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The
compiled by Dirk , with Slakker and David Stein Table of Contents Reference
Don't let the title instantly put you off -- this fact sheet deals with a wider variety of sins than you might imagine. Here we discuss ANY SM activity that involves striking the body with a light flexible or semi-flexible implement to produce sensations on skin contact. This includes the sorts of games people call beating, belting, birching, caning, corporal punishment (CP), flogging, lashing, paddling, scourging, strapping and whipping as well as flagellation. All of these have important aspects in common and it makes sense to discuss them together. Not covered here are games where the implement involved is a part of the body -- striking with the hands themselves is covered under spanking and punching, with the feet under kicking -- or a heavy weapon capable of deep bruising and fractures, such as truncheons, day sticks, clubs and so on. These latter will be dealt with separately at a later stage. Why use the term 'flagellation', which for many people has overtones either of religion or the 'kinky' 1960s with its 'fladge'? As it turns out, no one term is entirely satisfactory. Some of the terms above, though they are sometimes used more generally, are derived from the names of particular implements, and although for some people 'whipping' or 'flogging' don't have to be done with whips or floggers, for others they are restrictive and confusing. And new coinages like 'percussion play' (as used, for example, in Jacques 1993), are too general and not yet in wide enough use. 'Flagellation', although it derives from a word meaning 'whip', now has a much wider application. Its associations with religious self-mortification are more appropriate than they might seem: religious flagellation, like the SM variety, was (in theory) consensual and not for the purposes of punishment. Both SMers and psychologists have in the past used the term in its broad sense and some continue to do so (a recent example is Bannon 1992).
Here is an overview of the various terms for activities covered in The Flagellation Factsheet. Where the word is a verb derived from the name of the implement used, you will find the implement discussed under What to Use below.
There are a wide variety of flagellation toys, and each type behaves differently with respect to the physical factors described below, consequently requiring its own particular set of techniques. Some are made to traditional designs, originally intended for non-consensual use on humans, such as the 'cat o'nine tails' and schoolmaster's cane, or on animals, such as riding crops and bullwhips. Others are adaptations or original designs made with SMers in mind, and still others are improvised 'pervertibles' like slippers and wooden spoons. All these implements have two basic components: a handle (which in some improvised implements like rulers can be simply the end you choose to hold) and a striking surface. This striking surface is usually what's used to classify the implements. Its flexibility can vary from the relatively rigid wooden paddle through canes to the rubber of a purpose-made flogger. It can be flat and broad, as with paddles and slippers, or thin and long, in which case it is usually called a tress. Implements with tresses can have a single one, as with classic whips, or multiple tresses, as with cats and floggers. It can also combine two or more effects. Some tresses, for example, have cutting tips. And while only the loop at the end of a riding crop is intended as the contact point on a horse, some tops have developed techniques that utilise both the loop and the more rigid shaft.
Physically, what is happening during a beating is that energy is being transmitted from the top to the bottom's body surface. The cells are compressed, causing nerve cells sensitive to pressure to respond, and in most cases at least some of the cells are unable to absorb the energy and are damaged or destroyed, provoking a pain response too. Even fairly light beatings cause some tissue damage, though fortunately you can go a long way before damage to the surface becomes life-threatening: a greater danger is in damaging vital organs near the surface, which is why certain areas of the body should be avoided as explained in the notes on Safety . The impact depends to a large extent on the amount of energy being transmitted, which in turn depends on factors like the force of the blow, the distance the implement travels and its velocity when it hits. The other important factor is the manner in which the energy is transmitted, which will vary according to the implement and the technique used. Some materials and designs are more efficient at this than others and will consequently require less effort for the same effect. A flexible implement will bounce, with a certain amount of energy reflected back, whereas a heavier, more rigid implement will not, and may cause deep bruising. However, a more flexible instrument will also be easier to accelerate: some of the most dangerous flagellation toys are whips, because the tip can move so fast. Something with a large contact area, like a paddle, will spread the energy, giving a more superficial effect across a wider area; something with a smaller contact area, like the tress of a flogger, will be more localised but more destructive, and particularly if it has sharp edges, is more likely to cut into the skin. Tony de Blase (cited in Jacques 1993:229-230 and paraphrased slightly here) has summarised the physical factors involved in the effects of different toys as follows:
Wooden rods or bundles of twigs taken from a tree, normally the birch, and used traditionally either in corporal punishment (on young offenders in the Isle of Man until very recently) or, as bunches, for arousing the skin in a sauna. These dried-out rods and twigs are stimulating but do relatively little damage, and can be used safely in areas of the body where other implements cannot. Trimming the thin tips helps reduce whipround and, since the twigs are prone to breaking during use, the bottom (and perhaps the top if the action is very energetic) should have some form of eye protection. Thin, semi-flexible rods that have a long history as an implement of corporal punishment. They are made from a variety of materials and in range of sizes, each one of which has its own particular qualities. Softer materials, like hazel, are often very flexible and resilient. They will strike with more speed and more "cutting" capability, but because of their compressibility they strike with less overall force than a more dense material such as rattan. Some modern materials, such as fibreglass, combine flexibility with high density to produce sensations not possible with natural materials. However, most caners prefer the psychological effect of natural bamboo and rattan canes. Longer canes strike with more power and therefore require more skill and greater caution; larger diameter canes cause more of a "thud" when they strike, while thinner canes produce a sharper stinging. Larger canes are also far less likely to break the skin and cause bleeding, although they do bruise beautifully. Smaller canes won't traumatize as large of an area, but they are apt to slice the skin. For details on using a cane, see Running the Scene: Caning .
