Tag: whips

…Why is Whipping So Much Fun? 

Why is whipping fun? One way of thinking about whipping is as another way of touching someone. People who are just getting into SM frequently play with spanking; it’s fun to be spanked! It’s a punishment, it’s a strong stimulus, it hurts very pleasurably. But if you’ve ever spanked anyone for a long time you know that your spanking hand wears out quickly!

Well, that’s what whips are for – to allow you to hit someone for a longer time, without tiring out. There are many varieties of whips (cat-o-nine tails, heavy floggers, canes, light braided switches, suede pussy whips, and on and on), all of which feel very different and which have their own individual effect. A whip-loving top will often carry a veritable arsenal of different floggers, but they are all extensions of the top’s touch. Indeed, when I whip or cane someone, I feel as though I am touching them – as though the instrument is an extension of my arm and my desire.

There are deeper reasons why the variety is so diverse. A whipping scene will often start off very lightly, with the top using a small whip to sensitize the bottom and get them into the rhythm of the scene, switching to heavier and heavier whips as the bottom gets deeper and deeper, more and more receptive to additional sensation. Of course, the top may choose to lead the bottom on any kind of tactile journey the top desires–switching from stinging light switches to biting canes to soft fleeces. (Yes, it can feel GREAT when your top stops hitting you and suddenly brushes a velvet cloth against your back! Or maybe an ice cube…). It’s all about physical sensation.

Quite often people in the scene describe whips as being “thuddy” or “stingy.” Thuddy whips land with a solid impact; they shove you, they feel like a cross between a hug and a punch. Stingy whips land with a bite; they feel like a cross between a scratch and a slap. Both kinds of sensation are enjoyable in different ways, and a skilled top can alternate thud and sting (and then some!) to create waves of sensation that wash their bottom into ecstasy.

Most people enjoy a slow build-up when being whipped. This can culminate in an explosive climax of impacts, leaving both top and bottom drained and delighted. Or it can wind down gently, ending casually. Or it can stop feeling good suddenly, resulting in a safeword. Or it can turn into a galloping intense sex scene! But the general “start slow, build up, end intensely” tempo is common to many SM scenes: from gentle to stronger to WOW and then back to gentle, then a little stronger, then WOW!!… and gentle again. It’s the motion of the ocean, as they say. It takes practice to know how to use this to blow your bottom’s mind, but the more you learn, the more skilled you will be, and believe me, these skills – teasing your partner and making them feel better and Better and BETTER – are very useful in non-SM contexts as well!

Whips aren’t the end of the story. Some people use paddles – of leather or wood, sometimes with holes cut in them to decrease air resistance and make for a harder impact. Paddles produce a solid “smack!” which can feel like a super-powerful spanking. Some players like canes, which can be thick or thin, stiff or relatively flexible. Canes can produce some of the strongest impacts of all – the “whick!” of a quick-moving cane is distinctive. Not everyone can handle the intensely focused pain canes can produce, but those who can tend to greatly enjoy it. Wooden spoons and kitchen spatulas have been pressed into service as instruments of flagellation. For a while, Nerf bats were very popular in some San Francisco parties I went to. (Bonk!) If none of this makes any sense to you, well, if you have to ask, you might not understand.

Whipping or spanking is sometimes used as part of a “punishment” scene, in which the pretext for the scene is that the bottom has been disobedient or naughty in some way which requires chastisement. This can be fun to do as role-playing, but it may not work in a more long-term D&S dynamic. Bottoms often find it erotic to receive non-damaging sensation from their top – and of course any scene causing permanent damage is not safe nor sane. If your bottom learns that the best way to get enjoyably beaten is to misbehave, you’ll have a very bad bottom on your hands. It’s often then best to separate “play” punishments – which are intended to be fun – from “real” punishments involving seriously broken agreements. Here is where reality and fantasy need to be delicately separated, and here is where the real world differs from S&M fiction.

When whipping someone, be careful. Heavy whipping is usually done on the back or ass, simply because those are the parts of the body which can take it most readily. Be careful of hitting the spine, which can break the skin where the vertebrae come close to the surface. Stay away from the kidneys, as kidney damage can occur if you hit them too hard. Stay away from the neck, for the same reasons you avoided the spine. Be aware that if you hit someone hard enough (which may be lighter than you’d think) you will bruise them, and if you keep going you can break the skin, which is decidedly unsafe sex; and leather or string whips are tough to clean. For this reason, some dedicated masochists have their own toys which have come in contact with their blood, and henceforth can be used only on them. Whippings like this are very strenuous, but as with all SM, you can start out light and get only as heavy as you want! Bruises will heal (even large ones), as will light cuts or abrasions, but you should know how to avoid unintended damage that won’t be so accommodating.

One thing to watch for (a distant risk, but worth knowing): melanoma, a form of skin cancer, can be worsened by skin trauma. If you see a mole on your bottom’s back that looks uneven, discolored, or different than it used to, avoid that area, and have them see a dermatologist.

