Consensual Lifestyles Association
of South Australia
Flogging Workshop

Taking Aim
Where and where not to hit	Hit only well padded areas of the body. The more muscle and fat covering bones, ligaments, nerves, major blood vessels, and organs, the better. Remember that people differ in how well padded they are.
Safest areas to target	These areas are heavily padded with muscle and are favourite strike zones for all sorts of toys. The buttocks and the rear upper thighs, in other words, the well padded parts of the body we sit on. The upper back, usually a safe target area for moderate floggings. You can go heavier on someone with a very muscular back or someone who's toughened their back through previous flogging. Avoid flogging someone's back if they are skinny and the bones are very prominent, or at least go very lightly. Always aim for the shoulders and try to avoid hitting the spine and neck.
Go easy on	These areas are not recommended for novices, as they are smaller, harder to hit, and more delicate areas. The male upper chest (the pectoral region) is usually safe, some enjoy being flogged here, and others cannot tolerate it at all. Go very lightly until you've gauged the tolerance, and never flog this area as heavily as the buttocks or back. The female breasts can be flogged lightly and carefully unless the person has cysts and people should also be aware that they could develop cysts from whipping. The upper arms and upper thighs are iffy. Theoretically, they're well padded and should be able to take the whip. However there are also large arteries in the upper thighs and upper arms which supply the whole limb with blood. Avoid the centre of the inner thigh or upper arm (ie the line down from the armpit or groin).
Treat with extreme care	These are areas only an experienced person should work with. The soles of the feet, the calves, and the genitals, remember that the feet are full of bones and nerves, the calves carry major nerve channels and blood vessels, and the genitals contain many delicate structures. The pain level is high and the possibility of damage (or shock) great.
Avoid	These are areas that shouldn't be flogged under any circumstances. The abdomen, and sides of the torso (armpits to waist) the kidney area is a definite no-go zone. The face, neck, joints, hands, legs, feet, lower back (just above the buttocks). Hands and feet contain too many small bones, muscles, and the like to be safe targets The spine. With all areas the rule of thumb is common sense and taking the time to prepare the area that is being given attention.
Learning to hit the mark	Most of the accidental injuries in flogging occur because the person wielding the flogger did not have enough control to hit the part of the body they were aiming at and hit some off-limits area. Good flogging technique requires extensive practice on an inanimate object, such as freshly laundered towels or a fuzzy stuffed animal. Both of these will get lines on them where you connect with them, so you have a visual record of where you hit, and they are soft enough to not cause damage to the implements. You'll need to practice with each flogging implement you want to use, as they all handle differently. Although anyone can miss a stroke occasionally, until you can hit a precise target area with virtually every swing, you can not responsibly use whips or floggers on a person. Hold the flogger in your natural or dominant hand. You should hold the handle firmly, but not with a death-grip, which resists the wrist's flexibility, as a fluid motion assists in accuracy and control. Experiment to see where on the handle to grip. Holding the handle near the end will allow for the most forceful blows, but may be more difficult to control for beginners. When you are holding the piece for use, the thumb should lie at a comfortable angle to the vertical axis of the handle. Feel the weight, texture and flexibility of the tails. With the tails hanging vertically, lightly rotate the flogger. The flogger should swing with a minimum of effort. Keep your wrist limber and flexible, flogging strength and ability does not come from the arm but the wrist. Learn to swing the flogger without tangling the tails up. The object is to bring the flogger down in such a way as the strands land in a group and do not 'fly' or spread out too much. Hit with just the tip of the lash or tails, not the full length. The exception is when you use a short cat or flogger and are skilled enough to make the whole length of the tails land where you want them to - something virtually impossible to do when the tails are long. For one thing, the end of a whip, cat, or flogger is easier to control than its body. For another, if you try to land its body in a certain place on your partner, the tip is almost certain to wrap around and hit them somewhere else out of sight. And because the tip travels faster than the body, when it wraps it will hit much harder than the blow to the contact point that you can see. The result will usually be much more pain than you intended, often in a part of the body that you shouldn't be hitting at all (such as the side of the rib cage), and you could damage a vital organ in the bargain. When you feel confident in your accuracy with inanimate objects, you may want to move on to a clothed partner. Clothing can absorb some of the force of the blows and most of the sting (and cutting potential) of thin whips, as well as protecting against stray blows to areas that should not be hit. However there are also disadvantages to flogging a clothed person. How you are going can be harder to judge, as you must swing harder to give enough force for the blows to be felt properly, and you will not be able to see the effect of your blows - reddening of the skin and bruises. Rough fabrics can also wear away the ends of a fine flogging implement. For a novice I feel any disadvantages though are outweighed by the knowledge that you are less likely to hurt your partner. When first learning to flog someone, it is a good idea to have a 'spotter' helping you. A 'spotter' is a third person, who constantly checks on how your partner is feeling and looking, and relays that information to you along with letting you know if they observe 'wrapping' or many missed shots. A 'spotter' is good to have until you are competently reading your partner's body language and judging how sessions are progressing. Even an expert can miss a shot and some very experienced players use protective gear to shield sensitive and vulnerable areas. A weightlifter's kidney belt is useful for heavy back and buttocks floggings, a heavy wide collar, is advisable if the upper body is to be a major target, and a heavyweight hood can protect both the neck and head. If you really enjoy giving or taking heavy back floggings, using something to protect the spine is a good idea, but you'll probably have to have it custom-made: for instance, a leather collar and kidney belt joined by a strap that lays over the spine. Any piercings of any type, that are close to or in an area going to be flogged, should be either taken out or covered over with a Band-Aid, as whips and floggers can grab the jewellery as they pass. Any set up for flogging should include sufficient lighting so you can see where you are hitting and the precise effect of the blows. If the light distracts your partner, use a blindfold or hood, but never risk doing a flogging in inadequate light.
