This section was written to feature the BRAND NEW, never taught style of bondage that I invented and call "Endless Bondage" but all classes can be taught with traditional ropes or Endless Ropes - please specify which you'd like.

Click here for traditional bondage classes.

These classes are optimized for couples but singles are usually paired up after introductions so don't let your lack of a partner stop you, you can also learn by tying your own limbs, or often a generous couple will 'share' the bottom for the purposes of everyone being able to do hands-on learning.  Bondage is definitely something that needs to be hands-on and I strongly encourage that, however, if you'd like to just come and listen please feel free to do so (but expect a little encouragement from me to put rope in your hands!)  These classes are typically alotted between an hour and a half and two hours - they can be shortened with some sacrifices to fit into your event schedule.  All day seminars combining classes can also be customized upon request.

Intro to 'Endless Bondage' or Intro to Bondage

In this class I will give out pieces of my own 'pre-worked' rope for use and show you how to quickly turn your regular bondage rope into temporary "Endless" rope.  We will then use that rope to cover the basics of bondage with the twist of it all being done 'Endlessly'.  This is a class for EVERYONE!  Whether you are a seasoned rigger or have never held rope before you will learn a lot and this 'intro to endless' will give you a basis for the later, more specialized and advanced classes where the Endless rope is used for ties you may be familiar with but with the necessary adaptations of working with a rope with no ends.  We'll also touch on the basics of necessary bondage safety.  In this class you will use 'Endless Ropes' to tie basic parallel limbs, crossed limbs and single limb ties. I know that 'intro' classes are generally thought of as repetitive and boring - I like to think (and have been assured) that my classes are never boring! Attendees who are more advanced riggers with an aptitude for 'endless' can experiment with the techniques a bit while the beginners are starting from scratch.

Comfortable Bondage ('Endlessly' or western style)

In this class you'll do several 'comfortable' ties.  This type of tie is the type that you'll want to use when the bondage itself isn't the whole scene.  Say you want to tie your partner down for wax play or up for a flogging or single-tail, if you want to have your partner tied up for a longer length of time or if your partner is new to bondage and afraid of it all - this is the way to work them into it gently without limbs falling asleep within minutes.  you'll learn the endless rope techniques and also the mental side of making someone comfortable in bondage and these techniques can be adapted easily for non-endless methods. You'll do two ties in this class (time permitting) and you and your partner will choose 2 of the following ties that you think you will best enjoy to do. These ties will be comfortable but secure enough so that your partner won't feel like he or she could escape. (Very important to most rope bottoms!)

Hogtie

Ball-Tie

Spread-Eagle

Box-Arm

Tied standing to a tree

Chair tie

Sausage Tie

Frog tie

Some of the topics covered here are delved into more deeply in the 'bottom & Top awareness classes' listed at the bottom.

Uncomfortable Bondage - Doing it and knowing what it feels like

In this class I'll be teaching the parts of bondage that are always the most painful.  I think it is a HUGE asset to me that I was a bondage bottom in probably a thousand ties or more and so I am, usually, able to tell a bottom before or during the tie where they can expect the worst pain. I'll talk about various ties (and use photo's in some cases) to tell you where they will hurt the most.  Somehow, knowing that something is supposed to hurt like hell, makes it easier to accept the pain.  The talking/picture part is only a tiny part of this class. We'll use the technique of 'expected pain' to learn how to handle the pain when the elbows are tied together behind the back, or as close to together as the bottom can manage - and if that is a foot apart it is the same pain level, technique and difficulties as a more flexible person with their elbows completely touching. Obviously this means that we'll learn HOW to tie the elbows this way. I'll tell you how to know how far to push, how to make the distance between the elbows shorten over time and how to make the tie last longer every time.  Then we'll continue into the strapado (where the wrists are tied together behind the back and then pulled upward, wrenching the shoulders and/or forcing the bottom to bend.  We'll do some 'quick tie' techniques, which are useful when doing abduction scenes but are among the most painful and possibly damaging and why that is. The topics we'll cover  will include tingling, discoloration of limbs, lack of movement, numbness, nauseous, lightheadedness, fainting and what to do and what not to do for these things and when not to push bondage pain.   Given time we'll also touch on a few quick, painful ties that can be used as a punishment and touch on predicament bondage which is a form of bondage where the bondage hurts if they do this - but it hurts somewhere else if they DON'T do it. We'll discuss why it's generally not a good idea to add other forms of torture to this type of bondage unless you have lots of experience playing this way together.

