by Lord Wolf

Single Tails

This piece will focus on single-tails and how to use them. Ohhhh! Those wicked single-tail pieces.

Just the sight of these will send most submissives into shivers of terror and delight. The sound of the tail cutting air, <<crack>>, is one of the ultimate powers of the lash. Single-tails are a graceful art that includes a bit of showmanship. You may secretly enjoy feeling like Errol Flynn at times. But remember a few words of caution. THESE ARE WEAPONS!! We use them to enhance pleasure but they are also extremely dangerous. What we are seeking to master here is a weapons craft, which, like any martial art, takes time and practice. This is even truer if you seek to use the weapon in a benign way.

Each tool or implement on this list is a dangerous weapon, all the more so in the wrong or uneducated hands. YOU are responsible for their use, and for the well being of your Charge. YOU are the only guard between a wonderful experience and a trip to the emergency room. (If you think I am preaching you’re right.) If your subject is seriously hurt, you will be the one explaining it to your local constable or in court. These types of practices may be considered abuse in the eyes of the state so be sure as to what you are doing and whom you are doing it with. “ Safe sane and consensual” are not magic words, they are a mandate. Once mastered we can use the implements fashioned for work and war into useful tools in arousing and exciting our partners. We will learn to make love with a whip.

If you have any plans to use a whip in anger, put id down, close this text, and walk away! Anger has no place in this. Even hard core sadists who enjoy the pain of others know that it is for the pleasure of both parties involved. The worst punishment a submissive can receive in most cases in NOT to be whipped. In my household sensation is a reward. It is my displeasure that is a punishment. Anger is the loss of control, and control is essential for the use of any weapon.

The use of a bullwhip takes years of practice to perfect, and only a few people in the country are proficient enough to “crack” them when using them on a live subject. Even I, who use a bullwhip regularly, do not always “crack” it anywhere near my Pet. I also use the technique called the “crack and wrap” in which most of the force is expended before it touched the subject. I only use this technique with signal whips and whip I can precisely control.

Tools

Let’s look to our tools and get to know a bit about what we seek to master. There are many kinds of striking tools designed to control, correct, discipline, and punish. Whips are specifically single-tail lashes, signal whips, snakes, dog whips, stock whips, target whips, dressage and bullwhips. All are much alike in use but distinctively different in construction. On a bullwhip the striker is usually a flat single lash of leather or a leather thong between 3 to 8 inches with a 3 to 6 inch cracker threaded through the strikes. (Quirts are a type of whip, but deserve their own category. There are both single and double-tail quirts. They generally have short tails (15-36" is common), often with a long striker at the end of each tail).

A whip consists primarily of a handle, a tail, and “ cracker” at the end of the tail. The handle or “ grip” may be rigid and a distinctly separate section from the lash, or it may be a flexible continuation of the lash itself (most common in signal whips). The material most commonly used for whips is leather, because it is both flexible and durable. However, other material may be used for the lash, creating a wide variety of speed, accuracy and sensation. Snake whips and bullwhips although the most dramatic type of whip, are also the most dangerous.

Bullwhips are some of my favorite pieces. Made in lengths of up to 20 feet, most bullwhips are braided and the spine or rigidity of the whip depends on the numbers of strands (or plaits) used in the braid. A good whip is actually 3 to 4 whips one braided on top of the other, such as a 24 plait over a 12 plait over a 6 plait. Most American bulls usually end in a wide striker, sliced down the center to allow for the string “ cracker” to be threaded through. It is this string that the leather striker “ throws “ well past the sound barrier when the Whipmaster rolls out a whip.

The very best single tails are made from kangaroo hide, a very supple and durable material. Kangaroo whips generally have a tighter braid made from many narrow leather thongs ranging from a 6 to 36 plait. There are usually very fast whips.

