Well, last night I was really tied up! What an incredible experience for those attending the regular twice-monthly meeting of GMSMA at the Center on 13th Street. I am sure there was not one guy who didn't have a great time, not to mention learn something. But that is the main purpose of these meetings: to have a good time and learn how to play safe and sane.

Bondage is an activity that is close to my heart. I enjoy tying up guys with a passion. It has always been difficult to put into words the feelings I experience. I guess there are many activities that have to be experienced rather than talked about. Bondage is one of these. So, in describing the meeting, if I seem matter-of-fact, remember the passion that lies beneath the word.

The chairs were arranged in circles of six, and more than 100 men attended. Co-presenters came from the New York Bondage Club (NYBC).

Philip, GMSMA vice president, first talked about safety in a bondage scene. Never tie ropes around the neck. Don't tie ropes too tight or use the wrong knots. Be sure to have safety scissors nearby for emergencies, in case the bottom must be released in a hurry. These words of safety were emphasized throughout the demonstrations. Philip also presented handouts of reprints from Bound & Gagged magazine about rope bondage safety. The handouts featured articles from the magazine written by David S., one of the founding fathers of GMSMA.

Philip described the different kinds of ropes, their advantages and disadvantages, and pointed out some of his favorites. He demonstrated several different knots and passed out rope and let us all try them out. Each man in the group of six got to try out his knots on another! And of course, this was where the fun part came in! It was really exciting to see a group of guys tying each other up! And helping those of us who were unfamiliar with knots to learn. Knots are simple, most of us do it every day when we tie our shoes! But do we remember the difficulty we had when we first learned? Probably (k)not!

Philip taught us how to tie the following knots: The granny knot (probably named because that's the knot your grandmother used when she tied you down)! The square knot, because it looks square when tied neatly (as all knots should be done). The marline, a knot to secure arms and legs in a sequence from one end to the other. The gag knot, which forms a series of overlapping ropes that will fill the mouth to form a gag. The slip knot, because it will slip and can be used to quickly tie and untie an object. (The slip knot should never be used to tie a limb.) Philip also demonstrated how to safely and effectively tie wrists and ankles, and he demonstrated the clove hitch, the cow hitch and the bowline.

Philip also taught us the rope handcuff wrap, a somewhat complex knot that can be used to tie hands together like handcuffs. It is not easy to describe how it is done, but it finishes in a butterfly pattern where the "wings" slip over the hands and are pulled tight. When tied, it is a very secure handcuff.

The enjoyment of learning these knots and trying them out on each other was heightened by Philip's introduction of a contest of sorts. After a few minutes of practice, we would each try the knot ourselves and the first group that finished was the winner. At the end of the demonstration, each group picked their best, and these guys competed against each other in a timed tying of the gag, slip and square knots.

Bondage Demonstrations

If this wasn't enough for a night's entertainment and learning, there was also a very visual demonstration. While we were all busy learning to tie, Phen tied up Joseph in a very visually attractive pattern. It was also completely functional, as it rendered Joseph totally helpless. He was laced from his crotch upward to above his head in a very open square pattern. Then he was suspended, attached with this same rope to an overhead bar. His legs were also bound and pulled up behind him so he floated from the bar. Yet the bondage that held him up kept him secure and did not cut off circulation. It was as if he were in a giant macramé flower pot hanger! His arms were stretched out to each side and his knees were pulled apart and tethered to bars. A complete and wonderful bondage scene.

On the other side of the stage, Des tied up Angson. This was done in the middle of a giant stepladder that formed an "A" frame when partially folded down. Angson was also in total bondage. The pattern was the beautiful spider web design. The ends of the web were secured to the rungs of the ladder, accentuating the visualness of the web design. Des used all of the knots from the night's demonstration in tying up Angson.

The tops and bottoms are to be commended for their wonderful presentations. By the way, if you think it was easy, it took each of them over one hour to complete the final bondage! Try it sometime, you may like it too.

And if you are curious about what else we do at our meetings, come down and visit. We have several exciting sessions planned before we break for the summer months.

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