Review of Flogging Workshop
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| Workshop | "Flogging" |
|---|---|
| Location | The Wet Spot |
| Instructors | Russell H. and Erika G. |
| Date | Saturday, April 1, 2000 |
| Participant skill level | beginner |
| Instructor skill level | intermediate |
| Organization | competent |
| Site | very well suited for type of workshop |
Flogging is one of the basic BDSM skills. It seems that if you have a flogger, a willing subject, and a person willing to wield the whip, you have a scene. It was clear to me from watching other people do flogging scenes that I didn't understand the basics. It wasn't just that I didn't know how to flog, I also didn't know how to shape a scene involving flogging. I didn't get it. One thing I knew for sure is that this is the kind of skill you just can't learn from a book. So when Erika and Russell advertised their workshop, and one of my partners asked me to go with him, I said sure! why not?
I'm glad I agreed to go. I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to flogging. Of course the Wet Spot, being a space contructed for BDSM scenes, was a very comfortable place for the workshop. The crowd straggled in and the day started about 15 minutes late, which is my only complaint! Erika and Russell covered all the adult teaching bases: they told us what the day's schedule was, reassured us that we would get breaks, pointed out the bathrooms and the smoking areas. They let us know that this was a workshop for beginners, so experienced floggers might find the pace slow, but the material was geared to imparting the necessary basics. They also mentioned they plan to give this workshop again, as well as other intermediate workshops covering more advanced flogging topics. Then they gave us a brief overview of the syllabus: they'd spend the first session talking, and then guide us through a practice session, demonstrating how to flog and letting us do it.
The first part of their lecture covered BDSM basics, which was great. No matter how many times you've heard the material, you can always learn something by hearing someone else go over that ground. And, no matter how experienced the crowd seems to be, there may be one person who is a rank beginner and is hearing this stuff for the very first time. Erika and Russell outlined: negotiating, safewords, definitions of "Safe, Sane, Consensual", power exchange, and etiquette at clubs and private playparties. Erika pointed out, "You can't always tell by looking at it" that a scene is consensual, which I thought was a very good point to make.
They spent some time talking about markings. They made the point that you must assume every marking is permanent. Also, you won't know how a particular person marks until you work with them, so markings are very important to cover during pre-scene negotiations, especially with a new playmate. Basic physical needs are also important to pay attention to. Flogging's thirsty work, so we should remember to stay hydrated by drinking fluids, an instruction equally important for the Top (the flogger) as the bottom (the floggee). Also, Russell said, remember to breathe!
Then they moved on to the meat of the workshop: how and where to flog. Here I found that having attended a massage workshop had taught me a lot about the body that transferred directly to flogging. I knew the location of the kidneys and was aware that if I hit them I would damage them. I also had some idea of the general shape of the muscles of the back and the rest of the body. Erika and Russell talked about where to let the flogger fall on the body, paying special attention to showing where and how to avoid "wrapping", or letting the flogger tips fall on parts of the body you don't mean to hit and that won't take much pressure, like the tops of shoulders or the rib cage. They also discussed the various types of materials floggers can be made from and how to choose types for different purposes.
I found especially interesting their discussion of how to shape a flogging scene. Like a story, it has a beginning, or warm up; a middle, or scene proper; and an end, or cooldown. They discussed, and demonstrated, ways to check in with the bottom without breaking role, and ways to stay in touch with a bottom's reactions in noisy crowded club environments. They talked about how to vary sensation for interest during the scene, how to pace giving sensation so that the person receiving it can process it (or not, as you choose). They also covered the concept of aftercare, or making sure that both Top and bottom are physically and emotionally grounded after a scene. Once we had an idea about how to conduct a flogging scene, they introduced other BDSM concepts, briefly surveying ways to incorporate dominance and other types of sensations.
With the lecture portion of the workshop complete they moved on to a demonstration of flogging. One of the things I really liked about the demos is that I got to see both a man and a woman flog, and a man and a woman being flogged. Russell and Erika modeled, and later pointed out, how to hold your body while you're flogging so as not to tire yourself out, and covered some stretching exercises for limbering up specific flogging muscles. Here too I found the massage workshop experience stood me in good stead, along with other forms of bodywork I do. In fact any bodywork training is helpful background for learning to flog.
They taught us a basic stroke and then broke us out into pairs to practice. They'd warned us to wear heavy clothing for being flogged. They also steered us in the direction of practice--this wasn't for playing scenes, it was for learning. They didn't however interrupt when couples found themselves falling into scenes. All the power exchange was discreet, though, and in the context of learning. It's just that when couples who do power exchange practice flogging, well, energy is going to happen. But both teachers and students kept that energy well under control. Russell and Erika walked around the room giving individual students pointers. With 40 or so attendants, there was just enough room for everyone to practice, and it was also more or less at the limit for the teachers to interact individually. They wisely limited workshop attendance for that reason.
After we practiced an overhand stroke aiming just for the upper back, our teachers stopped and gave us feedback and asked for questions. Then they taught us a few other strokes, including a backhand and a figure 8, and broke the back up into sections we could aim for with more precision. They also taught us a pattern, an order of various parts of the back to hit. That was great for a novice like myself who previously had no clue how to get started! It also gave me something to occupy my mind--aiming for particular spots, and playing with varying the pattern to make it my own.
They ended the workshop with two thoughts:
They gave us a handout on our way out the door that summmarized the main points. They called for a round of applause for their subs, and mentioned that most of the day's proceeds would go to fund dance parties at the Wet Spot.
I didn't pick up my borrowed flogger until a week after the workshop. I found that it was true that I should practice the skill, to build it into my body memory, but I also found that they had drilled me so well that the moves came back to me smoothly. I think this was the easiest body work skill I've picked up yet and it's due to the quality of the teaching.
This was an excellent introduction to BDSM's most popular scene form. The teachers were gentle, encouraging, responsive to questions, and both knowledgeable and able to impart their knowledge to others. I'd very highly recommend this class to anyone interested in flogging.
Erika G. and Russell H. have formed Flirts, Inc., and can be reached at metkat@speakeasy.org.
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