Some whips have a piece of nylon cord braided into the tail itself. These are referred to as signal whips/snake whips (or if they have a long slender handle, buggy whips) because it is the sound that is used to drive the beats of burden. The nylon string (or “popper”) is essential because the slender cord moves faster and mikes a tighter turn. A “snake” whip is crafted much the same but instead of a nylon popper it has a long slender leather thong usually ending in a string cracker. These pieces are intended for a dual use as both a sensation tool and a sound tool. A dog whip has a rigid wooden handle that is shorter than a dressage whip but longer than a bullwhip.

Whips will usually include a string that is an integral part of the whip and not removable unless unbraided. Because it is this and strong, (meant to get the attention of a thick-skinned animal) it can cause cutting and extreme pain. Great care must be taken in how fast you throw to avoid cutting. Most bullwhips will have a popper looped through the thong striker. I usually remove this string from my longer pieces if I wish to “toss” them for the sensation of a light to stern paddle.

Any hand - crafted whip will have a unique “hand” or feel. The style of whip, material used length, weight, and balance combine to create an individual personality for each piece.

Technique

Beginners should wear protective clothing when practicing. Full-length jeans or pants, long-sleeved shirt, even gloves and eye protection are a good idea. You should remove earrings, bracelets, or other dangling items, and long hair should be tied back.

It is best to start learning with a longer whip, and work your way down to shorter, faster pieces. Even though shorter means faster, it is easier to control and requires less room to practice. The technique in a longer whip will stress from over speed.

Begin with your stance, which may vary with the piece you are using. I use a modified fencing stance or a martial arts “ ready “ stance with one foot pointing at your target, and your other foot behind and at an angle. When throwing a short last, you may remain in the same stance for the entire movement. When using a long whip I will start on the one leg then step into the throw. (That is what we are doing, “throwing” a whip. You are essentially “tossing” a curve or “hairpin” down a line like a baseball. The difference is a baseball does not get smaller and picks up enough speed to break the sound barrier.)

Feel the heft of the whip. Gently rotate the whip in your hand while pointing it out, allowing the tail to roll on the floor. The point where it bends furthest to the floor is called the belly of the whip. When you throw a whip you throw on the belly or off the belly, this is the most accurate.

Make sure you have adequate clearance in a full sphere around you, greater than the length of the whip AND your arm. Now on the belly, roll the whip in a circle over your head, then make a cross circle on each side to check for head room (like crossing your arms when you jump rope, but you only use one arm). This movement describes the inside sphere, like a bubble around you. You are safe inside that space unless you move to intersect the surface of that bubble. Outside the sphere, everyone else should be safe.

Almost all techniques involve describing this circle with the lash in one direction or another. The best way to avoid hitting yourself is to follow through the movement after the crack. Make each movement flow like water. Every whip movement is a slowing circle. You want to be in the middle of that circle at all times, each movement reaching out with speed and focus and returning to rest and control. Fast out, smooth back. A throw from the left-hand side of the body should finish with the whip at “ rest “ on the right and visa versa. (An exception to this is the circus crack or lion tamer in which the whip is thrown and rested on the same side of the body.) Returning the whip back in front for a quick grab (thought I do just that!!) is not a good idea for a novice. All of your valuable bits are in the front! This is why you return to rest behind you, so you can protect the bits you can’t replace and whip your butt instead ::smile::

Avoid cracking the whip with an underhand motion, the drawing back with your hand as you might snap a bath towel. It’s one of the easiest methods but it has little practical use and the movement sends that very fast tail straight into your face. The only people you’re liable to impress are people with no experience and the doctors in the emergency room. When a whips is thrown there is NO back draw. The one effective underhand technique is licking or sending the tail out to lap in an upward movement. Licking is a slow, flowing underhand throw. There are hundreds of ways to play with a single-tail; these are but a few of mine.

