What Happens At A Rope Bondage Workshop?

I first became familiar with rope bondage when an ex of mine took an interest in it and enlisted my help as his rope bunny (i.e. the person that gets tied up). After a few weeks, he found a rope bondage workshop listed on a kink site and asked me to come along so he had someone to practice the ties on. I was pretty nervous and unsure what to expect, but agreed to go along.

The house was in the outer suburbs of Brisbane and we were greeted at the door by a lady dressed in jeans and a T-shirt who lead us out the back and down some stairs into what she called ‘the dungeon.’ What was it really? The ground level area of the house, fully enclosed to make a large, dimly lit room. The room had one wall completed covered with all manner of BDSM objects – floggers, ball gags, blindfolds and dildos. There were plenty of other objects that I had no clue what they were but looked like torture devices. There were a number of plain-looking benches, similar to doctor’s examination tables, a few full length mirrors and one human-sized cage.

There were around 10-15 other people already there and they seemed to know each other, chatting about everything from how their children were going at school to their last rope session. I was surprised at how…well, normal, they all seemed. They weren’t the kind of people you’d see in the street and think ‘wow they’re into some kinky shit.’ Most were dressed very ordinarily, with the glaring exception of the instructor, Marcus: he was wearing black shiny PVC looking pants and a mesh singlet top. Marcus spoke with us for a few minutes when we entered, asking my partner about what made him take an interest in Shibari and how long he’d been tying for. He then excused himself – it was time to start.

Over the course of the hour long workshop, Marcus introduced a number of ties: a basic wrist tie, a chest harness that restricted the arms, a leg tie, a tie that involved securing the person to a piece of furniture and finally a duo tie, tying two girls together - myself and another woman. While the situation could have been sexual – Marcus demonstrated various ways to tie the arms and legs in compromising positions - everyone was laughing and having fun during the demonstration.

Overall, the night was definitely not what I expected. In no way did it feel sexual at all and although the ties of course could be used in sexual situations, it was rarely discussed in such a way. Everyone was really lovely and friendly, and the vibe was very inclusive and welcoming.

I learnt the basic wrist tie myself, as Marcus said to my partner ‘if you’re going to dish it out, you have to be able to take it,’ and I delighted in Marcus using my partner as the rope bunny (i.e. the person being tied) for one of the chest ties. Watching him squirm was fun!

He said that it gave him a whole new appreciation for what it’s like being a bunny, and throughout the workshop Marcus often reminded the group that the bunny is always in control – they say when things stop and must always be respected. Although the person tying is perceived as the dominant one, full control is the bunny’s hands – tied or not!

Since then, i've dabbled in a little rope play - always as the bunny - and can definitely recommend giving it a try with someone you trust.

#ropebondage #shibari #fetish