Grim's Flogging FAQs
continued from previous page
Used here with permission.
Distribution Policy
Comments, ideas and constructive criticism always welcomed. As with all of my postings, any archivist is welcome to copy and distribute this story appropriately without let or hindrance, provided that the distribution is free of charge and the entire posting remains intact and unedited.
Disclaimer of a legal sort
Striking the human body must be considered dangerous. As I am neither a medical nor a legal professional, the following is offered as my opinion only, not a recommendation for any activity. Nothing can possibly replace personal experience and learning directly from those who have been there before. There are now workshops and demonstrations available in larger cities, avail yourself of one. I have no control over the use of this information, use it at your own risk. And as ever, proceed with caring.
HOW?
Technique RepertoireThe more ways one knows to do an action, the more effects may be created, and the less one's arm aches afterwards. Varying the motions has a good effect for top and bottom. Practice the following until you can do them from various directions and speeds, they all feel and work differently. Knowing the techniques is only one part, knowing which to use and when is beyond my ability to suggest in a post.
Swinging StylesI know of four basic ways to end a stroke of any force:
[1] The tails land 'flat', with all of the force hitting at once [the tails either bounce off or drop almost vertically after this].
[2] The tails swing 'through', with the some part of the tips hitting and moving past the target area. From there, you may stop them [see 'Accuracy-' below], or use some elliptical pattern to bring them round again, such as vertical or horizontal figure-8, circle, and the like.
[2a] The tail tips strike, go past, then immediately return via a swift spinning motion. If fast enough, this can seem continuous and the light, sharp touch has some sensational advantages.
[3] The tails are snapped or 'whipped' for a smaller point of stimulation that is more discrete and feels 'sharper'.
[4] The tails land all at once on the body in a strongly forward motion resembling a punch or push more than a swing. Difficult to describe, and not as common, a hard thud stroke.
Each of these and all their variations may be primarily accomplished by wrist motion alone, or with arm and wrist moving together, this depends on your strength and the effect you seek. A properly balanced flogger requires less effort, and may be used for a longer time with less fatigue.
SkillI would like to add my voice to [I believe] Mauser's previous post on this, bad technique is simply inexcusable; although we are all fallible. misplacing a stroke is not something to be taken lightly. There is indeed an art to the physical act of flogging. This may be learned as any other physical art, by observation, thought, and practice.
Practice in the air will teach you the balance of a flogger, but there is no substitute for actual impact. I believe it was STella who suggested a velvet pillow, and another person suggested suspending it in a way that allowed for movement. This works nicely, a safe and useful simulation. If you rarely find velvet pillows strewn about, a towel wrapped round a pillow will serve the same purpose, you will see the path of the flogger tails quite nicely in the nap of the fabric. When you are able to land all the tails in one area on the pillow, practice moving that aiming point about until you know exactly where it will land each time. Now practice varying the speed, pace and strength of the blows without sacrificing that accuracy.When you have that in balance, try these variations on your own leg, get the feel of that specific instrument, *then* consider using it on the willing form of another.
AccuracyA flogger [as opposed to a crop or whip] 'flops around more', it naturally covers a wider area and is more difficult to control. If one avoids any spin on the handle, the first stroke may be accurate with the tails close together. Unfortunately the next ones tend to be less so unless some care is taken with the tails between strokes. The tails may be caught in the free hand between strokes, allowed to wrap gently on the top's torso or leg to gather them together, or hang straight down between strokes. Any of these options will make the next stroke more accurate as the tails will at least start together. It is possible to stop them in mid-air as well, but more difficult to cause them to swing together. With practice, a well-made flogger that is 2 inches in diameter with the tails gathered together may be precisely placed within a 3 to 4 inch target path.
As a suggestion for beginners, start with the bottom reclining face down and the top kneeling or standing a-straddle, thus allowing gravity to assist in the guidance of the tails.
Swinging at a body part that protrudes ensures accuracy. The buttocks of a standing bottom whose entire front is pressed against a rigid support are a classic example of this, a straight side-to-side swing with the tips of a flogger can strike only the intended area, leaving the lower back and upper thighs untouched. Costuming may help as well, certain corsets may provide some protection for the kidneys, and may act as a sort of armor against mishap.