Some of the specific techniques most useful with the shorter whips are:

Side Arm: Hold the grip in your right hand and the body of the lash lightly in the left. Move your right hand forward to the target area, sliding the lash through the left hand. Continue the motion in the direction of the strike, extend the arm fully, and then flick the wrist. The movement of the wrist approximates a fishing cast after the arm is extended. After the crack, follow the movement to rest at your right side. A good rule of thumb is that you should think of lightly touching your right hip.

William Tell: (Yes I am sure it has another name ::smile:: But I like this one best) This is largely the same movement of “sidearm” but is more accurate. Hold the whip tail or last four inches of the lash in your off hand, close to your face, as you would hold a drawn arrow. Bend the elbow of your whip hand slightly and aim at your target. Draw your arm toward your target, and then snap your wrist in a downward movement like a fishing cast. Try this slowly at first, taking care you roll the whip straight through the “hairpin”.

Off the Shoulder: This is a very popular technique because it has accuracy and flair. However it requires practice so you do not hit yourself in the ear. Resting the body of the last in the depression between the neck and the shoulder, slide the whip straight forward. Extending the arm straight toward your target and flick your wrist. You can then watch as the whip rolls through the hairpin.

Some of these techniques will work with longer whips, as described later. However, with each foot of whip you rapidly lose accuracy, by as much as 2 to 3 inches a foot for any lash longer than 5 feet.

Circus Crack: I DID NOT TELL YOU TO TRY THIS but I know that you want to. The reason the circus crack is popular is that it creates the most noise. Do NOT use this on a human being. It cuts. It is inaccurate and it’s dangerous. You will also hit yourself a lot at first. Make a circle on the right-hand side of the body, holding the whip about a foot away from your body. This describes the circle for the whip that you cannot intersect. Holding the whip at rest in front of you, toss it back past your shoulder. Before the lash completes its rearward movement, begin bringing the grip back towards the front, causing the hairpin movement to start in the whip behind your back. In effect, you are “ throwing” the whip twice - first backward and then forward - and continuing the circle on the first throw. Since the tail is already moving when you throw it the second time, you increase the speed from a point where the tail is moving very fast. This vastly increases the speed and report of even a small whip.

Wrapping: This technique involves throwing the whip out over a person’s outstretched arm or around a leg or waist. This technique is very effective for mind play because you are able to crack the whip while not expending the force of the throw against actual flesh. You are cracking the tail PAST the subject, allowing the body of the whip to gradually release its energy by wrapping around the subject’s anatomy. For example, you aim for the point a few inches above and beyond the wrist, c rack it there and then allow the tail to drop and wrap. The longer the whip the more force you will have to expend. The whip rolls on an axis in a hairpin and at the end of this trip the tail rolls out at amazing speed and cracks. The majority of the force thus dissipated the tail drops and the remaining momentum causes it to wrap. This is a fairly easy technique to learn by throwing the whip then letting your arm drop to the floor. The hard part to master is throw in a straight line and hitting the same 2 inch square. Popping someone in the ear or the nipple will not get you applause but it might get you a lawsuit.

Bullwhip “experts” may perform crack wrapping as described - with practice it is like an embrace from a deadly snake. Flicking or “licking” is also done lightly, increasing the speed of the wrist flip to increase sensation. This is high-end sensation and should only b e used on a person after months and years of practice! But with care you may dabble in it if you remember that even a light strike is very painful.

Full Wrap: One of the easiest forms to use with a bullwhip is a full wrap. (Note: This type of Wrapping with a bullwhip is a good thing as opposed to wrapping with other kinds of whips) Lightly toss the whip forward horizontally and wrap the tail around the body so that the end (striker) hits behind the subject. The wrapping of the whip expends a lot of the force, but be sure to do this slowly. With practice, you can vary the power of the strike by pulling back lightly before the striker hits. You will feel the increase in power as you pull back. The trick is to roll the whip forward slowly, allow it to wrap, and then draw back letting the whip caress the subject. Most importantly with a bullwhip, you should practice quite a bit before using it on your partner. In a “Full Wrap” always remember that it is the speed of the “backdraw” or pulling back on the lash that increases the speed of the strike. This is the only time you draw back with a single tail. I do not crack the whip on a full wrap but toss it to wrap softly.

