Impact Play is part of Sensation Play and is a common Pain Play activity carried out in BDSM, kink, and fetish practices.
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It involves one person being (repeatedly) struck by another person for the sexual/erotic or non-sexual gratification of the dominant and/or the submissive party engaged in the play.
In addition, it’s not uncommon that the person being struck is being restraint by some form of Bondage Play, hence being restricted in moving away from or giving resistance to the “punishment.”
The submissive person may be struck with different tools, such as a paddle, wooden spoon, stick, cane, riding crop, a whip, flogger, scourge, or belt. When one of the four latter implements is used, it’s common to call the act of striking flagellation.
Apart from using specific implements, a person can also be struck, punched, or slapped with the hands.
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The most common areas struck are the buttocks (which is called spanking), the upper back below the shoulder blades, and the soles of the feet. Sometimes, the thighs, the calves, chest/breasts, and genital parts can be targets as well.
At any rate, Impact Play is carried out on body areas that have plenty of fat or muscle, while avoiding striking the kidneys, neck, spine, tailbone, hipbones, the head, bones, and joints. Perhaps needless to say that Impact Play needs great caution and skill.
It’s common to classify Impact Play in either “Thuddy Play” or “Stingy Play.” That is, the sensations felt depend on the use of either wide surfaced tools (for instance, an open hand or paddle) which produce a dull “thuddy” sensation, or the use of narrow tools (a cane, belt, or whip) which produce a sharp “stingy” sensation.