Positioning	One choice that needs to be agreed early on is whether or not bondage is to be employed. Restraining a partner can be powerful in its own account, and helps some people to feel an important 'disavowal of responsibility' for what happens to them. A stationary target is easier to hit accurately than a moving one, so there is a safety aspect too. On the other hand, some pride themselves on the self-control of submitting to a whipping without being bound, and in role-play recreations of scenarios like school discipline it may be inappropriate. A flogging, with no restraint, is not necessarily dangerous, but it certainly requires a higher skill level. In most cases the restraint itself should not be uncomfortable or painful so that both partners can concentrate on the flogging activity. While many of us have an image of flogging that involves standing up, it is easier for most to sustain a long scene if their weight is supported in some way. A St. Andrew's cross or A-frame tilted off the vertical can be very comfortable, as can being restrained horizontally on a bed or table, although this can be a harder position for the one administering the flogging. Kneeling with the chest and head supported on a bed, bench, chair, etc. is also a safe and comfortable position, especially with a pillow or other padding under the knees and against the chest. The most intense flogging is usually done while the one being flogged is tied securely, and often this bondage includes the use of padding or padded restraints, such as where arms might rub against a beam or ankles might be pressed against the wood of a saw horse. The one being flogged can be positioned in just about any way wanted, but they may not be comfortable enough for a long flogging session, and may need to alter position during a session to relieve cramps and return circulation to limbs. Practice and time will find a position best for both. How to stand or position yourself to apply a flogging is a personal choice. Using soft or light strokes to set your positioning is good and if you find that the lashes are landing wrong, reposition yourself. Not only should your partner be comfortable, but you have to be also. Many people start a session standing too close to their partners. Perhaps they fear feeling stupid if they were to miss. A better technique is to swing the flogger with the partner just beyond range and then step forward, or lower your arm, when you have the whip moving consistently. Caressing a body with just the tips of a flogger is a demonstration of skill.
Warm Up	A warm up is just what the words mean. It is used to get everyone involved ready for the flogging. Part of the warm up prior to the physical part is the mental part, preparing your floggers and other instruments. There should be standard scene negotiations, the parties involved should agree on the basic nature of the flogging, as there are a variety of ways it can be approached, as well as choice and use of safe words. Lay play items out for easy access during a session rather than fishing around in the bottom of a large toy bag. Sort out comfortable positions and areas to play in. You also need to warm up your own muscles a little or you will find you have sore arms and shoulders after a session. Discuss goals and expectations with your partner before you begin. If you're not on the same wavelength, what could be a great experience is doomed from the start. Short term and low-intensity flogging is relatively easy. Full-blown flogging sessions, on the other hand, take time to prepare and time to conduct. Consider the need for serious bondage, for the possibility of the need for quick release, for post-flogging care, for support and recuperation afterwards. Each Person has their own style for flogging and each of their partners have their own requirements when it comes to the flogging. Flogging can be used for pleasure or punishment. A good session fulfils the needs of both parties. The purpose of the warm up with floggers on a partner, is to bring the blood up to the skin surface and get it ready for a flogging it also starts to set your rhythm for the session. By doing a warm up you can extend the length of time you flog and avert any possible damage from flogging incorrectly. When you notice the skin start to change colour watch for it becoming a nice even deep pink. The best results for a long session and little or no damage to the skin is to take about 15 - 20 mins. for the warm up. Since we are all different you may find more or less time is required. You may dream of being so technically skilled with whips that accuracy and intensity are automatic. You can imagine being able to focus all your attention on the important aspect of connection. Unfortunately, this is a fantasy! The reality is, no matter how excited and absorbed you become in the delight of every stroke, you must reserve a part of your thinking for the aspects of accuracy and intensity. If you lose concentration, or start to tire, you may wrap or misdirect the tails. The trust of your partner may be lost, or at least interrupted, and the magic of the scene may be shattered. To deliver an extended experience that builds, most people use an assortment of floggers. Each flogger creates a certain type of sensation and you can control the intensity of that sensation by the frequency and weight of the stroke. You administer the strokes; your partner receives the feelings, then feeds back their reaction; and then you respond to that feedback. Many fabulous, heavy whipping scenes involve few words. Feedback is through body language. However, in role playing scenes involving verbal communication, spoken interactions should not be misinterpreted as feedback. An aware person will still rely on body language. If connection is lost between players, safe words or safe cues have to be used.
