Bondage and BDSM play

What is BDSM and what is bondage?

To find out what lies behind these terms, you must first to be clear what - somewhat unwieldy - the acronym for BDSM means. It consists of the first letters of the English terms "Bondage & Discipline (restraint and discipline), Dominance & Submission (dominance and submission), Sadism & Mazochism (sadism and masochism)" and is the correct general term for a group of diverse sexual preferences and identities.

Bondage is only part of the BDSM spectrum and refers only to the art of bondage. In BDSM, participants voluntarily enter into an imbalance of power in order to enjoy their submission or dominance. The subordinate (submissive) partner, also called the bottom, gives up a certain part of his self-determination and transfers it to the dominant (defining) partner, called the dominant or top. The submissive is bound or humiliated within certain limits, but also caressed. Attraction lies in helplessness, in power and education. The dominant finds excitement and excitement in control, power over the lower partner.

Switcher, BDSM sessions and vanilla BDSM

Most BDSM fans fall into one of two roles. But there are also those who switch between active and passive roles: the so-called switches or switchers. People who do not have a penchant for BDSM are called vanilla among connoisseurs. Vanilla is the most popular and most common type of ice cream worldwide and is considered popular. Therefore, "regular" sex is vanilla sex. The practice of BDSM is usually done over a period of time called play or session. Sexual intercourse in any form can occur during the session, but not necessarily.

Important: BDSM is not always all at once, it is diverse. Dominance does not mean sadism, and the pain of pleasure is not for everyone and does not even occur in many sessions. And did you know that bondage is not necessarily just for submission, but is also practiced for purely aesthetic reasons?

Advice for beginners

As a beginner in BDSM, you should start slowly and steadily growing. You don't need to equip the entire game room to enjoy exciting games. While "learning by doing" is probably best for many sexual practices, you should do some research into the adventures of BDSM - safety and trust in the first place. In some articles on our blog, we have collected important and interesting information for you about what a safe word is, how it should not be, and why it is so important in BDSM. In our BDSM vocabulary you can also learn certain scene terms. To kick-start your creativity and imagination, we've put together some great ideas for hot role-playing games.

Are you interested in lustful pats? Then you will be interested in our article on spanking, which provides inspiration for poses for beginners and experienced spankers. And what role does the pain of pleasure actually play in this? To find out. Much of BDSM is fetish - paint, leather, latex are extremely popular on stage and in fashion. And of course, you can't miss out on some bondage.

Some accessories and toys are also part of the BDSM game. Whips, floggers or bastards are often used for whipping. Shackles, blindfolds, nipple clamps and the like add a twist to the power play. Playing with hot candle wax is also a popular tool for creating pleasure from pain. Do you want to try these things? At No Taboo you will definitely find what you are looking for!

History of BDSM

6th century BC BC. - flogging in antiquity

One of the oldest graphic evidence of sadomasochistic practices comes from an Etruscan tomb near Rome, now known as the Tomba della Fustigazione (Tomb of Punishment). Even then, things went wrong: two men hit a woman with a stick and a hand while making love.

II - III centuries AD - references in the Kama Sutra

Kama Sutra - An ancient Indian textbook of eroticism. Even then, the Indians knew about the exciting effect of light blows. The different types of blows and areas of the human body that are not allowed for blows are explained. This is the first written text on the subject. Here are the origins of the modern principles of BDSM, because the Kama Sutra indicates that slapping during sex can only be distributed with mutual consent.

1769 - Erotic spanking

Fanny Hill is an erotic epistolary novel by John Cleland about a prostitute who enjoys her job. The book describes scenes of scourging (flogging) in a brothel.

18th century - an immoral sadist

Sadism is named after the French nobleman Marquis de Sade, who lived during French Revolution. He wrote novels ("120 Days of Sodom") with pornographic content and an orgy of violence. However, this has nothing to do with today's BDSM, because Sade was accused of abuse several times and then arrested - his sadism was by no means consensual. He died in a psychiatric hospital.

19th century - unwitting namesake It is about the slave Severine and his submissive love for his mistress Wanda. The more recent generic term masochism is an allusion to his name.

1950s lacquer and leather

Modern BDSM has its roots in the American gay old guard movement , which emerged from the motorcycle subculture after World War II. Rise to Power, a handbook published in 1981 in the US by the BDSM lesbian feminist organization Samois, led to greater acceptance of the topic in the lesbian community.

1950s and 1960s - Long live the fetish!

American photographer Irving Clow published the first promotional films and photos with BDSM motifs. He is considered the first fetish photographer, and his model, movie star style icon Bettie Page, became the first known bondage model.

1990s - Internet

The abbreviation BDSM originated on special Internet forums in the United States in the early nineties. The term was first encountered here in 1991.

Who? How? Where? - BDSM in numbers

Estimates of the percentage of BDSM preferences in the population range from 5 to 25 percent. According to the 2005 Global Sex Survey 2005, which polled 317,000 people in 41 countries, about 20% of those surveyed had already used masks, blindfolds or other devices for bondage. 5% (Germany 4%) are clearly committed to some form of sadomasochism. In a 2004 survey ("Global Sex Survey 2004") of over 350,000 people, 19% (Germany 5%) admitted to having practiced spanking. 22% (Germany 34%) admitted to using blindfolds or handcuffs.

In general, it can be stated that masochism (passive) is clearly more popular than sadism (active). According to various surveys, there are about four times as many BDSM fans who prefer a submissive. Most often these are women. A survey by the Dutch Tilburg University found that BDSMers are mentally more stable, healthier and happier in relationships than Vanilla. In the same survey, 33% of men said they were a submissive; 48% of them are dominants and 18% are switches. Among women, 75% of respondents were submissive, 8% dominant and 16% switching.

Bondage positions for beginners

Bondage is not always total bondage and control. Artistic tying has a variety of purposes, and there are countless types of tying, as well as a wide variety of tying techniques and positions. Torture bondage, decorative bondage, swing, spread eagle and much more - we will explain the most important positions and poses of bondage to you.

The most popular bondage positions

Hogtie

Bottom/submissive lies on the stomach, wrists and ankles are tied behind. Wrists and ankles are handcuffed. Feel your way slowly and leave the connection between the arm and leg longer so as not to hurt your back.

Frog

In this pose, the legs are tied to the hips with the help of the ankles , creating a frog position. The wrists are fixed in turn on the outer side of the leg restraints on the corresponding side or behind the back.

Eagle

In this bondage position, the lower part is attached to your back or stomach on all fours away from you at four different points. The finished outstretched eagle looks like a big cross from above. BDSM professionals also practice the standing eagle position, for example, on the St. Andrew's Cross.

Rack

The wrists are tied behind the back and pulled up with a rope. The rope is attached to the ceiling. Keep your feet on the ground. This position is for bondage professionals only and should only be performed under supervision or in a professional studio.