 

Bondage IS the Scene - It takes too long!  I wanna PLAY.

Remove the mystery of what it is your partner wants when he/she says "I just want to be tied".

If you feel that bondage 'takes too long' but your partner really wants it, then this is the class for you. I'll show you 3 ties that are all done in under 5 minutes and will give your partner what they seek.  The tight, inescapable feel of ropes. Whether they are into comfortable, long term bondage or more painful, short time bondage these ties will work.  Between ties I'll try to remove the mystery of exactly what it is that most bondage bottoms want and give you some things to try.  One of them will usually be the button your partner has been hoping you would find and push.  All skill levels are welcome in this class. I used to be one of those bottoms who was telling my boyfriend that I just wanted to be tied and he, being a bullwhip guy, just didn't get it. Let me save you some years of frustration whether you are a lone bottom looking for a rope partner or a Top seeking to understand a foreign mindset. Bondage CAN be quite sensual or sadistic AS it's being done to more match your idea of a 'scene' and I'll show you some examples of that while I'm showing you the ties. This class, like most, will be fun and hands-on so bring your rope if you have any - use mine if you don't. 

 

Bondage for Sex!!!  :)~  Geared mainly for either M/f or a Male bottom receiving anally

This is my favorite class! Generally I'll try to find a willing female who will let me put her in these sexually suggestive positions and 'demonstrate' how the positions are best worked and the slight modifications and techniques that make them special. Volunteers? The WAY that you handle the ropes can create a romantic scene - or a disciplinary scene - in this class we'll concentrate on the former.  Most people think of having sex with their partner tied up and they usually think of the spread eagle bed tie. It's a winner but there are a few problems with it (what if you have no bed posts?, the tightly pulled limbs align the hips all wrong for penetration...) and the same thing over and over begs for some variety. I'll teach you how to overcome the bed tie problems and how to make that position oh-so-much-better with just two more quick ropes. I have some other great positions that you don't have to be a yoga master to use, although it seldom hurts if you ARE! Wrist to Ankle, Frog-Ties and more.  I also have a couple of rope tricks that will amaze you and create sensations that I guarantee your bottoms haven't felt before.  I'll also show you how to tie the Hitachi Magic Wand into place.  If you don't know what a Hitachi Magic Wand is - you NEED this class!  This is a highly interactive class, although without actual intercourse happening.  I do expect participation and will nag a bit if you just come to watch - beware!

Intro to Suspension

These days everyone wants to skip ground bondage and get into the air... and while I don't recommend skipping the ground bondage, you CAN get flying in a suspension a lot easier than you could 10 years ago.  For a long time suspension bondage was a big secret society and no classes were ever taught (ostensibly for liability reasons) so therefore suspension bondage was rare and special.  A few brave souls started teaching suspension and it has caught on with most instructors now being willing to teach at least partial suspension.  In this class if we have enough strong suspension points on location then everyone who wants to will get to fly with their partners doing the rope work and Lee and I doing safety checks and 'spotting' as the bottom is lifted and secured. The tie will involve teaching a classic chest harness. Due to limited space and time people probably won't get to stay in suspension nearly as long as they'd like during class but you'll get a taste of it and the technical know-how to try it again when you have more time.  As with all the classes, I touch on what NOT to do as much as i do on what you should do and I teach the bottoms as well as the Tops as suspension can be dangerous and communication is very important. Please don't let your size stop you!  I've suspended people who topped 400lbs and they all claim a wonderful feeling of weightlessness. There are definitely some physical limitations that preclude everyone from being able to be suspended but don't be afraid to ASK - I've found I can work a lot of things and get people in the air who would have sworn it couldn't be done.

Advanced Suspension

Attendance to 'Intro to Suspension' or instructors prior approval is a must to attend this class!

Intro to Suspension teaches a suspension that uses 4 basic lift points on the body.  In advanced suspension you'll learn a few more places that are suitable for suspension weight distribution (tying load bearing rope to on the body) and the hip-thigh (AKA - gunslingers) harness which is useful for inversions, if your bottom is OK being upside-down you will be able to try an inversion tie on her.  If he/she is not sure about upside-down then we'll use the same 'harnesses' and ties to do a face up horizontal suspension.  If people are willing to experiment and the class size is small enough we may be able to demonstrate several variations.  This class is NOT enough for you to leave it and feel confident stringing your partner up 7 ways from Sunday with no expert supervision but it WILL show you the possibilities, how to tie some general weight distribution points and give you some air time.  As with all in this series, we'll be using Endless rope (mine or yours).

