Safery: A Scene Gone Wrong

Every since I started this blog, one of the main topics I harped upon is that of safety.  My belief is that it is the top priority AT ALL TIMES for anyone who is in the role of dominant.  This includes all who are in that role regardless of the title given (Master, Dom, Top).  Whether it is in a committed relationship or simply a scene, safety is at the top of the list.

Today, I am going to give a real life example of how quickly things can go bad.  This was a situation that was just relayed to me.  It happened the other night and exemplifies the potential damage one can do if he or she is not absolutely careful.  This is especially true when the activity is to the more extreme end of the spectrum.

Many of you are familiar with the bullwhip.  For those of you are not, for example you live in an urban area, here is a picture.

 A bull whip is a device that is commonly used, as the name entails, on a bull.  Usually 8 foot in length, this is an art that requires a great deal of practice.  There are many within this way of life who are extremely skilled at this practice.  Anyone who has ever seen it in person knows how beautiful and awe-inspiring it can be.  A bullwhip, when in the hands of a trained expert, makes a cracking sound that is unique.  I can only imagine the fear and exhilaration when a sub hears it for the first time as she is prepared to receive it.

The accuracy that some of these artists wield is uncanny.  Many can knock a cigarette out of one's mouth from a distance of 10 feet.  I have also heard of one being able to snap the whip with such precision that the tip just nicks one of the sub's tits, leaving a small, bleeding cut.  Obviously, this is something that should be engaged in by those who are thoroughly trained and practiced. I can only imagine the years of work that went in to achieving this level of proficiency.

That being said,  things can go bad very quickly.  The situation that I am going to relate to you involved a Domme who, evidently, was skilled at this craft.  From what was related to me, she has toured the country (this is on the other side of the world from me) giving speeches about bullwhipping at different BDSM events.  Of course, I do not know her level of expertise but I will give the benefit of the doubt in this post.  Therefore, we will go under the presumption this individual is well aware of the dangers posed by this sort of play and needs to take EVERY precaution necessary to prevent something going wrong.

From what I could gather, the scene was in a public venue.  It is summertime in this country (obviously below the equator), hence the weather was a bit warm.  The submissive was one who wanted to try the bullwhip and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  It seemed like an opportunity for one to fulfill a desire in a safe way.  Sadly, as you will see, it did not quite work out that way.

The story was relayed from the perspective of the submissive.  Therefore, again, I can only give the benefit of the doubt since I was not present.

It appears the scene started out fine.  Everything was prepared properly and it began.  The whip was snap and the first lash struck her skin.  I can only conclude that sting she felt as her raw flesh encountered the power of the whip.  Naturally, I would think both sub and Domme wanted more.  And that is when disaster struck.  The next one was aim at the upper arm.  Unfortunately, that part of the body was missed and the tip of the whip went squarely into her....eye.  Let that sink in for a moment.  The end of a bullwhip, snapped from 8 or 10 feet away and traveling at an unknown velocity, went right into her eye.

There is an old saying "you can poke someone's eye out with that thing".  Well, in this instance, it is true.  Now I will tell you that this individual, from what I was told did not lose her eye.  However, she did have to see a doctor about it who is, potentially, referring her to a specialist.  I will try to keep abreast of the situation and relay any information I receive.  Obviously, we all hope for the best for this woman and that the resulting injury is simply some scratches across the eyeball.  Nevertheless, the point I am making is we can all imagine how badly this thing can turn out.  The eyeball is a fine mechanism which is very delicate.  Many people have scratched their eyeball by rubbing their eye in the wrong way with some dirt in it.  You can imagine the shock to the eye when it was struck by the whip.  Also, infection is a great concern since we can presume the whip would most like struck against the floor at some point.

Which brings up the question, how did this happen?  From what I learned, the reason, according to the Domme, the blow missed the arm and hit the eye was because of all the fans that were turned on.  Her feeling was the fans blew the end of the whip off course.  Obviously, it only takes a minor change in trajectory for one to miss the target by a few inches.  In this case, those few inches were the difference between the upper arm and the eyeball.

Of course, my first thought is how could this Domme allow this to happen?  Yes, the fans blowing is a reasonable explanation.  However, it is also a factor that SHOULD HAVE been considered.  It is easy to see we are dealing with a practice that requires a high degree of precision.  Therefore, everything must be factored in.  Certainly, any trained military sharp shooter will tell you that wind is something they compensate for and always take into account.  When trying to hit a target a mile away with a high powered rifle, you can imagine a slight breeze on the bullet will alter it enough to miss by a few inches.  The same could be true in this situation.  If a fan could alter the end of a whip by the slightest degree, it should be considered.  One problem I have with this explanation is that a baseball pitcher does not account for the wind when throwing a pitch.  The reason is because, at that distance, the velocity of the ball will far offset any influence the wind might have.  Is the same true for a bullwhip?  I do not know.  The fact is that the end of the whip will be moving at a great speed hence might not be subject to the movement of the wind at that distance.  Again, since I do not have the answer, I will presume this is accurate for the sake of this post.

Which brings me to my main concern.  Not accounting for the fans is inexcusable but something that one might be able to understand.  However, how come there were no precautions taken in regard to her face.  Why were safety glasses not provided for her?  How about a safety shield covering her entire face?  Either of these would have averted this situation.  I will admit I do not utilize a bullwhip.  Nevertheless, when I am using a whip on someone on the upper areas of the body, I will at least put a folded towel over her face in case of an inaccurate strike (this is when she is laying on her back and tied to a bed).  It is a precaution I take to prevent a situation like this.  As we see, it only takes one mistake to cause major damage.

I hope this provides people with a real life experience of what can go wrong.  My ranting about safety is usually in the general, abstract terms.  However, with this post, I hope you understand how important this is.  Again, we all hope this individual comes out of this with only minor injuries which clear up in a few days.  Yet we cannot overlook the potential damage which could have been caused by this "experienced" top and her bullwhip.

DN 

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