwards in an arc like fashion. I dont have a rope when tillering but after my first few learning experiences, I always wear a face shield when final tillering and I try to stay under the belly of the bow when I wam up close.