Advanced Techniques & 'Pretty Bondage'

So you can do serviceable bondage but it annoys you that it's ugly? Or you've seen some beautiful weaves and things that you'd like to incorporate into your own bondage art - and bondage IS art!!!   I can help with that! One of the reasons I developed 'Endless Bondage' was because I hated ugly rope ends hanging where you didn't want them.  Now, I mostly have pretty, intricate knots there instead.  There are times when I mix in regular ropes to do a weave in places just to beautify the bondage and weaving itself is a beautiful form of bondage.  I often make my outfits of out of rope - granted they are simple, panties, corsets and accessories, but beautiful.  Mostly here though I will teach you where to start your ties so that the pretty side is outwards and what to do when you have a few feet of 'spare' rope.  The big bonus in this class is that I'll teach you my hair tie.  Lew Rubens (with me as the guinea pig) invented the hair tie and I've modified it to work a bit better for me - there is nothing as beautiful and immobilizing as when a bottoms hair is tied up or back and he/she can no longer use their head. You'd be surprised at how much motion that simple addition eliminates and nothing else makes the bottom feel more helpless I don't think.

***Bottom Awareness, Safety & Communication

In bondage, especially advanced and suspension bondage, the Top has a huge responsibility and has to watch a lot of different things at once and worry about a lot of things.  It is his job to foresee everything that could possibly go wrong and make sure it doesn't while still ensuring that he is enjoying himself and that YOU are enjoying yourself. It is YOUR responsibility to take some of that burden from him and assume some responsibility for your own safety and your own good time.  We'll discuss pre-negotiation, the 5 minute rule, gagged communication, when and how to let you Top know that you need a tie altered or that you need to be completely untied and how to tell the difference between the two.  When you need hydration - when hydration might kill you.  When you should lie down after a scene, when lying down after a scene could actually kill you. We'll also cover what tingles mean, what sharp pain means and what numbness, discoloration and lack of movement should and should not be interpreted as. Finally we'll cover doing a post-scene review and how important that can be to make your next scene even better. This class is more of a 'fire-side chat with Maria' than a hands-on class but I want to put some arm ropes on anyone who is willing and talk though the changes that are happening to their bodies as they happen.

 

***Bedside Manner for Tops:  AKA - Top Awareness, Safety & Communication (it doesn't have to be boring!)

Do you want to attract play partners like magnets, begging you to tie them up? Do your partners sometimes seem hesitant to do the ties that you'd like to do on them? Do they seem fearful or anxious about the scenes? Having been tied by many, many producers I know which ones worried me to death, even though I knew how to take care of myself.  I spent a lot of time pondering WHY those riggers scared me.  It comes down to trust and bedside manner.  Admit your weaknesses and flaws and still have bottoms lining up to be tied or have your one and only finally be able to fully relax and attain subspace.  We'll cover a lot of the same things as in the Bottom Awareness class but a lot more as well. I'll also give you some advanced 'after care' for bondage bottoms tips and tricks.  This class is more of a 'fire-side chat with Maria' than a hands-on class. This class is more of a 'fire-side chat with Maria' than a hands-on class but I want to put some arm ropes on anyone who is willing and talk though the changes that are happening to their bodies as they happen (Don't worry - you won't be being submissive in ANY way and I'll tie your arms in such a way that you CAN get out so your Dom-li-ness won't be threatened if it's fragile. (Class suitable for a 'downtime' class (like a fireside chat in the evening - not to take away from the play parties but it could be held perhaps where participants could see the playspace so they didn't feel like they missed anything).

 

Could you take what you ask your rope bottom to take?  Do you agree that you should KNOW what your bottom should and does feel and recognize his or descriptions of it?

