Bondage 101 - Canadian Press (Canoe News) 2003/10/20

The UVic Pride Collective, the campus gay-oriented student organization, says its so-called Bondage 101 workshop Wednesday on campus is a response to safety concerns raised by students interested in tying people up during sex.

"Some of our members came to us and said they wanted to learn about bondage and how to do it safely," said Michael Joyce, the pride collective's spokesman. "I think that should be encouraged."

The student group recruited bondage experts from a Victoria alternative lifestyle group to teach the three-hour evening class, which is not part of the university's official course curriculum, he said.

"It's just going to be a workshop about safe use of ropes in a sexualized context," Joyce said. "Apparently you can do nerve damage by pinching nerves. Our whole point is to talk about how to do things safely."

Joyce said the class is open to 15 couples who will pay $15 per couple. The class is full and media are not invited, he said.

"You should bring a floor mat or a sleeping bag and maybe a couple blankets," he said. "Pillows would be probably a good idea and 100 feet of rope cut into a 50-foot length and two 25-foot lengths."

The Pride Collective recommends workshop participants bring rope that is three-eighths of an inch thick. One-quarter-inch and one-half-inch thick rope works, but the half inch rope is bulky and one-quarter inch rope can cut when tightened.

The rope - cotton, nylon or hemp - should have the ends burned or taped to prevent fraying, says the collective.

"This isn't going to be anything like a sex show or anything like that," Joyce said. "Everyone will be fully clothed and we recommend that they wear slightly snug clothing just so it doesn't interfere with the ropes. There's not going to be any nudity or anything like that."

The workshop instructor, who wanted to be known only as Fisherman, said bondage is an activity that has its roots in child play.

"A lot of people, even from the time they were kids, like playing with tying each other up and as adults I think we take that into other parts of our life and occasionally end up doing it in the bedroom," he said.

Fisherman and his wife, Ladyfish, are members of a Victoria alternative group called Sagacity.

"Who knows, somebody likes being tied to the tracks and playing Snidely Whiplash," he said. "People find that they may get some enjoyment out of that, out of the control that it gives. I personally do it because I enjoy that control and I enjoy what it looks like. I enjoy the artistic side of it. It really looks pretty."

Fisherman said he and Ladyfish have put on two other bondage workshops in Victoria during art shows, but it's his first time on the university campus.

"Rather than having people do it entirely with nasty kinds of ropes, and doing things that they might hurt each other with, we hope to be able to educate them a little bit so they can do things safely and enjoy themselves at the same time," he said.

Ropes around the neck are not part of the bondage class, Fisherman said.

The basic safety techniques in bondage are: don't leave the person alone, don't use knots you can't untie and keep a pair of safety scissors nearby, Fisherman said.

He said the course actually has practical uses outside of the bedroom.

"We're actually teaching some real basic knots that you're going to be able to use to tie your boat up or tie packages," said Fisherman, who said he was a former sailing instructor.

Participants will learn the reef knot, bowline and clove hitch, "good standard knots you can use to tie your boat up or your friend up."

Fisherman said Sagacity has about 250 members in Victoria, and most are heterosexual.

A spokesman for the university said the school has no concerns about the workshop.

The Pride Collective is a branch of the UVic Student Society, a student-run organization funded in part through undergraduate student fees.

"We trust the fact that the student society has been working with the UVic Pride Collective," said university spokesman David Clode.

The Pride Collective is a strong contributor to the rich diversity among students on campus, he said.

A student society spokeswoman said there are bigger issues on campus than worrying about a bondage workshop.

"Students should be grateful they can participate in this workshop in a safe environment," said Jude Coates.

"Many students on campus don't have the opportunity to participate in such recreational workshops because they are tied down by massive student debt and rising tuition fees."

The student society's governing laws state "clubs are designed to enhance the university experience by offering students the opportunity to pursue interests beyond strictly academic endeavours."