Basics Before Play
Impact play is by far one of my favorite kinks and the most common in my daily life. I am committed to turning anything into an impact tool. In this first section, we will discuss the basics before impact play. We will also discuss Prep and headspace, spankings, flogging, whipping, caning and tips to avoid leather butt.
First things first. A common knowledge of the human body is critical and if you don’t take the time to do your research, you should not be practicing impact play. Just like bondage, there are areas of the body that if struck could cause serious injury or death, so do your homework. I do not subscribe to “safe play” of any kind, but a lack of knowledge puts your bottom in unnecessary and careless danger.
Secondly, bottoms, you have a responsibility to ensure that the Top you are entrusting yourself to displays the knowledge to sufficiently execute proper impact play. If you are a bottom and a Top who are learning this journey for the first time, then you both should be learning together to avoid costly mistakes.
Safewords and safe signals are an individual dynamic issue. However, in my personal opinion, if you are with play partners or people who do not know you and your physical reactions well, have something in place.
If limits apply to the scenario, then they need to be thoroughly discussed and expressly agreed upon prior to any play of any kind. Limits are like safewords and are dynamic dependent. Again, in my opinion, with play partners or people who do not know you and your physical reactions well, have something in place.
Understanding the implements of your chosen craft are very important and will be something the Top will have to explore to find their favorites. I personally love whips more than floggers, but I adore canes above all others. I personally do not like wood implements, so you see everyone is different and it takes homework and practice. Just don’t be afraid to branch out and try new things.
Practice first, play later. When playing with an implement for the first time, don’t just come out of the box swinging. Use things like pillows to take some practice
swats, get a good feeling for the implement. The weight, how it handles, how hard does it come down and so forth. Sometimes a melon is a great way to test a new implement. These are questions you, as a Top, need to know before you use it on your bottom. In my personal opinion, I feel you should be willing to test an impact tool on yourself as well. You should have some idea of what the tool feels like, so that you can understand how to use it better.
This list is by no means comprehensive, it is just scratching the surface. But at the very least, these things need to be taken seriously before you venture into any type of serious impact play.
What are some of the things you do before you use impact play in your scene?
Let’s talk about prep
I am a big believer in preparation before a good impact session. I like to bring my bottom into a certain headspace. Usually I enjoy bringing her to at least one orgasm, so she is relaxed and euphoric. I like to talk a lot so I can get her mind thinking. The scene I am trying to create will dictate what I say and how I say it. Tone is just as important as the words themselves.
Another thing that I like doing is massaging my bottom’s globes (the round fatty part of the butt), getting her muscles nice and relaxed. I like to use oils vs lotions during a massage.
Something a friend recently taught me was to apply heat to the butt as part of the prep process. Heat will help blood flow and gives the skin more elasticity. Heat application, such as a heating pad, can help the bottom relax and loosens the tissue around the heated area. The best part of heat in my opinion, is how it makes such a significant increase in the bruises that are left behind. It really intensifies the marks.
Timing in between strikes and intensity of the impact is also a critical component of an impact session. Coming out of the gate swinging at full scale can sometimes reduce the length of time a session can last. Starting off slow and easy, taking small little breaks to rub and massage. Maybe even heating the area back up from time to time can all have a positive outcome to the session. Only using full force (this is dynamic specific) for the last 10-15 minutes of the session is also recommended.
What are some things you do for Prep prior to impact play?
Implements (My Personal Favorite)
Whips – I enjoy using whips, only second to my canes. My favorite aspect of the whip is the sound it makes as it cracks off the butt of my bottom. I focus more on delivering a stingy sensation during my whip play. The sting sensation is felt primarily on the surface of the skin and leaves very beautiful marks. I enjoy the snapping, because it is common to split the skin. (Not for the faint of heart or inexperienced). However, the whip is capable of delivering a serious thud if that’s your thing. It’s all in the techniques you use. Some common techniques are overhand, circus crack or reverse snap.
Canes – My absolute favorite impact tool. First, you have to decide what type of material you will use natural or synthetic. Some natural options are Bamboo, Rattan and Reed. Natural canes are more difficult to use and care for but are worth it. I personally like Bamboo. It does however require good maintenance because if it dries out, it will crack, and they are not cheap. Some good synthetic options are Fiberglass, Plastic or Carbon Fibre. Plastic is a great choice for beginners, since it does not require much care and is extremely flexible and easy to control.
Floggers – Floggers are versatile and come in many options for material and style. There are so many techniques to master, flogging can provide a lot of fun and new learning experiences for a very long time. For me personally, I am focused on trying to learn to Dual Wield and ultimately be able to Florentine.
Avoiding Leather Butt
What is leather butt? It is a condition that forms from receiving regular, hard spankings over a long period of time. Tends to leave the buttocks leathery from built up scar tissue and desensitized from nerve damage. A couple tips on avoiding this: switch implements often, use lotions and oils on the butt, or soak in a warm bath. These methods will help recuperate the cells in the rump. However, the only real way to avoid this is to take longer breaks in between impacting areas that begin to lose sensation or start to need much harder impacts to give care to those areas. You can still enjoy impact during this time, just utilize other areas such as thighs, calves or feet.
Final thoughts
No matter what techniques you are using or what implement you prefer, the most important things are these. Take time to learn your implements and know the human body so you can deliver your strikes without hitting the no-go zones. Keep an open mind and open communication. Study, learn, and research. I love to impact but I am just scratching the surface. It is a journey and as long as you don’t ever give up learning and experimenting, you can enjoy impact as a lifelong pleasure, no matter what side of the slash you’re on.
