by Mitch Kessler - aka SirAdam
"There is a good deal more to caning than one person
simply hitting someone else with a stick."
A cane can be
used mildly, even sensually, by a reasonably skilled and self-controlled Caner.
But the mystique and the appeal of The Cane, as opposed to any number of other
long thin things you can hit with, is that it is used for intense, deliberate and
severe corporal correction of miscreants. Psychologically, it can be highly
fetishized and formal. Physically, it places great demands on the Canee’s
resolution and fortitude. For the caner it is almost an equally challenging
exercise in concentration, technical skill, and psychological dominance.
Negotiation:
It is fairly
traditional for formal caning scenes to be conducted without a safeword. Once
the canee has agreed to a certain number of strokes, that is the number that
must be endured ... regardless. As a result, caning is probably one of those
practices that benefits from a good deal of discussion (negotiation)
beforehand, and the “permission” to discuss it afterwards.
First the issues of
“how much pain” and “how much marking” need to be resolved. Equally important
is the issue of, “who are we and why are we doing this?” Is this a punishment
scenario, an ordeal, or a demonstration of skill for one participant and
fortitude on the other? Is caning going to be used to punish actual misdeeds?
Are there strong feelings or values concerning a sense of “youthful victim”
found in so much of caning literature and fantasy?
It’s also
worthwhile to explore what happens after the actual caning. Is the canee to be
left in place (enjoying an endorphin euphoria, one hopes) ?... required to
dress and depart (as in boarding school scenarios)? ... or when the scene ends,
is there to be “aftercare” such as cuddling, nurturing, or sex?
The Sensuous Caning
To use a cane
mildly, employ a a tapping technique, powered by the wrist alone. The actual
sensation can be described as “sharp,” “stinging” or “focused.” It’s severity
will vary based on the strength of the taps, their frequency, and how close
together they land. As much as there can be an objective definition of what is
“mild” and what is “severe,” the dividing line for canes may be that a love tap
is silent, but a stroke you can hear is one you’ll really feel! A mild blow
will not bend the cane, either on impact or while travelling to its target. Used
full-force, the cane is usually applied only to the buttocks, but these lighter
taps may be used on almost any part of the body without too much anxiety about
damaging tissues or relationships. Targets that are usually considered
“off-limits” for whips and floggers, such as the palms, soles, or calves can be
explored. Even the back and chest can be hit, within reason.
The Real Thing
A “Proper Caning”
is a completely different matter. One stroke “of the best” feels like a knife
edge of fire and lightning that blots out every other thought and sensation. As
the initial blaze fades, an aftershock — still sharp, localised, but with a bit
of dull achiness — begins to sink in, feeling as if the stripe runs clear to
the bone and beyond. Then the stroke fades to an afterglow some may find almost
pleasant, others, almost endurable. he second is the same ... only more so. And
so on, until the full quantity is completed. Significant marking by each and
every stroke is to be expected, and breaking of the skin is not unlikely. The
sensation of the cane is such that a single dozen, or even “six of the best,”
is usually entirely sufficient in most people’s reckoning. A caning of 24
strokes is sometimes referred to as “the Military Caning” and is a serious
ordeal in anyone’s estimation.
This does not mean,
however, that a “Proper Caning” scene need be short, either objectively or
subjectively. In fact, prolonged anticipation, elaborate preparation, and
resolute cooperation by the Canee are important elements in a fully-realised
traditional caning. In the Victorian educational setting, boys “sent down” for
caning might wait several days before presenting themselves and a memorandum of
their wrongdoing to the senior educator who would actually chastise them. When
used as authentic behaviour modifying punishment, the anxiety and expectation
brought on by the promise of caning for misbehaviour, might be felt almost as
keenly as the actual strokes.
In consensual
erotic practice, some people will increase pain tolerance with a spanking,
flogging or paddling before the caning. It could be purely a matter of mental
preparation ... it might be endorphin release ... sexual arousal could be
raising the pain threshold ... or the impact and subsequent engorgement may
actually desensitise the nerves ... it seems paradoxical but it does work.
A preparation
ritual is not uncommon, often utilising aspects of the traditional school
canings. Sometimes the offence for which the punishment is being administered
is described, the punishee may be required to fetch and present the cane in a
particular manner and kiss or otherwise show “it” respect and gratitude before
presenting it (again in a prescribed manner) to the caner.
Bared Bottoms
Schoolboys might be
caned “trousers up” OR “trousers down, with the tails of their jackets and
shirts pinned up and out of the way. This process of securing the excess
clothing is what is known as “taking up.” What it provides in convenience and
modesty the “trousers up” style of caning has practical and aesthetic
drawbacks. Aesthetically it deprives Caner of agreeable sights, first of the
bared bottom, and then the development of an even row of neatly spaced
cane-strips. Practically, the punishee is less likely to take excessive damage
if the Caner can see the effect of each “strike” as it happens. In addition,
the formal “taking down” of trousers and/or knickers adds, in this context, at
least the potential for feelings of humiliation and powerlessness.
