Education

I am excited. Recently found a local dom willing to put in the time to instruct me. This will be in the art of Shibari. 
With anything in life, ongoing education is important. You cannot acquire too much information. One can always improve proficiency.

Shibari is a Japanese word that literally means "to tie decoratively". I appreciate the beauty of the intricate knotwork. I am sure I could learn from books or videos on how to tie the designs. What I need an instructor for, is to teach the safety. I want to make sure my sub/bunny is safe at all times. 

My role as the dominant is to know when to listen, when to take control, and when to allow natural progression.  My job is to be in control of the scene, the submissive, and myself. The submissive is trusting me to be a safe and sane person. To create a safe space for them to give up control.
To safely tie someone and suspend them off the ground, I need to learn. I have taken a few one-hour classes, at conventions, for beginners. This is not enough training for the level on which I desire to work. I have interviewed with other instructors but did not find their domination style to align with mine.

Prior to any session, there should be a discussion on the parameters. Those parameters should not change once the session begins. When a submissive enters subspace, they will agree to things they normally would not. Taking advantage of the submissive turns you from dominant to a predator. Predators are hard to trust and submissive should be wary. 

I found with some instructors, that those boundaries get tested. Submissives do talk. It is easy to find out what they think of a dominant's style. I have an issue when boundaries are crossed, especially sexual ones. 

Recently, a new male dominant joined our group. I saw pictures of his work. It is lovely. He trained overseas and has been active for many decades of learning Shibari. After speaking with him, I found we had similar beliefs. He explained it would be a while before we suspend a submissive. He is a strong believer in safety. I look forward to learning. Since he is new to the area, he knows very few people in the community. I know many subs and am trusted by them. I get to learn from him and he gets access to locals, under my supervision. We both win and there are some very excited bunnies.

I have, also, been learning cupping and violet wand. This is under the tutelage of a switch I know. He works in the medical field and has helped to ease concerns I had playing with electricity. I am more confident using my wand and plan to offer it as a choice at the next play party I attend. Cupping, I had prior knowledge of, having had it used in medical treatments on me. He has helped me learn to use it on others. I admit it is very amusing to use. 

The more I learn, it gives me better and broader skills. Every day we should be learning something new to the keep out brains active. Ongoing education is fun and I encourage you to try new things, safely of course. Good luck.