Bound Together
One couple’s insights into BDSM

BDSM Resources

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This page is updated regularly, so be sure to check back often! Everything listed here is something we’ve read, vetted, and/or used. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases made via some of the links below (at no additional cost to you). We may also make money off some of the other links here (at no additional cost to you).

Sections:

BIPOC

Perspectives from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
BIPOC BDSM Educators 
  • Eternal Angel: A pro domme and BDSM educator specializing in mental health in BDSM, edge play, and more. Her videos on Kink Academy focus on rough body play. 
  • Midori: Highly experienced sexuality and BDSM educator who teaches and writes on a range of topics, including female domination, rope, and humiliation. Author of The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage, among other books. We attended a rope class she taught a number of years ago that included a riveting demo that we still talk about today.  
  • Mollena Williams-Haas: Renowned BDSM educator, author, and slave who is a thought leader on race play and power exchange dynamics, among other things. Evie Lupine’s interview with her on M/s relationships and taboo play is excellent.   
  • Orpheus Black: Dominant specializing in knife play, flogging, and other aspects of BDSM, which are covered in his videos on Kink Academy. We attended a flogging class he taught at a convention, and it was by far the best class we went to there.
  • Robin Wilson-Beattie: Disability and sexuality health educator with a number of videos on Kink Academy related to BDSM and disability.

Health

  • AidAccess: An organization that provides access to abortion pills via telemedicine from Europe no matter where you live in the U.S.
  • American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists Referral Directory: Directory of sexuality educators, counselors, and therapists in the U.S. and other countries.
  • The Difference Between BDSM and Abuse: An explanation from the National Domestic Violence Hotline about the difference between BDSM and abuse.
  • Herpes Handbook: This reliable guide from a renowned herpes clinic provides up-to-date factual information on HSV-1 and 2.
  • Jen Gunter: Ob/gyn Gunter strives to debunk pervasive myths and junk science surrounding women’s health. Have a question about vaginas? She’s probably answered it.
  • Kink Aware Professionals Directory: A service provided by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom “dedicated to providing the community with a listing of psychotherapeutic, medical, legal and other professionals who have stated that they are knowledgeable about and sensitive to diverse expressions of sexuality.”
  • National Vulvodynia Association: While you have to pay to become a member of the NVA, there are some free resources on the site. Members receive newsletters, and educational materials, access to state-specific lists of health care professionals who specialize in this condition, and more.
  • Plan C: Up-to-date information on how to access abortion pills in the U.S.
  • STI Risk and Oral Sex – CDC Fact Sheet: A comprehensive rundown on what STIs can be transmitted during oral and what you can do to prevent them.
  • The Vagina Bible: This excellent guide to vaginal and vulvar health by Dr. Jen Gunter should be required reading for everyone who has a vagina. She explains all the medical ins and outs of the vagina and vulva and dispels myriad myths along the way.

History

  • A Curious History of Sex: Although not about BDSM, this book by Kate Lister (author of the Whores of Yore website) contains a treasure trove of fascinating and amusing information about sex through the ages, including sex and food, sex and hygiene, sex work, and more.
  • An Essay About “the Old Days”: Jay Wiseman recalls what the BDSM scene was like in the 1970s.
  • The History & Myths of Japanese Bondage: Midori dismantles the traditional Western story about the history of shibari, noting that “investing in a romantic but false narrative of a culture and its people is another form of “othering.”
  • History & Arts of the Dominatrix: A blog about historical aspects of BDSM and women’s sexuality by sexuality educator, historian, and author Anne O. Nomis.
  • The History of DS and Its Kin: This essay by Dusk Peterson explains how the terms “dominant” and “submissive” entered the BDSM lexicon.
  • “Old Gods Die Hard”: In his 2014 speech, Guy Baldwin dives into the fascinating history of the leather world’s Old Guard and dispels some of the more prevalent myths about leather culture.
  • Original Pride: The Satyrs Motorcycle Club: This documentary tells the story of the Satyrs Motorcycle Club, an early and pivotal influence on the gay leather scene, through interviews with many longtime members.
  • Sadomasochism and the BDSM Community in the United States: This much-needed book by Stephen K. Stein chronicles the history of the American BDSM community, from its fractured beginnings in the 1940s, through its heyday in the 80s and 90s, and its subsequent diffusion in the 21st century.
  • Voluptuous Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin: A lavishly illustrated book by Mel Gordon about sex in Berlin—including BDSM—after World War I when the city’s nightlife was at its peak before the Nazis came to power.
  • Where Angels Fear to Tread: Feminism, Sex and the Problem of SM, 1969–1993: A fascinating dissertation by Alex Ellis Warner on the history of the lesbian BDSM community and its impact on the rift among feminists during this timeframe.

Kink (Misc.)