Once “pinned up”
and “taken down” the punishee is “bent over.” The more extreme the bend
(grasping the ankles, for example) the more effect the cane cuts will have.
Bending also exaggerates the curve of the bottom, for the Caner’s visual
pleasure, and limits the the punishee’s ability to minimise the blow by
clenching the muscles of the buttocks. The bent-over position also assures that
the cane will not land above the tail bone where it might conceivably do some
damage. Some caners will insist on nearly impossible perfection in positioning
— arched back, buttocks presented, legs straight, head up, shoulders back —
both before and during the caning. Lapses of posture may be a cause for
increasing the number of strokes, or may form the basis for verbal harassment
and humiliation. This, of course, adds to everyone’s enjoyment of the
encounter.
Once bent over,
the punishee may be required to endure a period of waiting for the first
strike. The caner may sweep the cane through the air a few times for the sake
of the sound, or so that the punishee can feel its “wind,” and hear its
characteristic noise. The punishee very quickly learns the difference between
the sound of the cane being merely swished through the air, and the hiss of the
final approach.
To increase the
anticipation some Caners will require that the punishee request each stroke and
count the cane strokes either as they fall, or before each stroke is delivered.
At the same time the caner may intensify the anticipation either by holding the
cane away from the target entirely, or touching it lightly it to express
growing impatience with the “cowardly delay.”
In addition the
canee may be required to count each stroke according to a prescribed formula:
ONE Sir (or Ma’am, or Miss) Thank you Sir, May I have another, Sir ... losing
count or miscounting can be a “reason” to start over, or “earn” the subject
another caning at another time.
It is worth
remembering that these tricks, formal counting, posture correction, lecturing,
etc., not only add to the ritual and psychology of the caning ... they also can
be used to control the pace of the caning. The caner wants to allow enough time
between strokes to let the canee enjoy the full benefit of each stroke while at
the same time recovering enough to be able to accept another. This is necessary
for the same reason that a blow from a cane is called a “strike” or a “cut” —
the sensation has a certain amount in common with the effects associated with
lightning and swords.
A Proper Caning is
an ordeal, an exercise in significant pain. A skilled practitioner with quality
materials can soon have a canee cherishing every stripe on their body — and
coming back for more.
Caning Technique
Acquiring the
necessary skill for this is not really difficult, but it does call for the
investment of some time and effort. The novice caner will want to develop
accuracy first. This is not a skill to develop by practicing on your
Significant Other. A dusty blanket or quilt, folded over the back of a high
backed chair is a much better choice. You might want to dust a palm sized
circle with carpenter’s chalk, to give you a better idea of where your strokes
are landing. The target area is roughly 7” high, 9” wide , 30 - 35” from the
floor. (You might also have your S.O. sit in some non-toxic paint, bend over,
back up to the blanket and thereby mark the exact target you’ll be trying for.)
Once you are
certain of hitting your mark each and every time you are ready to work on
gaining control of speed and impact. A partner with a high pain threshold and a
forgiving nature is of inestimable value here, as is your willingness to
increase the the impact from taps to strikes in very small increments. At this
stage of development, you may want to consider taking a few stripes, and even a
full dozen or two (at different times) to develop understanding of what you
propose to be administering. A skilled and sensitive caner will be able to show
you style, pacing, and form, while a willing, enthusiastic, and unskilled partner
will quickly teach you all the faults you need to eliminate in your own
technique. While you don’t really need to feel the cane in order to cane well
... there’s no teacher like experience.
Strikes must not
“scissor” thin flesh between cane and bone, or land on joints. The backs of the
thighs are a problematic target, especially in “adipose-tissue-deprived”
persons. Hits to the thighs are astonishingly painful and there are large blood
vessels, tendons and nerve bundles under the fat and muscle. While some tough
and athletically gifted persons can take a cane strike to the pectoral region
or abdomen (crotch and throat protection are such a good idea, for this trick)
in nearly all cases canes should never land where there are nerves close to the
surface, or soft organs directly below.
In caning the
goal is to hit with a section of cane starting at the tip and extending perhaps
six to eight inches toward the handle. The idea is to avoid hitting with the
tip either by “leading with the point” (usually the result of using too much
wrist action) or by bending the cane around the body (“throwing wraps”), which
is usually caused by standing too close . Strikes with the tip leave short
dot-like marks that can take an astonishingly long time to heal, whether they
break skin or not.
