by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Mr. Chief

Age: "Too old, close to 40."

Occupation: Professor of BDSM/Used car broker

Bio: When this no-nonsense Villeray bruiser isn't busy buying and selling used cars, he's holding workshops in his living room, teaching folks all they could ever hope to know about spankings, superior knot-tying, genital torture and the particular ins and outs of the local fetish scene. Stressing that no neophyte fetishist need invest zillions of dollars in clothing and equipment to participate in one of his workshops, Mr. Chief says his principal motivation is "to promote the community" and "give people a better understanding of what it [BDSM] really is. People like me, who have been perverts for years, we know all the tricks. So it feels good to be able to share all I've learned with others. But if you want to get more serious about BDSM, I've got workshops for that as well. Really, it's all about having fun."

Does he know how to whip somebody without leaving welts? "Well, yeah, of course. It's tricky though. I teach this at myLevel 3 workshop."

One way to stretch your BDSM budget that you may not have thought about: By shopping for accessories at the dollar store. "It's a great resource for people into S&M. It's magical. You can get little clamps, duct tape, candles, rubbing alcohol, a fire play kit, all kinds of stuff. People don't realize that everything can be kinky."

Are submissives constantly acting up in class in the hope of getting disciplined? "No, but lots of bratty submissives want to come and be the guinea pig at my workshops. I always have one on hand just in case nobody at the workshop wants to be the submissive. Because, if it was me, and I was attending a workshop, I would rather learn than to feel [pain]. But that's just me."

Has he considered approaching Concordia University's Centre for Continuing Education with his course yet? No.

Where to get the 411 on attending one of Mr. Chief's workshops: www.ateliersbdsm.netfirms.com

Is it more pleasurable for him to whack around men or women? It depends. "If we're talking strictly BDSM without sex then I don't mind if it's men or women. But if it's with sex I prefer women and couples."

The male/female ratio to his workshops: Approximately 50/50. "Maybe a few more women. But it depends on the workshop."

Something chicks are less into than men: Being humiliated. "They should be, because they find they really like it once you've trained them and they realize it's something within their capacity to digest."

Hobbies: Playing floor hockey and badminton with his buds.

Last book read: Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns: The Romance and Sexual Sorcery of Sadomasochism by Philip Miller, Molly Devon and William A. Granzig.

Musical preferences: Empire, Keith Jarrett.

Childhood ambition: To become a pro athlete. "But I got hit by a car and never had the same speed again."

Current ambition: To get the furniture recycling business he's been developing up and under way.

Words of wisdom: "Stay safe, sane, and consensual."

Comments? dimwit@openface.ca