Based on materials written by Rob Jellinghaus; © 2000; republished here with his permission

Related Articles:

Floggers – How to use a flogger and get it right.
Different strokes – Different strokes, for different folks
A tale to tell – Flogger designs and materials
Spanking – Spanking know how.
Whipping guide – A general guide to whip play.
Bull whip safety – A general guide.
Melanoma & SM play – know the dangers.
Canes – How to use a cane the right way
Florentine flogging – Florentine flogging is a two-handed style of flagellation.
Synchronized flogging – (Video tutorial) instruction to Synchronized flogging

As any quality leather good, a Whip usually needs to be broken in not to only to assess its merits (impact, weight, etc.), but also to gauge the responses it brings forth from the submissive.

To break in a Whip, you first need a whipping post, and a subbie tied up to a post. This assumes you are an experienced whip user. Otherwise, skip the boy for now–just practice on the post!

Swinging a bullwhip may require a lot of space, so be sure to have your boy take down frames and things in the playroom that the Whip could catch in its path. Then you can tie him up! Don’t forget a nice, wide collar and a good weightlifter’s belt to protect the boy’s sensitive parts is a good start if your not overly confident . You may also want to wear full leather or solid clothing to protect yourself. Swing the Whip to the boy’s back for a while and ask for some feedback. (Take the gag off at that point.) Then, proceed to the boy’s butt and ask for more feedback. The boy’s input will help you decide when and where to use the Whip for optimal results.

Keeping you whip in peak condition.

Cleaning Whips is not that tricky, (unless you need to get rid of blood stains) Here’s how to maintain your Whip:

• 1. Rub the Whip along its length with a mixture of water and a good quality Saddle Soap (easy on the water).
• 2. Dry in open air. Never put leather near a direct heat source–it damages the leather by contracting it and eventually cracking it. It may take a couple of days for the Whip to dry thoroughly, so hang it so the air cirruates the leather or lay it down flat if you haven’t the room or wish to keep it hidden . Do not allow to dry with a kink in it.
• 3. Once dry, wipe the excess soap with a soft cloth. It will give the Whip a nice shine too.

More dos and don’ts:

• * Store the Whip, clean, in a dark, dry place. Sunlight would dry it out, and dirt may crack the leather.
• * Coil it along its natural bend. Do not tighten the coils unnecessarily.
• * If you don’t like the shine on the Whip, use your boy’s tongue to clean the handle.( spit will dull it)
• * If your boy’s tongue does not do a good job, soak the Whip in brine (lightly salted water) and use it on the boy–that should teach him some manners!

In any case, do not oil the Whip: It makes the leather become too soft and eventually crack or rip. Plus makes the handle slippery and put off your aim.

Using Your Whip

Depending on the Whip you use, and where you use it, you may want to position your boy so that he can fully appreciate his whipping. Here are a few favorite my positions

Whipping the butt:

• * Bent over a horse or table with feet and hands secured to the support posts. Avoid having your boy grabbing his ankles and stand without any support: This causes a great pain in the lower back and distracts the boy from the focus of your actions–his butt. Of course, if you want to whip him for a long time, you can have him clean your girlfriends Boots with his tongue while you warm his butt
• * Spread-eagled, face down on a bed or the floor: This is a nice position because it does not spread the butt muscles thin but rather bunches them up for a nice rippling effect.
• * On the bed, with arms and feet tied together and to a wall behind the boy’s head. You can either have the boy spread his legs or keep them together; in either case you will have nice access to the boy’s butt and the tender flesh of his thighs.
• * Bent over with head firmly locked between your Boots (if he failed to clean them properly).
• * Whipping the back:
• * Standing, spread-eagled, against a wall, with a Boot hanging from the boy’s balls. To keep the boy’s head up and protect his neck, a posture collar is good, and so is a hood attached from its top to the ceiling (just make sure the boy does not pass out!). Alternate the whipping between one side and the other, starting with the shoulder bones, proceeding to the shoulders and ribs (watch for the nipples). Finish with his butt for good measure.

Hanging upside-down with the arms tied in front. Your boy will swing back and forth and wiggle, unable to escape his punishment. If you do not want your boy to swing, anchor his collar to a ring on the floor and/or hang him with his legs spread wide.

Whipping the chest:

• * Hog-tied (in the back) on the floor. You’ll see your boy squirm around while trying to escape your Whip. A nice work-out!
• * Spread-eagled facing forward (on a bed or against a wall). Do not forget to hang a Boot from his balls if he is standing up!

This list is under no circumstance exhaustive. It just gives you an idea of how to get your boy to focus on the impact of the Whip rather than being distracted by muscular problems or a determination to keep his footing (if he is not tied up). If you have two boys (or a female to add to the mix;) ) to discipline, it is always a good idea to tie them together so they share the experience of your whipping. Spread-eagled face-to-face or butt-to-butt, on the floor in a sixty-nine position, for two males bending over with their balls tied to each other’s balls, are all excellent positions.

Resource Article MissBonnie © collarncuffs.com

Related Articles:

Floggers – How to use a flogger and get it right.
Different strokes – Different strokes, for different folks
A tale to tell – Flogger designs and materials
Spanking – Spanking know how.
Whipping guide – A general guide to whip play.
Bull whip safety – A general guide.
Melanoma & SM play – know the dangers.
Canes – How to use a cane the right way
Florentine flogging – Florentine flogging is a two-handed style of flagellation.
Synchronized flogging – (Video tutorial) instruction to Synchronized flogging