TwistedMonkTV

If you liked Monk's lovely instructional videos from the Twisted Monk website, you're going to love his new YouTube section.

If you act now, you get ten new instructional videos, including the body harness, the hog tie, and a chest and leg harness.

But wait! There's still more! If you act now, you get Monk's hair tie absolutely free!

Now how much would you pay?

Well, the answer is free!* That's right, just direct your browser to "TwistedMonkCom" on YouTube and you get all these videos and more absolutely free!

* Rope not included. Offer not available in all states. Must be able to at least tie your shoes. Must be 18 or over and of legal age to watch rope videos to qualify. 14.4k modems are unlikely to display videos correctly. Pyrate Lasses pay a surcharge of learning to tie your Daddy up for Teh Hott Sex. Ties as shown may not hold effectively under nylon rope. See TwistedMonk.com for further details.

Supreme nerdiness

Uh oh. I've gotten out the glasses.

Nope, it's not for rope ties or caning. (Although I've had bottoms say they love me putting on my glasses to see better for those.)

Nope, it's far nerdier. It's RopeWiki.

Yep, I've been spending my coffee breaks this weekend playing secretary and nerd girl, trying to add what I can in the service of rope. There's something really fun and at the same time terrifying about joining a new Web project this early in its progress, but I have to say one of the best parts is that there's lots to do for a relative novice like me. No article yet on EMT shears? Hell, anyone can write that.

Wheee!

For those with a tweed jacket fetish

Before I head out, I'd like to share the delightful Bondage University.

Lots of techniques, tips, and thoughts from riggers and bottoms, an online version of Jay Wiseman's infamous negotiation checklist, Q&A pages and more. It's fun, and I look forward to catching up reading it when I get a chance.

Be warned: the navigation is not very intuitive, and so there's more than there appears at first sight; check the bottom of the linked pages for more sublinks.

Roping for absolute beginners

I've mentioned before that one of the myths of Japanese-style rope bondage is that it's too complicated or hard to learn. Nope! Just like the saying about Go (or is it Othello): minutes to learn, a lifetime to master.

And, not everyone is looking to do complex work. Sometimes it's just fun to tie someone off to a bed, y'know?

Have a few minutes? Want to learn a few basics? The talented Twisted Monk has a few things to show you.

Knots and the Knotty Knaves who Taught Them

A common meme of Japanese-style rope play is that you really don't need to know many knots. In the FAQ for her Rope Dojo, Midori writes that in order to learn her work, you just need to be able to tie your shoelaces.

It's true. Most of my work so far -- from the down and dirty rope gag to the most elaborate corset -- has involved exactly two knots: a larkshead (or Cow's Hitch), and an overhand knot to attach more rope by using (you guessed it) a lark's head. There are a few other hitches that I use to keep the rope from tightening, but nothing too fancy.

But what if you are interested in more elaborate ties, or want to learn Western-style rope bondage (with its emphasis on single-strand ties)? Well, that's where Jack at Kinky Ropes come in. In his tutorial section you'll find a variety of easy-to-follow steps to tie a variety of western-style cuffs and harnesses, as well as Japanese forms like the karada. Pagan types should especially check out the Bio page for a lovely, lovely pentacle tie.

Not interested in the fancy ties? Be not intimidated! Remember, if you can tie your shoes . . .