WHIPS / FLOGGERS

These have a short sharp focus of energy on the skin, which may break the skin and cause deep bruising, depending on the nature of the whip, the force and the technique used. Consequently, they should only be applied to the heavily muscled areas of the back and ass. The areas to avoid are the lower because of the distance that the kidneys extend below the rib cage. This implies that heavy tactile activity below the shoulder blades puts you at great risk of damaging the kidneys. A leather weight lifting belt does a fairly good job of protecting the kidneys.

As for rods and canes, when whipping women, avoid the breasts for all but the lightest surface work.

If the legs are not fatty, the areas between the joints, i.e. the thighs, the backs of the thighs, and the calves are good areas for whipping provided that care is taken to be gentler to the smaller muscles. Make sure that the knees, behind the knees, the ankles, and the feet are properly protected from the whip.

RODS / CANES

For rod work the ass is a safe target. For light rod work, the musculature of the upper back is also a safe area. If the back is very heavily muscled, (It will always be less so in women), one can use rods with reasonable force (provided that this doesn't reach the bone breaking level). The heavy mask of muscle in the trapezius, the rhomboid, and the latissimus muscles, is sufficient protection for the organs under this area of the body.

In terms of the limbs, the muscles at the back, front, and inside of the thigh are fairly heavy in the well developed individual. In those that are not well developed, there may be a lot of fat. Fat can be damaged by this form of activity. The cells can be ruptured, and there can be a lot of bleeding deep inside. Therefore a note of caution is warranted here for the heavy fatty areas of the limbs, although this area is generally satisfactory for rod and paddle work. The buttocks are fine for rod work. Men can have pectoral muscles worked on with rods, but it is inadvisable to attempt this for of play with women.

PADDLES

These can be a variety of items, from flat wooden kitchen utensils, to hair brushes or expensive leather covered items. These can bruise deeply and transmit the forces of the blow well into the body. The only areas that would be appropriate to paddle would be the heavily muscled areas of the body. Thus, the ass is a wonderful area for paddling. It is well protected by muscle and the pelvic bone. The only organ of any consequence in this area is the rectum, which is well protected by the layers of muscle

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