“In order to know virtue, we must first acquaint ourselves with vice.”
-Marquis de Sade
Definition
BDSM Stands for Bondage, Discipline, Dominance, Submission, Sadism and Masochism. Technically it could be called BDDSSM, but people shortened it because they thought it was too repetitive. It is a huge umbrella with many activities that fall under it, including tying people up, corporal punishment, submissive training and people who live the lifestyle 24/7. The list of activities is purely endless. If you’re thinking about trying anything that could be considered BDSM, then you should do some research because it’s likely that there are other aspects of this kinky stuff that would interest you too.
History
While the term BDSM didn’t come around until the 1960s, people have been getting their freak on in this way for a long, long, long, time. In many different ancient texts there are stories of flagellation (whipping) for sexual pleasure as well as to worship goddesses. Even the Kama Sutra, the ancient Indian text that was a guide to fulfilling sex, had suggestions for how to hit people during sex to make it more enjoyable. Now it is estimated that anywhere from 5-10% of people enjoy doing some form of BDSM in their personal lives.
How to Get Started
When you’re thinking of trying BDSM there are many ways to meet people. It helps if you live in a major metropolitan area because you can go to munches, which are meetings between kinky people of the area. Sometimes these meetings have a theme – like FemDom – but mostly they are for anyone. Cities also often have groups that hold play parties – this is an event where almost anything that is safe and legal can happen, and it’s also a great way to meet people. However, some people are too shy to make their first entry to the scene at a party, which is why munches are nice. There is also a wealth of information online, so if you don’t feel like getting freaky in a group, then just turn to your good friend the search engine and search away!