Before I found the Scene, the only place I really heard about bondage was in the newspapers when somebody died. I was strangely attracted to the bondage, but conversely, I was repelled by the death. I yearned for the hoods and the handcuffs, but I figured nice girls don’t do these things, and that if you do these things you die. I was never interested in dying.

So, once again I am dismayed to see this news story of a man who died in extreme bondage. It was determined to have been a consensual sex act. He was gagged with a dildo under a hood with a zipped up mouth and left chained lying face down on a water bed. That’s a precarious situation and he choked to death.

My one big rule: Don’t leave people in heavy bondage alone!

This August 3-7 I’ll be teaching at Rope Camp, a new outdoor event held in Northern Maryland. The line up of presenters is really incredible. I’ve been offered a $50 discount on the full event price for all my friends. To take advantage of this amazing deal all you have to do is enter this promotional code lolitarope when you register at http://ropecamp.org . I can’t wait to see you all there!

You never need them until you need them. And at some point, you will need them. Trust me, you will.

I needed them about 10 years ago with two bottoms who were tied up together. One of them got nauseous. I cut the rope in time so he wouldn’t throw up on her. Unfortunately, it was a dungeon with a really nice carpet, Yuck!

But, really, you usually never need them. It’s just a good idea to have them, just in case.

I was at an event recently. I had someone securely tied up to a chair. And I heard someone yelling, “Does anyone have safety scissors?” Mine were in the front pocket of my toy bag. I grabbed them and told my bottom to stay put. He wasn’t going anywhere and he was okay with me going. He may have even been happy that his balls would be getting a break.

I brought the scissors to the other scene. The bottom had passed out while tied in a harness to a cross. She was cut out of the ropes and I returned to my scene.

If you go to any rope class or read any rope bondage book, everyone emphatically tells you to have safety scissors on hand. They are cheap. We sell them at Purple Passion for $4.00. Other places sell them as well. You have no reason to not have them. (BTW I prefer the brightly colored handles so that you can locate them easily in a dark dungeon or a toybag filled with dark objects.)

Please own a pair of EMT safety scissors and carry them with you when you play. There may not always be another person around to help you.

Tuesday March 29
Single Tails – The Epitome of SM
This sexy activity can range from delicate to cruel. Lolita will speak about using a whip for play, different types of whips, the physics of whip motion, buying a whip and the cleaning and caring of your whip. A demo will cover the dynamics of a whip scene from negotiation through aftercare.
7:30pm at TES at Joria Studios
260 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor, between 7th and 8th Avenues
$4 TES Members, Students, and other Leather/fetish organizations, $8 Non-Members

Thursday March 31
Erotic Rope Bondage 102: Body Harnesses
This class will cover a variety of body harnesses that are pretty as well as practical. These bondage techniques will work for all types of bodies and many different types of scenes. Bring two 30 foot lengths of rope with you, because in this class you will learn safely, in a hands-on manner. Bring a partner or find a match at the class! For real beginners, no experience necessary. The Bondage 101 class is NOT a prerequisite.
8pm at Purple Passion
211 West 20th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues
$20 (and enjoy a 15% discount on shopping before or after the class)

A. Tie him to a chair! Like this:

March is Question Month. You can ask your question here.

The TES Bondage SIG
presents
S/M at the Movies: Knotty Cinema and Unrestrained Restraints!

Thor Stockman returns with a new installment of his popular S/M AT THE MOVIES film clips programs, this one featuring the best (and worst) of bondage scenes and situations in Hollywood and foreign cinema, ranging from highly proficient and erotic Japanese-style bondage to tie-downs Thor classifies as “bondage my grandmother could get out of.”  Come see some familiar favorites as well as new discoveries!  Special prizes will be awarded for those who come dressed and restrained from their favorite movie bondage scene, as well as those who sit through the entire film clips program in bondage!

Wednesday, March 23
Doors open at 7:30, meeting starts at 8pm
TES, 260 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor, NYC
$4 TES Members, Students, and other Leather/fetish organizations, $8 Non-Members

The next Rope Bondage Dojo ® weekend intensive will be March 19 – 20, 2011 in New York City at The LGBT Center.