Taking it further	Now you have positioned your partner where you want them and have done a good warm-up and you want to start to flog. Chose your starting flogger. Start with a few practice swings to locate where the flogger will land and adjust your aim accordingly. Do not worry if the tails do not always land tightly, stuff happens that will make them spread out, just try to maintain and control the flogger as best as you can. You will probably want to start out with light, slow, caressing strokes. Allow both of you to become comfortable with the way the flogger feels and moves. Let the flogger kiss the flesh, linger lightly, stroke, tease and arouse - a good flogging must not be rushed or hurried. The general pattern is similar to a roller-coaster ride. You start slowly, climb a bit in intensity, return to a slower motion, then increase, then decrease. Each increase in either force or equipment will be a little more forceful than the last. Each decrease will be not quite as significant as the last. In this way there is a gradual building to a crescendo of pain and climax. The idea is to increase the pain at approximately the same rate as your partner's body is able to increase its own level of endorphins and hence its ability to undergo the pain. In this ebb and flow technique, it's important that you not only wield the implements carefully but that you help your partner undergo the strain. Words of encouragement, soft caresses, gentle strokes and even kissing give your partner a chance to catch up to the pain and get past it. The rhythm should be constant but you can change it. Try to do the change when you are switching sides or floggers. Using a count helps to keep the rhythm. Some use their own heart beat in their heads, others the beat from music played during the scene. There must be continuous communication between the players. Tops, in this case, must concentrate on what they are doing, heightening their senses and focusing on their partner's reactions. Frequently stopping the flogging for a few minutes allows the top to "listen" to all the signals the bottom is sending. Heart and breath rates, grimaces, verbal clues, sweat, blood, welts, and coloration of the skin are all-important pieces of information. Look and listen constantly during the session. Feel the skin constantly. The touch of your hand is reassuring, as is your voice. You need to know how the skin feels. Question your partner, ask what "colour" they are (safe words - green, yellow, red) to judge how they are doing and check if they are okay. Asking questions is certainly acceptable and important. Likewise your partner should be honest in their responses. There is nothing to gain by toughing it out and a great deal to lose, remember though that many partners go non-verbal. Judge the depth of their inner space. You can also call a safeword if the flogging is not going as you wanted or a problem comes up that you feel requires you to. Always pay attention to what you're doing and the effects of your blows. During the flogging or a pause in flogging look over the area for skin tone and any marks. Check for cuts and developing bruises. Cuts, scrapes, and bleeding can usually be avoided, or at least minimised, by limiting the force of your blows, particularly with whips that can cut or scrape the skin easily, and by not hitting an already bruised or lacerated area again. In general, you are most likely to break the skin if you hit hard again and again in the same places, least likely if you distribute lighter blows over a wider area. But a lighter, well-distributed flogging that lasts a long time can have a cumulative effect in terms of pain and stimulation very similar to that of a heavier, more concentrated flogging. Even if you think you're not wrapping, check from time to time to be sure. Your partner, too, should remain aware of where they are being hit and how hard, so they can let you know if targets are missed or limits exceeded. If you make a mistake and hit where you shouldn't, or hit harder than you intended, acknowledge the slip for what it was and re-establish rapport with your partner by touching or talking to them. An error need not "destroy" the whole scene - no worthwhile partner will panic because you're not perfect - but they may need reassurance that you're in control and know what you're doing. When you do play, don't worry about how you look, as that is a guaranteed way to get into trouble quick. Your job is to care for your partner, not perform for any crowd. Once you've got a human being you intend to hit in range, the crowd must cease to be a factor in your mind. One thing to watch for (a distant risk, but worth knowing as it is more common in Australia): melanoma, a form of skin cancer, can be worsened by skin trauma. If there is a mole on your partner's back that looks uneven, discoloured, or different, avoid play in that area, and have them see a dermatologist.