A Beginners Guide to Spanking her... (Second in the series for BDSM Beginners)
{Editorial note: I do not mean to insult A/anyone, but for simplicity for the beginner I did not follow the proper capitalization rules.}
In the first part of this series I talked about the founding principle of BDSM: Safe, Sane, and Consensual. I don't think enough can be said about the importance of each of these three areas. For those of you who did not read the first part, I will cover it here one more time because of how important it is to both the beginner and the experienced BDSM practitioner.
Safety is the first leg of the BDSM three legged stool, if you'll permit the analogy. Safety first, second, third and always is the only way to truly enjoy BDSM to the fullest. That sounds strange doesn't it? Isn't BDSM about taking absolute control? Isn't BDSM about Bondage and Dominance? Isn't the S in BDSM stand for sadism, which means to take pleasure in inflicting pain? Isn't the M about masochism, or the enjoyment of receiving pain? Well, the answer to all those questions is; yeah, but! The BDSM lifestyle that we practice at home is a loving relationship that has the basis on the clearest of understandings. I dominate her, because she needs to submit to feel complete, and I need to have loving control so that I too can be fulfilled. One without the other is impossible, or better said it is not BDSM and can border on abuse and brutality at its worse.
To the outside world [those who have only read the words, but not experienced the lifestyle] BDSM is the dark pictures they see on the magazines and the brutal pornographic images that sometimes are included in the movies. Just like a man can't leap over tall buildings, BDSMers do not brutally accost each other for the sake of the Sadism and Masochism traits they share. BDSM is about the open conversation about the fantasies, desires and needs as well as the enjoyment of dominating or being dominated and for both to heighten their erotic pleasure by the unique sensations they share with each other.
The second leg of the three legged stool of BDSM is "sane". All play, no matter how extreme it seems to the viewer is done with an understanding that no [harm] will be done. The difference between pain and harm is very significant. Think of it this way, you may enjoy having your ass spanked [the thrill of the sharp sensation and the intimacy that accompanies it] but you would not enjoy being punched in the nose. Why? Simple, the blow to the cushioned fatty tissues on your buttock which is made for such abuse will cause no harm [no permanent damage]. However, when you are punched on the nose [even if you use the same force as on the buttock] you hit less than a millimeter of flesh and then you are applying direct force on soft cartilage and then directly on the bone. That same force is very likely to break something and cause injury. Harm is not BDSM, that's brutality and in no way accepted or condoned in the BDSM world.
Sane also includes the fact that the dominant in the relationship is the one that while in control, also must assume many responsibilities for the safety of his submissive. This is not a one way street; it is in fact a very well balanced relationship between submissive and dominant. The dominant has to make sure that neither is under the influence of alcohol or mind, perhaps it would be better to call it perception, altering drugs. The dominant has to be able to focus all his attention on the submissive and have a clear understanding of how close she is to her limits. His reaction time must be at its sharpest to ensure that if the situation gets out of control he can slow it down or stop it in a heartbeat. That can be the difference between pain and harm.
The third leg of the BDSM stool is consensual behavior. Neither party gives
cart blanche
to the other. The importance of communication, communication and yes more communication cannot be emphasized enough in here. Long conversations need to take place between the dominant and the submissive to ensure that the scene is clearly laid out and that both know what the limits are and where they can and where they cannot be pushed. Dominants ask questions and make sure that you know exactly what's on the mind of the submissive. It is essential that you put her at ease and that she is made to understand that in this type of conversation she is not topping from the bottom: a topic all on its own.
Once you've resolved all the questions in your mind, as the dominant, you must take control of the situation. She craves to feel your loving control over her and will only put up a fight to the extent that it heightens her enjoyment of being taken over; more appropriately taken in hand. But, at the same time, you must keep in mind that you are doing this for your own enjoyment of taking her and letting her feel your hand landing upon her flesh just as the rest of you will at the end of the scene when you take her.