There is a
legitimate difference of opinion concerning “crossing” cane stripes. One school
of thought holds that crossed stripes are the sign of a careless, skilless,
caner. Their ideal is a number of perfectly spaced and distinct marks to look
at and admire. A practical objection to crossed stripes is that skin damage at
the point of crossing is, if anything, more severe than is caused by a strike
with the tip. Another school of thought likes to cross their cuts for that very
reason taking care to make the “crosses” uniform and deliberate looking.
Cane strokes often
break skin, intentionally or not. This has lead to some practitioners to add a
very modern innovation to the preparation ritual. Before the actual caning
begins, the canee’s bottom is anointed with a petroleum-jelly based antibiotic
ointment such as “Bacitracin™.” This has three advantages. The first is
psychological effect of the touching itself, whether it is kindly, threatening,
matter of fact, or salacious. Secondly, the lubricating property of the oil
base, softens the skin and helps minimise actual damage. Lastly, if the skin is
broken by cane strokes, the cut receives immediate infection preventing first
aid, as the active antibiotic is driven into the wound.
Concern about
disease transmission via “bloodied” S/M toys is probably more a question of
social norms and personal comfort levels then of medical imperatives. It is the
potential for HIV transmission that is most compelling — though the
epidemiological evidence should reassure rather than alarm. On the other hand,
both the cane and the skin are far more likely to be exposed to other pathogens
including from the common cold to hepatitis, diphtheria, the dysentaries - all
the diseases associated with blood, sweat, and raw sewage. This could be
considered a reason to reserving one cane for use on one person only. It might
also be an incentive for more dedicated or extreme devotees to invest in the
vaccinations advised for health and rescue workers — although rabies and
tetanus shots are probably very optional.
As to the strike
itself, the force of the impact depends on the speed with which the cane is
accelerated rather than the strength or “muscle” the caner can put behind the
blow. During its forward motion, the cane bends, storing the energy of its
travel, which it then releases when it hits. The more extreme the bend and the
more abrupt the stop, the more impact will be produced. (And the greater the
likelihood the cane will break in mid-air, too.) After the strike, the caner
should allow a few seconds at least for the punishee to appreciate the full
artistic effect.
There are three
basic styles of swinging a cane. In the Traditional style, a portion of the
cane is held braced against the inside of the forearm. The arm is kept very
straight both on the back swing and in the forward “cut.” This is probably the
most lenient or “lower form” way of using the cane, producing the least effect.
By some accounts (probably more imaginative than actual) while Schoolmasters
were to required to keep a stiff arm — some of them offset this limitation with
a running start. From a schoolboy’s point of view, this technique at least
offers the possibility that the caner rather than the punishee will suffer pain
and humiliation.
Supposedly banned
in the schoolroom, was a variation called the “Cavalry Cut.” The stroke begins
with the cane held over the caner’s head, roughly parallel to the ground — as
if parrying a sabre cut to the caner’s head. The cane is then brought downward
and around in a circular motion, like a riposte to the flank — only lower.
Perfectly executed, this will lay a stripe on the underside of the curve of the
buttocks, an area not easily reached by other means. Less than perfectly done,
this stroke can land somewhere on the back of the thighs. This can lead to intense
ill-feeling in a consensual relationship especially during the swimsuit season.
Mistress Nan B. of
California has been the most outstanding practitioner and teacher of the Modern
Style, which is probably the most devastating. She advocates a very supple
wrist action, with the time taken to draw the cane back exactly equal to the
time required for the forward motion of the blow. This introduces the most
extreme bend in the cane, to the extent that its tip may actually strike the
caner’s back. The Caner stands with weight centred over well-planted feet,
with the extended cane hand even with, or slightly back of the presented
buttocks. The blow completes even with or just behind the plane of the
presented buttocks. A skilled practitioner may introduce a bit of hip rotation
to increase the distance of travel, and may cock the cane-wrist backward a bit
as the back swing reaches its most extreme point.
Cane strikes of
that severity should absolutely be restricted to areas of deep fat and muscle.
Its probably worth remembering that a Proper Caning perfectly done will leave a
set of parallel stripes exactly one cane-diameter apart, with no stripe at or
above the level of tailbone, nor below the point where the buttocks join the
thighs.
Choosing a Cane
A good cane is
one that will land where it is aimed, and have the effect that is intended.
That leaves a lot of leeway for personal choice and preference. Most canes on
the market today are between 3/16 and 3/8” in diameter. Any smaller is too
whippy and flexible to be really accurate, much larger too heavy and club-like
to be really recreational. Thin canes cut and sting more than thick ones. They
leave red welts that fade more quickly, but are more likely to break skin.
Thicker canes not only have more mass, but are stiffer and can be made longer
than thin ones and as a result are, all things being equal, more severe and
more damaging.
