Bondage Basics: Safety in Flogging

In this article I would like to talk about flogging safety.  Most forms of BDSM and the use of many types of bondage gear has is safety risks, flogging is no exception.  Plus, due to the nature of these BDSM toys, extra care must always be exercised to prevent causing any bodily harm to the submissive.  Before engaging in any new BDSM activity or using any new bondage gear make sure you know what you’re doing, read all safety information and do your homework.

There is a term you should be familiar with and it should typically be voided.  It’s “wrapping”, wrapping is what happens when you miss your target area through over extension, the flogger will wrap around the body part seriously causing the tips to increase in speed.  Their contact will cause much more pain than intended and depending on the circumstances could also cause damage.  Accuracy is very important in flogging and especially when using whips it can be difficult to pull off.  This is why when you first start out you should practice on an inanimate object such as a pillow before moving onto a real human.  Practice flogging it when it is both in a horizontal and a vertical position.

After you become familiar with the basics of flogging and want to try your hand at a human submissive you need to know what body parts are ok to strike, which are ok, but only lightly and which are completely off limits.  So I will go over those various parts now.

I will start by going over the safest parts of the body to flog.

The buttocks:  This is a very common location to flog and typically very safe.  There is a lot of padding here and no vital organs nearby so as long as you keep the strikes within reason there should be very little in the way of safety concerns.  This is also a perfect place to begin if you are just starting.  A couple things to keep in mind: watch out for wrapping as the hips are delicate and should be avoided and be careful to not strike the tailbone.

The upper back:  Another common place to flog is the upper back, there is usually little in the way of fat but there is a large amount of muscle here providing great protection.  For some, parts of the lower body are a bit too sensitive and so the upper back is the preferred location for work.  One big safety point for this area is to not use any floggers that are stiff such as paddles or canes.  The spine and shoulder blades are delicate and can be damaged if struck by a stiff instrument.

Thighs:  The thighs can be a great spot for many submissives, there is still ample padding but there are also multiple places that are extra sensitive.  The inner thighs are often targeted due to their sensitivity as is the ’sweet spot’, located in the crease between the lower buttocks and the upper thigh.  This area is also popular for many other types of bondage gear such as sensation play toys.  Keep in mind to be careful about wrapping here as the target area is not a flat surface.

Here is a list of regions on the body that should never be struck with any type of flogger:

The abdomen and lower chest
The spine
The neck and head
The tailbone
The hips
The shoulders
The lower back
All joints

There are areas not covered in either of the above two sections, these areas can be worked although you need to be very careful when doing so and should only be done either very lightly or when you have learned full control.  One particular area that many people are interested in are the breasts.  The breasts are a common and fun place to use various types of bondage gear, however you should be careful when using a flogger and be very gentle.  There are many people out there that say flogging can cause serious damage to the breasts, so keep it light, the nipples and surrounding area are very sensitive so heavy hitting is not necessary.

But safety always comes down to using common sense and following safe habits.  Learn from experienced BDSM masters and learn from your sub, they will teach you a lot.