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SPANKING, ASS BEATING and CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
by
Robin
and John Hanson // Hanson Paddle Company
First, I want to talk about Hanson Paddle Company. We’re not
exactly the new guys on the block when it comes to spanking
implements. In fact, Hanson was formed because we love
spanking. John Hanson introduced me to spanking during our
first scene together. Spanking was not exactly number one on
my list when I first came out into the BDSM world, Bondage
and the role of Slave were. Because I wanted to be a slave,
anything that John wanted to try was a turn-on to me and I
found that I actually got off on the pain that he inflicted
on my virgin butt. That was in 1988. John’s major interest
was spanking as it had been for many years before I met him.
Hanson was founded in 1991, on one product, our eight inch
Stinger, a small vinyl whip that was then crudely fashioned
out of vinyl beaded strands, gauze and rubber tool handle
grip. John had already been making paddles for his own use
for some time, because he could not find good quality
reasonably priced paddles on the market and he was never
comfortable with the junk that was then available in
"leather" and kink stores. The response to his work was so
great that he started making paddles for friends, friends of
friends, club brothers and finally for sale at leather
markets and stores. Thus we added paddles to our to product
list several months after our first "formal" offering of the
Stinger.
As manufacturers, our main concern is
safety. That means that we want to make our toys as safe and
indestructible as possible as well as making sure that the
finished product looks good and is durable enough to take a
lickin’ while giving a beating. John is a perfectionist. It
sometimes drives me crazy but it’s a definite plus when it
comes to the customer. Each time we sell something to a new
customer we feel that they have become part of our extensive
Hanson family. We’re not in business just to make a living
selling our toys, we’re also here for our customers, when
they need our advice about technique and safety. We
frequently get questions that are better answered by a
Psychologist. Sometimes we have an answer, but when we
don’t, we refer them to a KINK AWARE PROFESSIONAL or tell
them to look for Guy Baldwin’s TIES THAT BIND in a leather
toy store or book store that specializes in Gay and Lesbian
books. It’s easier to find professional resources these days
because of the Internet. We provide links to a few resources
on our web page.
- Paddles, Straps, Razor Strops,
Tawse, Canes, Stingers, Birches, what’s the best toy ?
-
Each type of instrument has a different impact. That may
sound like a pun but it’s true.
Perhaps that most
important impact is the psychological impact. Different
people have different turn-ons. Some people relate to the
frat house experience, some to the hair brush, some to
getting it with dad’s belt out in the woodshed. As
consenting adults, we’re entitled to explore anything that
trips our triggers. My turn-on is to be helplessly bound and
"tortured". I like getting my ass beaten rather than getting
a spanking. The difference is all in the head.
We
have a number of toys that I like having used on me, or like
using on a bottom, in non-traditional places like the chest,
the back or between the legs on the inner thighs. John
prefers to use our toys on the butt and the backs of the
thighs. Another difference between what triggers John and me
is that John likes Spanking, pure and simple. Spanking for
spanking’s sake. Bondage is only exciting to him as a tool
to keep his bottoms where he wants them while spanking. I
like bondage as a platform for all other activities,
spanking is just one of the possibilities.
Some
people like to cry, others scream and still others take a
spanking without apparent reaction. What’s right ? It’s
what’s in your head that’s right ! As long as the spanker
and spankee consent. Some feel that since they are adults,
or are tough leather types, that any reaction to a spanking
is unseemly. They can’t be further from the truth. To
prevent yourself from responding in a natural way to a
spanking deprives both you and your top of the fullest
enjoyment a spanking can provide. "Do what comes naturally"
is the best rule to follow in this matter.