A good cane should be flexible, allowing it to bend with each stroke. If made from a natural, porous material, it should be covered with several good coats of varnish to enable effective disinfection. Length is typically between 60cm (2') and 1m (3') -- 80-90cm is most common. Longer canes (up to 115cm/42") are acceptable for experienced caners only because their use requires greater skill. A diameter of 7mm (0.25") is good for general purposes -- slightly thinner for a real sting and larger (up to 20mm/0.75") for a thud. Cane Care: Store in a dry, cool place, away from sun, heat and moisture, hung vertically to keep it from developing curves and bends. Every year or so, sand the varnish from the tip of the cane, so the naked wood is exposed. Stand cane, exposed end down, in a flower vase or other water-filled container overnight, to allow the wood to absorb the water. Then varnish the tip to keep the moisture within the cane. This will make the cane last much, much longer, and will maintain its flexibility. Similar to floggers (see below), except that each tress is terminated in a knot or a metal weight, which may or may not have a cutting edge. These can easily cause harm and are not recommended for novices.
Implements with a number of flexible tresses. The business end is often made up of leather straps, but it can be made of many other materials as well, including rope (whipcord), horsehair, rubber, silk, rawhide and even IV tubing. Generally speaking, the thinner the material is, the more it will sting. Thicker, wider, and/or heavier materials produce less sting, but the loss in sting is offset by a greater propensity to bruise. The slapping thud of a heavy flogger is usually easier to cope with than the stinging sensation of the lighter ones. For details on using a flogger see Running the Scene: Flogging .
These are characterised by a broad, flat striking surface attached to a short handle and are designed to be used at short range on the buttocks. They are normally made of leather or wood, sometimes of rubber, in a variety of shapes and sizes; their origin is as a more comfortable alternative (for the top) to the palm of the hand and indeed some are even made in the shape of a hand, alongside popular shapes like rectangles and 'ping-pong bat'-style ovals. Since the force of the blow is distributed across a wide area, it is very difficult to cut with paddles and the sensation is more diffused, though stinging can be achieved by directing the force laterally across the curve of the buttocks. Some leather or rubber paddles are reinforced inside with a rigid rod of wood or plastic that makes them more likely to bruise. The affinity of paddling with spanking sometimes leads them to be classed together, though obviously it is possible to be much more severe with an insensate implement than you could hope to be with the bare hand.
These usually consist of a long rod of cane or fibreglass covered in leather or fabric, thickening at one end for a handle (perhaps with a loop of leather to help secure the grip) and terminating in a thin, flexible tress such as wound cord or a leather tongue. Only the thin end is intended to contact with the horse; the length is to allow enough leverage for it to be accelerated rapidly with a controlled flick of the wrist without causing the rider balancing problems. With consensual games on humans, however, these whips can be used in all kinds of different ways, and once mastered they are probably the most adaptable contact toys of all. The end can be used for cutting and stinging, and wielded with much more power than would be advisable on horseback; the solid length can also be used in a similar way to a cane. Best of all, they are widely and cheaply available from sports and tack suppliers, so there's no need to pay a perve shop premium. Try a few to find one with good balance.
Belts, doubled over and gripped at the buckle end, are a traditional weapon of parental discipline. Lighter, softer leather about 25cm (1") thick is most effective, and obviously studded belts should be avoided. A number of other purpose-made articles have been adapted from the belt.
Single-tressed (single-tailed) implements usually made of whipcord or leather. Despite their popular associations with SM, real whips are rare in scenes because they are very difficult to use and can be very dangerous. The characteristic 'crack' of a whip is produced when the tip breaks the sound barrier and even a light object moving at such a velocity has the power to slice flesh to the bone. Being able to use one responsibly means a good deal of practise and in most cases they are best left as decorations on the dungeon wall.
Flagellation Links
Some of the descriptions of implements are taken from Slakker's original ABC of BDSM. Thanks to Ted for the information on the Spencer Paddle, and to Rodney for suggestions. |
lagellation Fact Sheet: Reference
