What is BDSM?
BDSM is the acronym for Bondage, Discipline, Domination and Submission, Sadism and Masochism.
It is a sexual practice or not, in a search for physical or psychological sensations.
Bondage:
This term includes not only the best known, Shibari, which consists of tying the other with ropes, but also any type of physical constraint using different objects such as the vacuum bed, or even the straightjacket. The ways of attaching or constraining are extremely varied.
Discipline :
This term encompasses the practices of “training”, strict rules, the idea of constraint is mental in this case. Practices can be as diverse and varied as your imagination. You can rely on principles already written, such as a “guide to good table manners”, or by applying “submissive positions”, or even completely inventing your own.
Domination and submission or D/s:
These terms designate the fact that a person consciously has a certain ascendancy over another consenting person, and aware of this ascendancy. It can be something one-off, or all the time, what we would call 24/7.
Sadism and Masochism:
They consist of enjoying inflicting pain, or enjoying feeling pain. The forms are very varied, physical or psychological, light to very hard, the only limit is your imagination and the consent of your partner.
BDSM practice can be a great way to explore your sexuality and discover new pleasures. However, it is essential to do so carefully and within your own desires and limits. BDSM is a sexual practice that respects oneself and others and must be practiced with mutual respect and safety.
To do this, the community has several doctrines, serving to guide practitioners.
Keep in mind that you can change them as you evolve and have your own principles, as long as they contain the C of consent , present in all of them.
Without consent, no BDSM, this is a point which joins all the different doctrines in the field
Consent is the key
SSC : Safe, Secure and Consensual. Translated: Healthy, Safe and Consensual
This doctrine primarily emphasizes emotional and physical safety, as well as consent. We will make sure as much as possible to face as few risks as possible.
RACK : Risk-Aware, Consensual Kink* Translated: Kink* aware of risks and consented.
This doctrine places the emphasis above all on knowing what risks one can face, with consent. This marks the awareness that practices are not always healthy or safe and that we can still want to practice them while being aware of them.
PRICK : Personal-Responsibility Informed Consensual Kink*
This doctrine emphasizes the fact that it is the responsibility of each participant to inform themselves and be aware of the risks to which they consensually expose themselves with others.
CCC : Committed Compassionate Consensual
This doctrine is based mainly on consensual benevolence, and a certain commitment with others
4Cs : Caring, Communication, Consent, and Caution
This doctrine is the most recent, it places different aspects to be taken into account, being attentive to others, communicating and taking risks into account, while remaining consensual.
*Kink could be translated as unusual, alternative, or strange sexual practice for the uninitiated. We can also associate it with “naughty” practices which will be the literary translation of the word.