Drop Flogging: This is a common, relatively easy technique where the lash is used to “ drop” a blow down the area to be struck, taking care not to flick the whip. You can also spin the whip in a gentle circle and slowly move the spinning lash into the subject. To lessen the centrifugal force and provide greater control, you can also “choke up” on the tail, essentially making a shorter whip, thus lightening the sensation.

The only other technique I will explain here may be my own invention, as I have seen no one else use it. It involves rolling the whip along the floor so the striker leaps up to strike from the bottom. The technique is very simple. Just lay the whip flat, and roll it much as you would roll out a blanket to make your bed. With practice you can become quite accurate with this. A variation of this technique is to roll the whip in a circular motion causing the piece to “spiral” to your subject.

Practice

So now you have a whip and are comfortable throwing it in the open. You are feeling powerful and masterful. If you want to keep that feeling, a) be careful and b) don’t let people watch until you’ve gotten plenty of practice and can hit what you aim for. And what are going to practice on? (If your answer was “her!” and a silly grin - siddown!) I recommend a pillow or a teddy bear, the bigger the better, not to furry. Naming is optional (I call mine Bob).

Place the target about the height where your submissive’s bottom will be. Take your stance and practice swinging to get the feel and the balance of the whip. We will be throwing horizontally. This is your first position. Watch your target closely, as it will not tell you in words (pillows rarely cry out) if you are doing it wrong. You need to concentrate on the changes of the pillow’s surface after each swing (just as you will later need to be acutely aware of your live subject).

Swing your arm out straight in front of you, from left to right but tossing straight out towards your target (if comfortable in a back swing you may add this) and move forward until you see the tip of the lash just brush the pillow. This in the outside of your swing. You should extend your arm fully at this time to reach the pillow without leaning at all. Now lean forward a bit until you can see the lash fall a little flatter in the middle of the pillow. This is the inside of your swing. Any closer and you risk wrapping the tails around the side of your subject’s body, which is very painful. In this position you want to practice brushing the sides of the pillow but not allowing the tail to wrap around the edge. Try bringing the lashes overhand at a slight angle. Bust down from the outside to the inside. On first the right side of the pillow (right buttock) then the left, concentrating on your target square of 2" by 2".

Start by just brushing lightly with the tip. As you get the feel of the movement, increase speed and flatten the lash on your subject. You will hear a satisfying THUD. Try to make the same sound over and over again. Since you can’t feel the force of your blows, the sound lets you know hot hard or soft you are striking. This is a good movement for accuracy. The side arm and William Tell are good starters for this position. Practice this until you can strike the same spot either softly or with full force. You need to be able to do this with just the unwoven tip of the cracker and also dropping the string flat so you can hear the thud. To flick, draw back the tail through your free hand and snap the piece as you did towels in that high school locker room but without the back draw. The same movement can be used on the shoulders, with care not to wrap over the shoulders or strike the base of the neck.

The second position you will most likely use on the shoulder blades and buttocks or with the subject bending over a spanking bench because of the increased chance of a hard hit. Stand in front of the pillow, using the same stance, and drop the tail straight down the pillow. Make sure the tip does not strike the top of the pillow but lands in the center. Again within you 2 x 2 inch square. Practice until you are sure where the lash will fall AND where the tip of your cracker will land. Switch from the left buttock or the shoulder blade to the right. You need to focus so the tip does not land between the cheeks of the buttocks for this is an extremely sensitive area and any welt there will not only last quite a while, but it will be extremely uncomfortable for your subject. Not only does switching from side to side give your pet a breather, but the break breeds anticipation. If you “flail air” occasionally or alternate the speed from fast to slow while you change targets, crack air to the side of your subject, your subject will not know when the next strike will fall. The object is to start very light and increase. Moving from place to place.

