Kinky Stories & Relationship / Sex Advice

Kink Academy

By The Beautiful Kind

Fellow sex blogger Debauched Domestic Diva told me I should get a crash course at a sex ed website called Kink Academy. Intrigued, I checked it out. To say I found it inspiring is an understatement.

Let me give you a couple examples. My partner and I watched a video on age roleplay presented by Lee Harrington in a Boy Scout uniform. That night we engaged in a lascivious uncle/niece roleplay scene. The next day, we watched a course by M. Makael Newby on fellatio choking and gagging, and the next thing I knew, I was gloriously choking and gagging on cock. As soon as I wiped the drool off my chin, I asked Kink Academy founder Princess Kali a few questions.

TBK: How did you come up with the idea for Kink Academy?
Princess Kali: I’ve been interested in kink/sex education since the beginning of my personal foray into the BDSM world. When I got started I was like a sponge going to events and reading all the books I could find, I always regretted that the public play parties were pretty much the only place to “watch” people’s techniques outside of the classes offered. One day in 2008 the idea crystalized into the format of KinkAcademy.com

TBK: How long has it been around?
PK: I launched the Kink Academy brand in 2007 with my unique Scene Starter cards and live classes arranged under the heading. The website was created in April 2009 and went public in September of the same year.

TBK: I've only been to a couple kink conferences, so I was thrilled to see this on your About page: "It’s like being able to attend your favorite kink event anytime, on your schedule, and without leaving your house!" After seeing Lee Harrington present in person, I have to agree with you. How much do some of those kink events cost to attend?
PK: I’m a huge fan of the large events, and usually attend between 4-8 every year across the US and internationally. Most weekend events cost anywhere between $75 - $400 which may or may not include food and lodging. It can be costly for sure and is an unattainable amount for some people regardless of their desire to go. Attending a large, live event is an amazing experience but just isn’t practical for everyone.
 
TBK: How much does it cost to be a member of Kink Academy?
PK: The monthly cost is only $9.95 a month, and you can even get it for less if you sign up for more months in advance ($19.95 for 3 months). We post 4 video updates a week (that’s 20 a month!) and videos are never ‘archived’ so you always have full access to the growing resource. It has been suggested by many that I am charging WAY to little for so much information, but it’s really important to me to make the price accessible to everyone from broke college students, to suburban couples, and anyone on a budget (which is pretty much everyone these days!).

TBK: You have an amazing faculty lineup. What are the requirements to be a Kink Educator on KA?
PK: There are a lot of incredible educators out there, we both seek out specific educators (I’m familiar with a lot of people in the kink world) and also accept applications from those looking to be on the site. I look for certain criteria when booking a shoot with an educator; first is how much experience they have either in years or number of places they’ve presented, second is the topics they teach, and third is whether they have a personal platform such as a website to help establish and promote themselves as educators.

TBK: You cover the basics like how to put on a condom, but then you take it to the next level - and beyond - with courses on how to jaw stretch and blackboot. You feature things I've never even heard of! How do you get your topic ideas?
PK: I’m interested in presenting just about any topic relating to sexuality, gender, relationships, and communication about all of those things. You are right though, that is a big ‘umbrella’ which results in a LOT of topics! I also look forward to having multiple educators teach about similar topics from different perspective. Strap-on play is a great example, there are techniques that will work for anyone (i.e. straight, bi, gay, lesbian) and some that will be more helpful for one or another of those communities.

TBK: What formats do you use to present your topics?
PK: The two main formats are ‘demo’ where the educator physically shows an activity or technique, and ‘talking head’ which is a description of a concept or technique. The videos are usually between 3 minutes and 15 minutes, with some topics being covered in multiple clips that can be watched in succession for more of a ‘class’ of 30 minutes or more.

TBK: Kink Academy really is a fantastic site. Everything is so well organized and presented. Topics are easy to search. Who designed your site?
PK: Thank you!! We are really proud of the lay-out and are always working to make topics and videos easier to search and find. Sexuality is a really personal experience and we hope that our members will be able to find what they’re looking for whether they have the ‘correct’ vocabulary or not! I am blessed to have an amazing team, one of whom is a super-duper website master and did all of the design.