Books
Classes
  • Boundless Events: A San Francisco-based kink community, Boundless offers online classes. Topics have included interrogation scenes, mindfulness for BDSM, and creating amazing scenes.
  • Kink Positive: “A project designed to help spread information, experience, and knowledge in all things related to kink and sex positive thinking,” Kink Positive offers numerous online classes on topics such as pet play, edge play, and scene negotiation.
  • TES: The oldest BDSM organization in the country, TES offers online classes every Tuesday. Topics have included better bottoming for submissives, pegging, and extreme degradation.
  • Wicked Grounds: Wicked Grounds offers a combination of online and in-person classes at their San Francisco event space. Topics for their online classes have included advanced negotiation, dating while kinky, and determining your risk profile.
Gear
  • Oxy: Specializes in gear for chastity, CBT, feet (silicone models and masturbators), and more.
  • Pleasure Chest: Emphasizes sex positivity, inclusivity, and education and offers an assortment of kink gear and other toys online and classes at their stores.
  • Premium Sex Furniture by Fetish Locker: Sex furniture, including slings, spanking benches, queening chairs, and more.
  • Stockroom: Offers a wide variety of BDSM furniture, equipment, and toys. 
videos
  • Communication: Learning from the BDSM Community: In this short video, couples therapist Esther Perel interviews sex therapist Margie Nichols about lessons that society at large can learn from the way the BDSM community approaches consent, communication, and negotiation.
  • Evie Lupine: Lupine’s videos on all aspects of BDSM are thoughtful and insightful educational tools for BDSM newbies, experienced kinksters, or anyone in between.  
  • Kink Academy: A comprehensive kink library of video tutorials on everything from negotiation and safer sex to rope bondage and pony play. Many of the tutorials are free, but members get access to all 2000+ videos. There are some great instructors, including Rain DeGrey, Orpheus Black, and Topologist.
websites
  • BDSM Tip Sheet for Beginners: Invaluable advice by Lady Green and Jay Wiseman that anyone new to BDSM should keep in mind.
  • BDSM Wiki: Comprehensive wiki about all things BDSM related.
  • Best Practices for Consent to Kink: A list of 10 things to know about consent and BDSM published by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom.
  • Compilation of Bottoming Classes: A compilation of bottoms throughout the U.S. and Canada who teach classes on various aspects of bottoming, such as CNC, impact, service, and negotiation. Must be a member of FetLife to view.
  • Consent and Negotiations: Detailed resource on all the ins and outs of consent by Shibari Study. While it’s geared toward rope bondage, much of it is applicable to BDSM as a whole.
  • Kink Aware Professionals Directory: A service provided by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom “dedicated to providing the community with a listing of psychotherapeutic, medical, legal and other professionals who have stated that they are knowledgeable about and sensitive to diverse expressions of sexuality.”
  • Kink Education Code of Conduct: This extremely thorough code of conduct was developed by and for kink educators and producers to address a “consent crisis in kink education.” The code also gives anyone who plans to attend a kink-related class or workshop a good idea of how responsible kink educators should behave. The site includes a list of educators who have adopted the code.
  • (K)ink: Writing While Deviant: An ongoing series of personal essays from the Rumpus by writers exploring how their art is connected to their kinky practices.
  • Kynklopedia: A handy dictionary of kink terminology.
  • Music: The link takes you to our Spotify playlist for kinky fun. Our music taste leans toward sexy, lush, and dreamy. Enjoy!
  • Rain DeGrey: Advice, articles, and more about kink, relationships, and sex from former model and pro domme turned educator and writer Rain DeGrey.
  • Shrimp Teeth: A site focused on queer, polyamorous, and kinky education that provides queer peer support, kinky erotica, poly lessons, cool artwork, and more.
  • Slut, Ph.D.: “Sex advice and opinions for the 21st century” from a kinky sociologist. Her post on the “8 Most Misunderstood Things About BDSM” is one of our favorites.

Research

Studies

Rope

Please see our Rope Roundup for up-to-date resources, our rope preferences infographic, and “Best-For…” rope picks.

Required Reading

Refer to Rope Study’s Reducing Risk to learn about bondage safety, nerves and circulation, and more.