We’re very
concerned about safety. We never want anyone to be injured
while playing with one of our toys. Of course, we don’t have
much control over a product once it’s out of our door, so we
want to make sure that we’ve done our part to make a strong
product and that the purchaser is using it correctly. That’s
one of the reasons that we spend so much time on the phone
with our customers. We want to make sure that the customer
knows how to hold a particular toy and that the toy is the
correct one for the intended use. We also emphasize
practicing with a toy before using it on a person, even the
most experienced top. Sometimes people want to order
products to use on children. If we find that out, we refuse
to sell to them. We are in business to supply spanking toys
to consenting parties and we feel that there is no way that
an under-aged individual is able to consent to having our
toys used on them.
- Safety first !
-
We advise people to use some common sense when spanking. But
what is common sense? Basically, never use an implement in
an area of the body where it can damage the anatomy. Some
areas are obvious, like the spine, behind the knee, the area
around the kidneys, the hips, the neck. Most people know
this. So here are a few finer points.
When using
larger, heavier instruments on the butt, avoid having the
bottom bent at the waist. The reason for this is that when
you bend at the waist the butt muscles are stretched and
consequently more thinned out than when standing or in a
prone position. A muscle has less elasticity and resilience
when stretched. The muscle protects the skeletal structure
from the impact of the paddle. That’s important when you
want to wail away with a fraternity paddle or a large rigid
toy. The best position when using a heavy paddle is for the
bottom to be prone or standing upright with hands braced
against the wall and legs spread about shoulder width.
Looking back at my frat days, we were pretty stupid to
insist that our pledges bend over and grab their ankles. We
were smacking them pretty dam hard with those half inch to
three quarter inch thick bats. It’s a wonder that any of us
survived that.
We also make a couple of very thick
and long canes. I like them because they work the muscle and
leave the butt aching for days. In most cane situations you
see the bottom bent over. With a cane that is thick and
heavy it is advisable to follow the same rules as you would
use with a heavy paddle. Most other canes, one half inch or
smaller you can safely use them in a bent over position.
Which brings me to canes in general. I love them, when the
timing is right. Each time a stroke is given, allow a moment
for the bottom to assimilate and enjoy the pain. A rapid
fire succession of strokes leads to overload. The body
doesn’t have time to really feel what is happening. When
using a cane, aim the tip of the cane at the middle of the
buttock farthest away from you. When you actually swing the
cane you have a natural tendency to extend the arm. By
aiming at the middle of the cheek, you will keep the cane
from wrapping around the side of the hip where you can
damage the boney structure. Remember, the thicker the cane,
the more deeply it works.
A word about wrapping. When
working on a male bottom, wrapping too far can cause
unwanted pain and disturb the mind set of the bottom. When
working on a female bottom wrapping too far can cause
serious injury to the person. So, ALWAYS know where your
instrument is going to land. PRACTICE !
-
Straps !
- Another favourite! Wait, what am
I talking about, anything that spanks is a favorite. Straps
have a special appeal for me. I like the flex and warm burn
of leather. Setting the physical sensation aside, they have
a psychological turn-on for me. Do I relate to getting it
from my dad ? Hardly! I was a victim of abuse. If I related
the strap to my dad I’d hate it. I think of being a slave or
prisoner in some archaic system of man’s inhumanity to man.
Figure that one out and you know what half the people of
kink get turned on by. Straps can be heavy enough to damage
bones too. Evaluate the strap, it’s weight and the force of
your swing before using it. I like to get it on the
pectorals. But John knows how hard to swing and he chokes up
on the strap so that he’s not hitting anything but the large
(I wish) muscles that protect the ribs and avoids the
sternum. I also like to use straps on the back but I am
careful to strike only the large muscled areas on the back.
I strike vertically so that I don’t come near the spinal
column. I swing with attention to the amount of muscle on
the back. If I’m playing with a body builder I can smack
pretty hard. If a skinny guy is the bottom, I’m only going
to use a tapping motion.