I do not recommend the use of quirts or any single tail lash in a figure-eight motion. These techniques require more control than this position allows. If you use a whip in this position, a backhand motion is recommended. Leave the wrist loose and let the tail do the work. Moving the whip forward faster creates speed at the tail. Remember the “crack” you can create with a single tail last is the tip breaking the sound barrier! This is more than enough force to break the skin, and VERY, VERY painful.

Notes on Cracking

• The short speech is: Don’t do it
• Cracking a single tail on skin is an extreme activity and very painful. Resulting in broken skin, bleeding and possible permanent scarring. As always, b e sure this type of scene is negotiated and precautions like safe words are in place. Use of a single tail nonconsensual could end with you up on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and justifiably so.
• One way of easing the blow is to make sure the string or tail is unraveled to a longer length and more diffused blow to soften the sensation.
• Crack using just the unraveled end to brush the body. This takes great control, as you are trying to only touch with 2 inches of the tail. When you miss (and you are GOING to miss) you will create red stripes and welts. A good practice technique “brushing” power from a mirror. Knotting will create lines not brushmarks.
• "Knotting”: Using the last knot on the tail and snapping on areas which will cause welts and some striping. But the focus is to minimize stripes and weeping by throwing softly.
• Crack the first 4 inches on the shoulder blades of the back or on the buttocks. You want a lateral movement down the back. It is My OPINION that this crack happens AFTER the tail has exited its path down the back and cracks then. Essentially you are not throwing the tail with force but allowing it to roll out at the minimum cracking speed.

Remember with all these techniques, PRACTICE. Take the time to know how each piece you use reacts, how to make the softest strike with each, then how tow strike the hardest. The ability to strike softly will give you control. And control is what we as Dominants and Tops are supposed to have, right?

The Live Target

Now that we know more about the implement, AND WE HAVE PRACTICED, let’s look to the subject of our passion for a moment. Your submissive/slave/bottom/lover/mate/friend/subject. These guidelines assume your target is a normal, healthy adult, with no previous injury or other physical limitation. You have, of course, all ready discussed these matters with your intended target and will make the necessary adjustments to avoid specific problem areas. Caution and good judgment are required.

Visualize his /her back and draw an X. Start at the shoulder blades and end at the top of the buttocks. This is zone 1, an area of mostly light play. This is not like the movies; harsh strikes in this area will cause damage to the skin and underlying structures. In some cases serious and irreparable damage. AVOID THE HEAD AND NECK AT ALL TIMES!

Starting at the top of the X is the shoulder area. On most people this area is lightly muscled and can b e struck with care. You can strike upon the back, if you are accurate and controlled in your strikes. Adjust your distance and throw to guard against “ wrapping” over the shoulder or around the body with a firm reach distance to avoid using more of the popper than you wish. Now draw an imaginary line 2 to 3 inches down from the shoulders as your guide. Concentrate landing the last inch or so of the whip without more than a 2 inch deviation or striking the tip past this line, alternating right and left shoulder. Always avoiding the center of the shoulder blades. An occasional miss-strike may land in the spinal area but the spine should never be the intended target. Great care must be take not to strike the spine directly and repeatedly.

The center of the X should be avoided completely by most. A good rule of thumb is to feel the bottom of the rib cage on the back and avoid the area below the ribs where the muscle starts. Under a very thin layer of muscle and fat lay the kidneys and other vital organs. With time and skill you will be able to lightly work the surface of this area.

Upper arms can be lightly flogged. But care must be taken not to strike the elbows as damage to the elbow joints can result.

I have save the best for last! Zone two! The buttocks, bottom, butt, tush, fanny, you know, that cute thing your submissive or bottom sits on, but not for long! This is an area of muscle and fat and you can use much heavier strikes with less fear of damage. Remember the best sensation is built up slowly, light to heavy. I have found the best technique is to find the point where it’s just starting to hurt, and hot the tempo and “ force “ of the blow right there :::grin:::. I also vary the area, hitting the same spot repeatedly may cause your subject to squirm more, but it also leads to deep bruising and cutting. Try to avoid repeated strikes in a limited area.

