Whip workshop

I've just done a longer blog post about this over on DeliciouslyDeviant, but here's a quick note about a workshop I went to yesterday.

My local munch organisers ran a whip workshop by Alex Jacob of Cobra Whips. It was billed as a small, low key affair. 'Low key' is not something I associate with Alex, who has a... let's just say a flamboyant personal style, especially with a whip in his hand. But it was an excellent session that, for my purposes, was a good way to revisit some of the basics of handling long whips.

I won't bore you with the details but in essence, you need to think of your arm and body as an extension of the whip, and keep all your movements smooth and flowing. The workshop was an occasion to work out how far out of practice I am (I haven't picked up my bullwhip and snakewhip for some time) and a good reminder that practice makes perfect.

Plus, Alex shortened the fall and refitted a better cracker to the snakewhip, roughly doubling the volume of its crack. And two of the other participants were a couple of writers, one of erotica and one of game scenarios, and we were able able to have a conversation over dinner.

So congratulations and many thanks to the organisers. Excellent session!

Quick note for those who don't know: a 'munch' is a low-key gathering of like-minded people, usually in a pub or bar. The term started out, I believe, in the US when computer geeks got together to discuss matters of mutual interest - but then other types of munch started as well, including those for people with an interest in bdsm. 

There are several dozen - in fact probably over a hundred - monthly bdsm munches around the UK, including five within a short drive of where I live (this says nothing about me other than that I'm fortunate, because I don't organise any and turn up only occasionally). A munch is likely to comprise anything from half a dozen to several dozen people, in a public venue and dressed (mostly) in normal everyday wear, who recognise each other through some symbol such as a particular item placed on the table they're using.

If you're relatively new to bdsm, or have moved to a new location, a munch is often a fast way to start to find out more about what bdsm is and how it works, and/or to connect with like-minded people locally. Many people new to bdsm aren't confident about going straight into the club scene and a munch is a good half-way house; you'll meet people in a normal environment who may then be contacts who can introduce you to other people, clubs, skill sets, or whatever you want, really. If you want to know what munches are around in your area, Fetlife (free to join) has lists as does, in the UK, Informed Consent (also free).