| Safety Manual by Catherine Gross |
| Safewords are a cornerstone of BDSM. Though this convention is new (approximately since early 1980’s) it is well recognized as part of the SSC credo. A safeword was initially invented for scenes that included words such as no and stop. It is now used as a shorthand language where the bottom may communicate that they are in distress physically or emotionally. A safeword stops a scene and generally is a word other than No. This allows scenes to contain the word no and is convenient for rape scenes, for instance. It also allows the bottom to let the top know at any given moment if they are no longer okay with what is transpiring within the scene. Some scenes use two safewords. One word stops the whole scene, another word means don’t stop the scene but change what you are currently doing. This also helps balance individual responsibility in the scene. Each person is responsible for themselves, for their communication of needs, and for their personal safety. If you are engaged with someone who isn’t safe, please be aware that a safeword will not stop them. |
| Safewords |
| Whips, Flails & Quirts: An Overview |
| Whips are generally considered to be bullwhips, single tails, signal whips, stock whips and shotwhips. Each is characterized by a single braided piece or fall extending to the end which usually has some sort of popper” attached. The picture to the left is a Morgan (4ft.) Singles, bullwhips can be anywhere from 3 to 12 feet. The longer they are the more difficult they are to control. You can break skin with these implements and you need to be sure of your aim, control, speed, and strength. You should be mentored by someone who is skilled in this area before you ever try this on someone’s skin. Flails or floggers (top right picture) can be flat tails (see C in picture), round braided (see A), and flat braided (see B). All braided implements will create a stinging sensation. Flat braids are thuddier. Flat tailed flails will produce more of a thud. The shape of the ends of each fall will also determine the sensation. The more bluntly cut will be less stingy, the more angular the cut, the more stingy or the sensation. There are also cats. This term is usually indicative of braiding and the number of tails/falls (usually nine). Quirts (pictured below) differ greatly from one to the next. They are generally 12 to 18 inches of braided leather to which is attached a double piece of flat leather. Please see the picture: a) is a Morgan dog quirt; b) is a regular quirt of regular proportions. These whips, flails and quirts should have handles that are easy to grasp and weighted properly. The weight of the handle will dictate how the tails of the flail will fly. The longer the tails of the flail the more difficult it will be to control. Each of these will behave differently, with the multi-tailed flails all the tails will not land at the same time or in the same area. Tails which are wrapped or knotted will land with more impact and more power. This “balancing” of the weight is what |
motion. To know how these implements feel on your body before using them on someone else, some tops flog their thighs, palms of hand, back, or forearms to test the sensation. The more experienced can flog their own back. It gives you a good reference before using them on someone else. Always maintain a straight spinal column and make movements that are natural to the body as you throw these implements. Mix up the movements to avoid a repetitive injury. (continued on next page) |
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more difficult it will be to control. Each of these will behave differently, with the multi-tailed flails all the tails will not land at the same time or in the same area. Tails which are wrapped or knotted will land with more impact and more power. This “balancing” of the weight is what provides the extra oomph. Each one of these implements will feel differently and each are suited to different whipping/throwing styles. For the most part, the multi-tailed floggers can be thrown straight, in X formation, figure eights, in a circular motion, one stroke at a time time or continuous ongoing |
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