Rattan is sold
in two forms. “Kooboo” is the natural unprocessed form. It ranges in colour from
pale yellow to a mottled brown. Each stick tapers slightly, with visible
segments along its length. “Polished reed” is the processed form, favoured by
furniture makers. The outer skin, colouring and joints have been sanded off and
the stick is of a uniform diameter. Kooboo needs no additional finishing for
use as a cane. Polished reed is somewhat porous, and lacks stiffness. On the
other hand, polished reed is available in precise sizes and is very uniform. It
is very attractive when finished with varnish or epoxy resin, which also helps
correct the lack of stiffness. Some people prefer the slower action of the
polished reed cane, which enables them to use a longer and thicker stick than
their partner(s) could tolerate in the stiffer natural finish.
How much damage a
cane will do depends as much on the speed with which it travels as with its
mass and diameter. A long stiff cane can achieve greater tip velocity than a
shorter or thinner one. For a thin-ish cane 24 to 30 inches will be about
right; for a thick one, 36 to 40 inches. If there is an “average” or “normal
cane” it is about 5/16” in diameter and 32-35” long.
The combination
of length, thickness, and composition produces a balance of stiffness and
flexibility called “bone.” How much bone you want is a matter of taste and
experience as much as anything else. Natural rattan has more bone than the same
species sanded to “polished reed.” Polished reed is a bit porous and needs to
be sealed with a varnish, and this restores some of the stiffness. Natural rattan
canes are often varnished because the resulting appearance is so attractive,
though it adds little to the cane’s bone or durability.
The infamous
Singapore cane is roughly 1/2” in diameter and 48 inches long. The first 8-10”
are soaked in water, overnight, before use. In the hands of fit and skilled
police officials, this instrument is so savage that 12 blows are considered
adequate corporal punishment (imposed in addition to fines and prison time) for
felony crimes such as rape and robbery. (For more about the Singapore cane and
the caning, see Issue #)
The Circle-Test Myth and Mystique
There is a
common belief that a “good” cane can be bent into a true circle, with the tip
touching the handle. The problem is, this a test that can be performed about
once!. If the cane passes the test, it was a good cane before testing! Only the
longest canes can be treated this way without damage. The circle test is
actually used by cane makers to evaluate uncut eight-foot lengths of cane.
Other Cane Materials
Canes, or things
serving the purpose of canes can be made of materials other than rattan. Nylon
rod is denser than cane, and has less "bone." This promotes a slower
motion that bruises more and cuts less. It is also nearly unbreakable.
Fiberglass is very stiff and hard, which promotes extreme accuracy, and is very
prone to cut skin. Acrylic Rod ( Lucite™
or Plexiglas™) is extremely stiff and dense. In the thicknesses that can be
used without undue breakage, it is extremely heavy and punishing.
There are a
number of choices in handle designs for canes. The oldest design, actually ties
a circle into one end of the cane. The more modern style is a simple wrapping
of ribbon or leather on a straight piece of cane, or a built-up handle made of
several layers of leather or ribbon.
The traditional
Schoolmaster’s Cane has a crook handle, like a common walking cane. In practice, the Modern style is more suited
to supple wrist work, the Schoolmaster’s design, more suited to straight-arm
work.
(Adam and Gillian's carry a variety of canes in rattan and
other materials.
We buy rattan by the bale, and do the steaming and
straightening in our workshop.
You can select your own length and diameter as well as
style.)
The Linseed Oil Myth and Mystique
A common belief
about the care of canes is that putting the cane tip-down into a bottle of
linseed oil for a week at a time every month will cause the oil to migrate up
the fibres of the cane, keeping it flexible. The fact is that linseed oil is
essentially colourless oil paint, and not a lubricant at all. Fortunately, it does not migrate up the tip
either, since with time, it becomes quite hard and dense — like old paint. What
the linseed oil treatment does do is seal the tip of the cane, and glue small
cracks together. Repeated wiping off of the excess “oil” give the cane a deep
multi-coat varnish-like finish. It is probably better simply to wipe the cane
with linseed oil, hang it vertically, and then wet the tip with the oil and
allow to dry. Letting the cane rest on its tip for a week at a time can put
permanent warp into the cane.
Care of Canes
Canes Break!
There’s no escaping that. Sooner or
later your favourite will divide itself into a number of pieces. If you are
lucky it will be at the very tip, or close to the grip. Then the broken part
can be cut off, the tip rounded with a file or a sharp knife, and additional
use gotten from the smaller cane. There are a number of ways, however, to help
prevent premature failure. Canes should be stored absolutely flat, or hanging
vertically. They should also be used only for their intended purpose, hitting
soft things. (Not edges of tables, counters or wood chairs!) Whipping a cane back and forth in mid-air, or
too much bending between the hands will greatly reduce its useful life.
Varnished canes may benefit from having their tips sealed, while unvarnished
ones can be kept flexible longer by exposing them to very high humidity once in
a while. Hanging the cane behind a bathroom door while taking a hot shower does
the job nicely.