The buttocks can be whipped down, avoiding tipping on the top of the buttock muscle, not striking the kidneys. It is best when using this movement to allow the whip to strike the floor, but be sure the floor is clear of debris. You can also strike across the buttocks. In this movement it is best to throw from side to side and be sure your tip lands on the buttocks and not the hip.

Underhand whipping in an upward motion. In this movement it is best to toss the whip forward and keep the speed down. One of my favorite movements is a light genital whipping from behind. Lightly tossing the tail between the thighs so that it lightly strikes the mons of a woman or the lower belly of a male.

Other areas for light play include the chest and breasts, the belly, the inner arm, the inner thigh and back of the thigh. And for the most extreme sensation, the bottoms of the feet. There are more nerve endings in the bottom of the feet than most anywhere in the boy (except for the palms of the hands and the lips) and they are very close to the surface. Remember that the feet are made up of dozens of small and delicate bones that are easily damages. The same nerve endings that create those delicious sensations may also be damaged by improper or excessive sensation play. This is called bastinado and best avoided by most. Areas to be avoided besides the feet are, of course, the face and head. These should be avoided at all costs, the same should be said for the neck and spine. Other areas, not specifically mentioned in this text are for very light play with experienced people only (or should be just avoided as they are not erotic) are the calves and elbows.

I will not go into CBT or genital flogging as they are topics in and of themselves and there are books dedicated wholly to that subject. Light flogging of the genitals can be quite erotic but it is NOT erotic to strike too hard! ( OUCH!)

Practice with your tools before playing with your partner will improve your accuracy and strokes to avoid miss-hits. Great care must be taken to build sensation rather than just hitting hard. The results can be realized by taking your time building the sensation.

Setting the Scene

In sensation play, harder is not necessarily better! Some submissives may never have reached subspace. Some Dominants have never been able to get their partners there. And I am about to tell you why. Sensation play, good sensation play (like when you have to walk your pet to the couch and tell them their name) takes time. Most sensation sessions I do take from 2 to 4 hours, often more. Yes, I am darn tired when I am done but it is well worth it. Another little hint is showmanship. Yes, a modicum of acting. You are creating a fantasy, not fixing a toaster. Use theatrical movements, perform, whisper in their ear. You are creating a world. Fill it with fantasy.

Aftermath

Finally, a few safety tips. The state that is produced by the body’s response to sensation play is much the same as if the subject had run a marathon. So any sensation session should be treated as a workout. Liquids will be needed, overheating must be watched as well as heart rate. Have a first aid kit handy and a CPR course is well advised. You will put someone in some for of “ space “ in a single tail scene, so you need to do intensive aftercare, watch their eyes and breathing and don’t expect them to assist you in packing up the toy bag until the endorphin rush has passed.

Most people will act responsibly, but some do not. One reason for this text is a hope that you take this single source of information and see it as starting place, with the intention of practicing and leaning more. I have seen too many flail away in a public dungeon or private party and cause harm to a wonderful sub just because they didn’t take the time to learn proper ways to use their tools. It damages all of our reputations when something like that happens. Your submissive /bottom is looking to YOU as the Dominant/Top to heighten their pleasure. This is the role you have assumed.

I have written this piece from my experience only. Opinions will vary and as with all subjects involving this lifestyle, I recommend you get a wide variety of opinions. I do feel the best way to know way you are actually dispensing is to feel both sides of the lash.

If I have not covered something you are interested in or you have questions I have not answered in this piece, feel free to contact me either through e-mail (Lordwolf00@aol.com) or on AOL Instant Messenger (LordWolf00). I have written this piece as a public service with safe consensual play between adults in mind. I assume no responsibility for use of these techniques on a human target nor for any injuries sustained in practice. Practice all techniques at your own risk.