So you try everything on yourself before on someone else huh - well, at least you slap your hand or thigh with that new paddle and zap yourself with that new electrical toy on the arm before you tackle them with it. Then this is a class you really want to attend. Many rope Tops also like the feel of being in the ropes themselves. Many of you do not and cannot stand the thought of being restrained - the loss of control involved does not appeal to you at all. You understand that bondage hurts and you can even talk about the stages and what a rope bottom feels but it's time you took yourselves all the way so that you will truly know what they are feeling. In this workshop you can leave your bottom if you don't want them to see you bound or bring them as a reward or to learn with you. I can match up Tops with Tops or have everyone switch bottoms and let them do the rigging but the riggers, as well as the bottoms are going to have their elbows tied behind their backs in this workshop.  This is the quickest way to cause the hands to get tingly, feel fat, loose feeling, turn blue and finally become numb - then there is the joy of the pins and needles upon return of blood flow. This workshop is designed so that you can really feel what your rope bottom does and decide for yourself the levels that you are comfortable pushing them or asking them to push themselves because now you will have been there. There will be no 'Topping' or humiliation allowed in this workshop so please - let go of control for 30 minutes (at most) and truly know what sensations you cause in this safe environment where you will NOT be bottoming in any way. You are participating in research! I'll discuss what to expect to feel and what is OK and what is not as well as teaching technique for this type of tie and giving you some other pearls of rope wisdom. We will touch briefly on how to handle it if someone is pushed too far and gets nauseaus, overheated, faints or worse.   Given time we'll also touch on a few quick, painful ties that can be used as a punishment and touch on predicament bondage which is a form of bondage where the bondage hurts if they do this - but it hurts somewhere else if they DON'T do it. We'll discuss why it's generally not a good idea to add other forms of torture to this type of bondage unless you have lots of experience playing this way together.

 

How to make the intricate rope knots used in 'Endless Bondage' and some of the simple weaves that i use.

***For those of you who really enjoyed the Endless Bondage and want to pursue it on your own I'll have this relaxing class where no one gets tied up (OMG - Say it isn't so!!!!). I'll show you how to do several types of button style knots which are suitable for Endless Bondage.  I'll also show you how to make a bit gag and monkey fist gag out of rope. Finally, depending on time allowed, I'll show you the simple macrame (or, if you prefer the more manly moniker) - knotting, that I sometimes use in ties, for cuffs or for belts.  This really is a very basic macrame class and I'm FAR from a macrame master but am happy to share what I know. I am asked over and over at the end of events to teach these things so I decided to add it as a class towards the end of the event(s).

***(Class suitable for a 'downtime' class (like a fireside chat in the evening - not to take away from the play parties but it could be held perhaps where participants could see the playspace so they didn't feel like they missed anything).

Rope Weaves

This is the art of 'knotting' or 'macrame' really.  I'm by no means a macrame expert but I frequently make my own clothing and accessories by weaving ropes and in this class I'll teach you how to make a nice thong that will still allow you to use the restroom or have sex without having to dismantle the whole thing. Then I'll teach you how to do the rose pattern weave which is beautiful on collars and stomachers and most any place where you have 6 or more coils of rope as a base.  If we still have time you'll learn what I call the 'accessories weave' which comes in handy to make cuffs as well as belts, armbands, attach bondage, suspension accessories and virtually anything that you would normally use a strap for.  How do you safely tie thread or string to a nipple without risking cutting the nipple to get it off?  I'll show you the perfect way to do this where the nipple can be safely released from a supertight knot in a second with a big pair of safety scissors even.

The Tips and Tricks Workshop

In my thousands of hours in and handling rope I've picked up some great tips and tricks.  Everywhere I go people are eager to share with me the things they've learned and I'm equally eager to spread that knowledge around.  The more knowledgable riggers in the world the better!  In this I'll happily pass on such things as the hair tie, the nipple tie, the clit tie, the best way to remove glue resin after a duct tape scene or, better yet, PREVENT that glue resin from being on the skin in the first place.  I'll cover the best ways to wash and dry and tie up your ropes as well as which ropes can be dyed and how to do it.  I'll tell you how to prevent rope burns and deal with one if it does happen.  How do I stay limber? What can you do to stay in the ties longer or get your bottoms elbows to touch?  I'll tell you! I have some rigging shortcuts I've learned and a few ways to help keep your bondage inescapable. In short, if it has to do with advanced rope, rigging or being tied and it's a Tip or Trick that I know I'll share.  Everyone present will be encouraged to share their own Tip or Trick as well so if you have one or more please come and share! I pass on the names of where I get these Tips and Tricks so your name can travel the world with me like Juliet Heart's Ooooh Hooo rope warm up that she taught to me when I was first getting tied.