TBK: This seems like such a good community for kinky folks who live in small towns! How is membership coming along? Do you have members from all over the world?
PK: We DO have members from all over the world, in fact another kinkster from Japan just signed up yesterday! I look forward to adding videos in more languages, in the future, but for now we’re starting with all English speaking educators. The site is a great place to learn from educators you may never be close to geographically though, so that’s a really excellent feature.

TBK: I love your Products page! How can I find out more about the Zapper? Is that like the Cobra Stinger? Low voltage electroshocks? Is it a good toy for a newbie who is curious about the Violet Wand?
PK: The Zapper is a totally different sensation from the Violet Wand so I wouldn’t really suggest the one if you were interested in the other. But it is a great toy for low voltage, well, zaps ;)

TBK: That Bible Purse is awesome! Who designed it?
PK: Isn’t it fabulous! I didn’t design it, and I’ll never tell where I sourced it, just happened upon it and now us kinksters can have the ultimate purse for “school-girls & sissies, nun’s and naughty sluts”!

TBK: My PayPal account was suspended because my website has adult content. How can I buy the Zapper or Bible Purse if PayPal is not an option?
PK: Right now the Paypal buttons are the easiest way to order stuff from the products page, but it is possible for someone to email me directly to set up a different kind of payment such as sending cash or a check.

TBK: I popped around the site and checked out a few videos. I want to watch ALL of them! There's this one where Dante Posh, Sadist and Fetish Maverick, shows viewers how to wrap a person's head in gauze and unleash a golden shower on them, which is a little bit waterboardish. WOW. I never would have thought of that in a million years! I can see this as being a great resource for pro-dommes who want to expand their bag of tricks.
PK: Seriously, right?! There are SO many videos! One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to watch all of them! Dante Posh is a very creative and respected ProDomme, and that was one of my personally favorite videos too. Frankly, I think the site is a great resource for Pro-Dommes, new Domme’s, non Domme’s and everyone in between!

TBK: I watched Megan Andelloux's tutorial on Male Genital Massage Techniques and she demonstrated on a toy cock, which I expected (I learned some new moves!), but then I was pleasantly shocked to see Faye's video on Ass Licking where she tongue fucks a real ass! Is it anything goes on Kink Academy? If there's a video on pegging, do you actually show a woman wearing a strap-on fucking a man?
PK: Both Megan and Faye’s classes are great, and as you mentioned both use different ‘demo bottoms’ to teach their techniques. You should check out Makael Newby’s BJ clips too, she is another excellent example of how we present these topics with respect and in an educational way without being “porn”. Because we do NOT define ourselves as porn at all! In fact we want to show you all the hot and sexy stuff that you can do to make your own experiences at home, safely and equipped with important knowledge.

TBK: I was intrigued to see two themes repeated in each video I watched: safety, and using BDSM as a therapeutic release. I think one of the least understood aspects about exploring BDSM is that it can be a healthy outlet for healing. Do you agree?
PK: BDSM is absolutely a healthy outlet for healing when it’s done with communication, respect for oneself and one’s partners and a heightened awareness of safety, both physically and psychologically. Couples report more intimacy and opportunity for communication, and for individuals it can provide deep insights and more confidence.

TBK: I was on a forum the other day discussing kink and one of the commenters stated: "Do you not see the potential consequences of that sort of behavior or lifestyle? Beyond the emotional wreckage, that's pretty physically dangerous stuff. People don't tend to make great decisions when there's rampant sex involved." What's your response to that?
PK: Ha! My response to that would take up an entirely separate column ; ) My short answer? Some “people” make bad decisions and sex isn’t involved so that’s not a very supportive argument. In fact, the more that people know, the better the decisions will be. So in my book, education is always better than ignorance.

TBK: Can you tell me a couple of your favorite topics covered on Kink Academy? Something that turned out really funny or surprising? Or a real eye opener?
PK: Oooo….that’s kind of a tough one! Of my own classes, my favorites are face-slapping and the dragon tail. Other educators (we already have over 40) would be even tougher to narrow down! Pony play, rubber & latex, corsets, flogging, tickling, caning….so much good pervy stuff presented by so many passionate teachers! There’s always something new to learn and explore and discover.