WrappingIf the middle section of tails strikes first on a rounded 'edge' of the body, and the tips 'wrap' following the curve, the tips actually accelerate far more than the original swing [physics, try it on something inanimate and see]. This is 'wraparound', and is usually a bad thing, causing inadvertent hard blows to areas one did not intend to touch at all, or ruining the controlled stroke one did intend. Keeping the flogger handle the same distance away from the skin as you did in practice will help here, as will being very careful to plan where the tips will fall at each stroke, avoiding curved edges to wrap around.
Being 'tip conscious' is the best way to avoid wraparound, but placing a pillow to protect the side of a reclining bottom works as a temporary solution for those who have this problem [works neatly with 'whippy' canes and crops as well].
IN SCENE
How Often?An average of one stroke every few seconds often proves best, with the exception of the spinning technique above, a fast version of which will seem constant. This 'blow-rest-blow' allows processing time to feel each sensation, and this rhythm once established may easily be changed for effect. No doubt some people will differ with me on this, but I maintain that it is a suitable pace to maintain in many cases. Increased speed near the end is also popular, and pacing oneself early on will allow for that.
Scene StructureDifferent people seek to give and receive different experiences. I offer two quite diverse scenarios to begin the discussion, perhaps others might volunteer their own favorite experiences or methods.
The slowly building endorphin encouragementStart slowly and lightly, begin by placing the flogger on the skin, holding the tail tips in one hand and the handle in the other, moving slowly to and fro on the skin. Then a slow caress with the tips for a bit, using more and more of the tails in a soft motion, building the movement into a partial swing, then a full swing. Vary placement gradually, work up and down the body in a methodical pattern with few surprises. When changing to a 'harder' flogger, repeat the above 'accustomization' process in minature, the ideal being that although the actual force applied increases markedly, the 'feeling' remains much the same, matching the growing ability of the bottom to enjoy the increasing sensations. In a person looking for this, it is often possible to cause a 'flying' sensation of complete relaxation, buoyed by trust and natural reactions of the body to slowly increasing stimulation, with little or no feeling of actual 'pain'.
The overwhelming sensationMore of a 'hard' style than the above, to take a bottom past the 'comfortable' area into one more likely to push hir strongly. Useful for 'sensation overload' and for those who seek a more 'painful' feeling. Beginning as above, vary the speed and intensity of the blows much more, pushing more, being less predictable. Work upper body and lower at seemingly random times, not allowing the bottom to grow used to the sensation before moving on. When changing instruments, do so with less subtlety, let him/her feel the change as an increase in intensity. Should he/she enjoy both sting and thud, use these interchangeably as well, surprise is often more effective than merely increasing the power of blows.
Emotional and other considerations [IMO]A few suggestions in this admittedly most subjective area. A flogging of even the gentlest sort may have exceptionally strong effects on both participants; leaving time and energy to 'wind down' at the end of the session is, in my view, a requirement. Reassurance, a caress, or a simple touch during the flogging may do wonders also. Do not expect verbal responses if the flogging takes the bottom into new areas, he/she may not be possible to speak readily, and it may be that he/she will not be hearing well either. I find that flogging the front of the body, use of ear plugs and blindfolds, stringent bondage to open up delicate body areas, and making the bottom look at herself being flogged all are more 'serious' and have more emotional impact than a 'simple' flogging. Bruises may appear immediately, not appear at all, or suddenly appear after as much as a day or two, depending on the body concerned, and most people have some reaction to such marks, whether positive or not.
(Domina feels that if you are playing with someone, you should make sure that they can reach you AFTER the scene in case they have a reaction a day or a week later, which CAN happen. If you are playing, it is your responsibility to be there for the bottom in case of need.)
PhilosophyFlogging can be a powerful and loving act, top and bottom not separated by the flogger, but connected through it. While basic competence and sensitivity will increase the chances of this, caring does help a bit too.
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