What is the right way to flog a slave?
-JG
Flogging is a very intense activity, both physically and emotionally. It is also a dangerous activity that can lead to injury if done carelessly.
Safe areas of the body for flogging are the shoulders, upper back, buttocks, and the backs of the legs. Light flogging can be done on the chest and stomach, but that shouldn't be done without extensive experience. For the purposes of this questions, I'll stick to the back side of the sub.
First, choose the area that you want to flog and warm it up. You can do this with your hand, gently slapping the areas until they begin to show some rosy color, or you can use a light paddle or other implement. You can even use the flogger itself, although I find that it's much harder to pinpoint where it lands when you aren't swinging it very fast. As you're warming up the areas, his body will send blood rushing to the skin (which is why it turns red) and this will toughen up the skin in preparation for what's coming later. This is a very important step, don't skip it. Doing this will minimize the possibility of injury and will allow the sub to withstand a much longer, more intense flogging.
Second, take your flogger and start out lightly. Only hit those areas that you've warmed up and keep those areas warmed up by moving your hits around the body from time to time. Avoid the kidney area (lower back on either side) and watch that your flog tips don't wrap around the torso, legs, or other areas. Not only are those areas not warmed up, but the added velocity of the strike as it wraps around can send a nasty jolt to the sub and take him right out of the mental state he was in. A sub will sometimes go into a trance-like state called "sub space" during a flogging, and a wayward flog on a "cold" area will snap him out of it in a hurry!
Third, watch your sub very carefully for changes in body language, breaks in the skin, differences in the sounds he makes, and breathing pattern changes. The better you know your sub, the easier it is to "read" these signs and know how he's doing. It's also a good idea to take a short break every few minutes and let both of your collect your thoughts and rest for a bit. If the break lasts more than a few moments, you'll need to back up the intensity a few notches and get him back to the previous intensity level gradually.
Fourth, when the flogging is over, it's a good idea to spread unbroken skin with a vitamin E and aloe lotion to moisturize and speed healing. If the skin is broken, clean it well to remove any residue from the flogger and/or sweat and apply an ointment of your choice. The sub is also likely to be emotionally drained from the experience, so even if there is no need for first aid, a period of cool down and aftercare is recommended before moving on to the next thing in your session.
For a more detailed how-to on flogging, look for the outstanding book and DVD called "S/M Tech: Flogging" by Joseph Bean. It's available on Amazon and several other sites and it is extremely well done.
Daddy
