RopeMarks Artistic Rope Exchange (R.A.R.E) is the name used by RopeMarks for all sort of community related activities organized by RopeMarks. At this moment there are:

• Workshops
• Online tutorials

To this list we now add:

• Meetings

A R.A.R.E. meeting is a social gathering for people with an affinity for Japanese bondage. A place for tying, talking, sharing the experience and learning.

The official RopeMarks name came to life in 1999. Months later the idea for a Japanese bondage-oriented meeting came up only to be dismissed for lack of people with a serious interest in shibari/kinbaku. Due to RopeMarks' activities in The Netherland (and partly in Europe and the USA) and on the internet (reaching the world) the idea got concrete in 2004. The idea was dismissed again for lack of time and money. Now, 2009, RopeMarks has (made) the time, has access to a location and the funds to start organizing the RopeMarks Artistic Rope Exchange (R.A.R.E.) meetings.

Currently there are a few, very few, Japanese bondage meetings in and around The Netherlands. We visited most and this strengthened us to organize the R.A.R.E. meetings. We experienced a number of things:

• Meetings advertised as (Japanese) bondage meeting had generally very little to do with Japanese bondage or bondage in general, they where mostly BDSM meetings.
• Another thing we experienced was that the meeting was just talking, socializing. We think this is good but also prefer to see something happening, and usually we were the only ones making things happen.
• Another thing seen often is (Japanese) bondage novices performing advanced bondage's without prior knowledge to basic safety. In effect putting the person being tied in danger for serious harm. Nobody was guiding the process and the novice had no way to gain knowledge about what they did made it dangerous.

We feel there are not enough meetings focusing on (Japanese) bondage that are fun, social, happening and educational. We intent to fill this gap.

What we have missed on past events and meetings that we visited was something happening, something Japanese bondage related happening.

As the name, RopeMarks Artistic Rope Exchange, for a big part already implies we are trying to achieve an artistic exchange of Japanese rope bondage knowledge. You will learn, grow or extend your knowledge and experience by watching, asking and experimenting in a safe environment.

Our meetings focus on the artistry and aesthetics of Japanese bondage (shibari, kinbaku). Any bondage goes, but please focus.

You will learn, it is not a workshop or lecture.

Some pictures might be taken or video be shot, it is not a photo/video session.

There are no rules, there are no limits. The only rules and limits are those agreed upon by the active parties.

We want you to have fun, enjoy the exchange of rope between two, or more, people.

We might encourage you to follow a predetermined theme.