Online registration opens Tuesday, February 1st, 8am Eastern Time.
Info & Registration:  RopeDojo

Space Limited: 30 students
Cost: $375 /singles, $650/pair

Prerequisite: Willingness for serious learning. Must be able to tie your
shoelaces. No experience necessary. However, those with experience will be appropriately challenged.

Includes: 16+ hours of intensive training from four Dojo Cadres. Emphasis will be on balanced education focusing on Heart-Mind-Hand approach, covering rope skills, scene managements, psychology, history and more for both those who tie and those who are tied.

For more information see the curriculum and FAQ.

(I’ll be helping out at the Dojo.  We have a really great team. – Lolita)

Photos are copyright Midori

And tomorrow night (Wednesday) is the THE TES Bondage SIG with Parker aka Ropeboi teaching  “Tying as a Service.”  Tying bodies in bondage is often called “rope topping,” but what about when the person tying is not the one running the scene? Parker introduces and
demonstrates a variety of ways in which riggers can be involved in scenes in which they tie but are not the primary authority or decision-maker.

Both events are at 260 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Members $4, Students with ID $4, Other fetish group members $4, Non-Members $8.  More info at TES.

See you there!

Rope Bondage Four Hour Intensive
There is nothing more classic than rope. It’s affordable, it doesn’t raise eyebrows when the TSA looks through your bags and it fits every body type. We will start with the absolute basics and go on from there. You will learn the ties that are the building blocks that will give you versatility for the bedroom or the dungeon. Rope offers endless possibilities. Prepare for a hands-on opportunity to tie and to be tied. Come with a partner or we will try to match singles up. Each person should bring two lengths of 30 foot rope.

Our four hour gathering will include a break for pizza and soda, which is included in the workshop price.

Saturday’s Rope Intensive Details:
$50 per person, includes lunch & beverages, class size is strictly limited so RSVP early, start time is 1pm

Parking is available in an attached parking garage for $5 per car – please arrive before 1pm if you want to park inside.

In this workshop we will go over the fundamentals of rope. We will teach basic ties, rope aesthetics, and rope safety.

Participants must be over 18yr.
Date/time: Saturday, March 6th at 1pm.
Location: Greenwich St.
(btwn Rector and Carlisle; three blocks south of the WTC site)
Specific building number will be emailed upon registration.

$25- per person

Instructor: Lolita Wolf
Assistant instructor: V

The Rope Share is a bondage workshop that is structured to fit your skill levels and interests. There is one highly skilled rope instructor and one teaching assistant. The attendance will be limited to 12 students.

This month’s Rope Share workshop is a concentrated class for the beginner/novice. The instructor will teach you the basics of safety, negotiations and the elemental ties needed to start your bondage exploration.

This is a lab-environment setting and we will practice on one another. Please be open to both tie and be tied for the sake of education. Please wear comfortable clothing as there is no nudity during the class.

Bring Rope: 4 lengths of 25ft. rope; 2 lengths of 50ft.; and safety scissors. Cotton, nylon, hemp, and jute are all fine.

To sign up, send an email to RopeShare@gmail.com
Title the subject line as “Novice Rope Share Sign Up” and include the following information in your email:

1. Your name (Scene name or legal)
2. Contact number and email address
3. Rope bondage experience and skill level ( Please be brief)
4. What you are interested in learning
5. How you heard about this workshop

Sign up now as places are expected to fill quickly! Beginners to advanced rope players are all welcome!! If you have never tried rope before, but are curious, this is a safe space to share and learn rope bondage.

Lolita Wolf discovered the BDSM scene back in the late 80′s when “online” meant being on the phone sex lines. She is an activist who defends the sexual freedom for all consenting adults, spreads the word about BDSM, sex and poly, and helps the community grow and flourish. Yet, her goal remains “to have fun.” Lolita has learned skills Midori’s Rope Dojo and many other instructors at Shibaricon and many other events. Lolita has taught workshops for organizations and events across the country. She is well-known for a fun and entertaining style. She is co-facilitator of the TES BondageGroup. Lolita is an Emeritus Board Member of of both TES and Leather Leadership Conference. She is a former Chair of Lesbian Sex Mafia, an honorary member of GMSMA and an Associate Member of New York boys of Leather. She is active with National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and Leather Pride Night. Her writing has appeared in On Our Backs and Prometheus magazines and she has authored two books: Spanking and CBT in a Nutshell.  Her website can be found at http://leatheryenta.com/