Short straps are easier to
use that long ones, obviously ! When using a long strap,
practice first ! We tell people to take an old bed pillow,
fold it in half and tie a rope around the centre, then form
it to approximate the ass. Remember what I said about aiming
with the cane ? The instructions are the same. Aim for the
middle of the farthest buttock. Don’t wrap the hip. At the
very least, it’s very unpleasant. Just one more quick
pointer. Put your index finger up the middle of the back of
the strap. It helps to make it land flat instead of on an
edge. Edges can feel nasty and they may bruise and cut.
-
BRUISES.
- I happen to like "war wounds" and I know
there are a lot of people like me, but there are people who
don’t want or can’t have marks or bruises for various
reasons. There are a few ways to keep bruises and marks to a
minimum. Use a lighter warm-up toy to redden the entire area
that you intend to work harder later on in the scene. Use a
rapid light spanking movement all over the butt surface
until it is glowing with a nice pink to reddish color. This
helps dilate the capillaries and bring a good supply of
blood near the surface of the skin. If you should find a
bruise after the spanking, use a light tapping motion around
and on the bruise. This helps to bring the blood back to the
entire surface which helps the body to reabsorb the fluids
in the affected area. (Also, it’s fun watching the bottom
squirm when doing this.) We don’t know how or why it works,
but we’ve found that by increasing intake in vitamins A and
E that bottoms who bruise easily are less likely to bruise
and mark. If you have a bottom who is concerned about
bruising you might have them try taking higher dosages of
the vitamins as a part of their regular diet. The use of a
pair of boxer type heavy latex shorts that fit snugly will
increase the pain of a spanking and will reduce the chances
of bruising considerably. Have the bottom wear the shorts
for a while until there is a bit of sweat forming on the
butt. Then spank !
- Punishment vs. Play.
-
That’s an issue that you could write volumes on. We
personally don’t play the punishment games. We find that
there is no need for it in our relationship.
Besides, it
would be hard to find a way to inflict physical punishment
on me. It seems that I can turn anything into a massive
turn-on, it’s the way my head works. Spanking certainly
doesn’t work as a tool for it. Enforced abstinence from all
BDSM activity is probably the only way to find a workable
punishment where I am concerned. I think that I have to
refer you to our web site where you can find resources for
people who are more competent to discuss the subject.
Spanking toys in erogenous zones. AHHH! For me, the feet. I
love bastinado. Beating of the soles of the feet. It’s like
an instant ON BUTTON. There are a few rules. Keep the foot
flat. Unless you plan on crippling the bottom, use toys that
are flexible, like a thin cane, small leather strap or a
small vinyl whip. You can also use a small narrow paddle
such as our ruler. But always pay attention to the force of
the blow. Try to use tapping motions that illicit a squirm
and a squeal. You don’t want a scream. Think of it as heavy
tickling. My personal favourite toy is our quarter inch
Cocobolo ruler. It has a bit of weight for it’s size. It
stings like hell but it’s very controllable. Just remember,
the bottom has to walk on his feet for the rest of his life.
Cause pain without any lasting effect. Remember, when
working on other than muscular areas, control your blows. A
light tap on a bottom’s testicles can be excruciating. Know
your anatomy !
Since I mentioned the quarter inch
ruler, I’d like to bring up another favourite. I love tit
torture. When I’m in the mood to go really heavy, I ask John
to "punish" my tits before working on the them. He likes to
use either the quarter inch thick ruler or choke up on the
prison strap. My chest is usually bruised before he starts
in with the clamps. It’s a mind blower and there are
certainly times when I think I can’t handle it. But John
knows by watching my bodily reactions that I am really
turned on by it. He knows me. We’ve been playing together
for a decade. He knows when to push and when to stop. This
brings to mind a little comment that should be a matter of
common sense. Know your bottom or top before playing games
that push limits to the "edge" or have a reliable safe word.
Sometimes yelling "stop" isn’t the best idea. As I know
myself, "stop" means more, even when I think it means stop.
Never ! Ever ! abuse a safe word. It’ll blow the scene for
both the top and bottom and you don’t want to do that…do you
?
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