The wonder of BDSM for me is that the bottom/sub/slave is often just as knowledgable about What It Is We Do. Often, the bottom helps plot her/his 'downfall' in a scene.

My advice? Don't wait for someone to 'show you the ropes'. Learn as much as you can. About all the different kinds of play and fetishes you are interested in. Learn how ones body responds to eg caning, and safety etc.
There are amazing threads on this forum to read, and other sites like BEST slave training, to name a few.

Good luck and have fun.