Presented by Maeve
The Exquisite Struggle – Rough Body Play 202 is designed for those who want to sharpen their skills, refine their instincts, and explore the deeper intensity this kind of play offers. We’ll go beyond the basics and into techniques, psychology, and negotiation styles that support more advanced, consensual struggle-based play.
This class will cover:
- Struggle dynamics and power exchange: how to navigate resistance, dominance, and surrender with intention and emotional depth
- Advanced physical techniques: including safer takedowns, resistance play, pinning strategies, and adaptive play styles
- Biting, scratching, and breathwork as tools of intensity and connection
- Creating and using ritual and role to deepen headspace and embodiment
- Safety and mitigation strategies for intense, prolonged, or edgeplay-level encounters
This is a body-aware and consent-forward space that centers adaptability, creativity, and communication. Whether you’re a scrappy switch, a dominant beast, or a prey animal with a bite, you’ll leave with tools to play harder, deeper, and more deliberately.
This class has many hands-on elements and is geared toward intermediate to advanced players. Knowledge of the basics of rough body play are helpful but not required. All identities, bodies, and relationship structures are welcome. Participation in the hands-on portions of class is entirely up to each individual attendee’s personal level of comfort
Cost is $20 cash/$22 CC per person (limited scholarships available)
Accessibility: This venue is ADA accessible.
Instructor Bios:
Maeve McBride (she/they) is a kink educator, erotic coach, sexological herbalist, event producer, and Executive Director of KinkFest 2025 & 2026. She has been studying the intersections of kink, sacred sex, plants, trauma, and personal alchemy for more than 23 years. A fun, sensual, and compassionate switch-witch, Maeve enjoys assisting folx of all persuasions to work towards their unique health, erotic, and sexual goals. She combines evidence-based teaching methods, anatomy geekery, goal setting, mind-body-spirit trauma healing techniques, communication tools, and a sense of playfulness, experimentation, and exploration in a non-judgmental learning environment. Her goal is always to help students and clients assemble a toolkit of things that work for their own unique needs and empower them to live their best pleasure-filled lives.
Motus (ze/zir or they/them)
Motus is a kinky, queer, ethically non-monogamous nerd from Seattle, WA. With 17 years in the kink community, zir background in dance instruction, movement analysis, and event organizing deeply informs how ze approaches kink. Ze brings a joyful, grounded curiosity to power exchange and physical play, exploring how bodies move, relate, and connect through kink.