Articles/Books
  • Better Bondage for Every Body: This book by Evie Vane is actually a collection of essays by bondage experts from around the world. Chapters focus on bondage for curvy bottoms, male bottoms, older bottoms, bottoms with special physical conditions, and more. There are also chapters devoted to stretching and anatomy.
  • Complete Shibari: This series by Douglas Kent uses a clever “paint-by-numbers” shorthand to break the most complex ties into simple recipes.
  • Consent and Negotiations: Detailed resource on all the ins and outs of consent by Shibari Study. While it’s geared toward rope bondage, much of it is applicable to BDSM as a whole.
  • Foundations of Rope Bondage: A Fun and Friendly Introduction to Rope Fundamentals: The renowned bondage instructor TheDuchy details everything you need to know about basic rope ties and techniques in this guide that’s chock full of instructional photos.
  • The History & Myths of Japanese Bondage: Midori dismantles the traditional Western story about the history of shibari, noting that “investing in a romantic but false narrative of a culture and its people is another form of “othering.”
  • The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage: The famed Shibari instructor Midori explains step by step how to tie a number of beautiful Japanese bondage poses. She also provides helpful background information about the history of Shibari, rope selection, and other related topics.
  • Tying & Flying: Bondage for Self-Suspension: This is a thorough and fantastic guide to self-suspension—and the only one on the market that we know of—by Shay Tiziano, a master of the art.
Tutorials (listed in order of complexity)
  • Two Knotty Boys: This oldie but goodie is a well-organized single page of must-know ties to get you started. The free video tutorials don’t include voice-over, but the TKB show the steps of each tie clearly.
  • Twisted Monk: Twisted Monk’s free videos use spoken instruction and focus on ties that can be learned quickly by a beginner. As an added bonus, they sometimes include the fabulous rope artist Midori.
  • Crash Restraint: This site is a free progressive rope learning class which goes into detail on the hows and whys of equipment and ties. The site is moderately well maintained, but some of the more advanced ties have missing videos.
  • The Duchy: This extensive and colorful site provides both illustrated step-by-step instructions and well-made videos, some of which are free. A serious downside is that most of the videos don’t include a live model, and none include a bottom’s perspective.
  • Self-Suspension: Even if you’re a rigger who never bottoms, you can learn indispensable lessons from the excellent Shay Tiziano’s free videos.
  • Shibari Study: Gorgone and other instructors use their world-class shibari artistry to teach a series of beautiful floor and suspension ties that pay particular attention to the comfort of the rope bottom. Available with a subscription.
  • Bruce Esinem: This is the most comprehensive set of (expensive) Japanese-style rope tutorials available.
Rope bottoming resources
  • Better Bottoming: Vetting, Skills and Safety Tips for Rope Bondage: In this video, Evie Lupine covers how to interview prospective rope tops, red flags to watch for, and the importance of doing your own research as a bottom.
  • The Rope Bottom Guide: This free downloadable guide with photos covers basic safety for rope bottoms, including how to vet riggers and how to mitigate nerve damage. Available in multiple languages.
  • Rope bottoming educators: Comprehensive list of rope bottoming instructors, mostly in the U.S. Must be a member of FetLife to access the link.
  • Rope bottoms’ share group: An online discussion group run by and for rope bottoms (or switches who wish to participate as bottoms). The main purpose of the group is to support one another as rope bottoms and vet tops. Must be a member of FetLife to access the link.
  • Somatics for Rope Bottoms: This book by rope bottom and sexological bodyworker Natasha NawaTaNeko teaches rope bottoms how to become more aware of their bodies in rope to foster better communication, safety, and overall rope bondage experiences.
ROPE Sellers
  • Agreeable Agony: Sells more than just rope, but we especially love their MFP rope, which is available in numerous colors.
  • RebornRopes: We love their bamboo rope, but they also sell jute and hemp.
  • Twisted Monk: Sells great quality rope of all types. You can even order a sampler that includes short pieces of a variety of rope types so you can see how they feel before buying the real thing.

Sex

  • Esther Perel: Renowned couples therapist Perel has written and talked about desire, erotic intelligence, and relationships for decades. Her podcast, “Where Should We Begin?” allows listeners to be a fly on the wall during therapy sessions with real couples with intimacy issues.
  • OMGYes: This unique website devoted to increasing women’s pleasure includes interviews with women about what gets them off in which they demonstrate on their own vulvas (in a non porny way). This is coupled with scientific information about women’s pleasure based on research conducted in partnership with the Kinsey Institute as well as simulations in which you get to practice the techniques shown on digital models of these real women’s vulvas as they give you feedback. It’s an excellent tool for women who want to get to know their own bodies better as well as for partners. A one-time fee for each season grants you permanent access. Season 1 focuses primarily on clitoral and vulvar stimulation, season 2 focuses more on penetration, and season 3 is about how to get the most out of toys.
  • Slutever: This is Karley Sciortino’s “first-person account of a modern woman, navigating sex, love, casual hookups, open relationships, bisexuality, BDSM, breakups, sex work, sex parties, and the power of sexual agency, as told from the front lines.” It’s utterly engaging, insightful, and amusing.
  • Tongue Tied: Untangling Communication in Sex, Kink, and Relationships: This book by sex educator and coach Stella Harris advises readers how to use communication skills to get the most out of their sex, kink, and love lives.
  • What Consent Looks Like: This is a comprehensive overview of the ins and outs of consent in a sexual context put together by Helping Survivors of Sexual Abuse & Assault.
Bound Together
One couple’s insights into BDSM