SAN FRANCISCO—Performer Sebastian Keys says he was "totally vanilla" when he first showed up on the doorstep of the Kink.com Armory in 2009. Not any more he isn’t. After countless shoots and some personal revelations, Keys is stepping it up in the company’s Kink Men division and has been named associate director for its NakedKombat.com. In assuming the role, the twenty-three year old becomes Kink director Van Darkholme's right-hand man.
"Sebastian is one of the most dedicated men I've worked with," said Darkholme. "He's a natural."
Van Darkholme first met Keys when he hired him for a Bound Gods shoot in 2009, even though the young athlete didn't have any experience with BDSM. During one of the Bound Gods live shows, Van gave Sebastian the slave number 316. Keys found the experience so electrifying that afterward he went out and had the number tattooed across his back. Since then, Keys has been a regular on Kink sets from MenonEdge.com to NakedKombat.com, and the former straight man says he now identifies as "queer."
The decision to take a more active role in Naked Kombat comes naturally to Keys, who has been practicing martial arts for almost two decades with three black belts to show for it. He draws on that experience and knowledge to bring a raw authenticity to his shoots, which feature freestyle wrestling matches where the winner punishes the loser with harsh sex.
"I've learned that it's hard to be a good director if you haven't experienced it yourself — not just as a star, but as a top and a bottom, as a dom and a sub,” he said.
So far, the formula seems to be working. Coming off a yearlong hiatus, NakedKombat says it is bringing back old members and has gained many new ones, which shouldn't be surprising considering that for Keys the will to win comes naturally.
