“Stripes that wound scour away evil, and strokes reach the innermost parts.”
-Proverbs 20:30
Definition
Impact play is defined as any activity that involves striking someone with either body parts or external implements. This kink can be performed on someone through hitting, flogging, punching, spanking, paddling, whipping, or by any number of ways in which a body can be struck. Impact play has many levels of intensity and how strong a form of this play is desired should be determined ahead of time.
The Fetish
There are a large number of tools and items that can be used in this fetish. A St. Andrew’s Cross is a common piece of BDSM furniture used to strap willing participants to, as are large O-rings, spanking horses (similar to gymnastics horses) and other forms of restraint. Restraints aren’t always used, but they are common with this kink so that the recipient of the impact doesn’t move during play. If the person being hit moves too much during impact play there is a chance that they may be struck accidentally in a more dangerous area than the one that was agreed upon. Spanking or striking a willing participant’s ass is a very common form of enacting this fetish, since that act is often associated with dominance or a form of penance. The buttocks are also a part of the body with fatty tissue, hence no injury will come to muscles or tendons during the scene.
What To Do
Impact play is an extremely common fetish, but not one that is always enacted properly. If you and your partner are exploring this together for the first time, it’s a good idea to look up videos or writings around good techniques for impact play. If you have someone using tools other than their hands, make sure they are familiar with the use of their implement so that the pain or bodily harm they cause is intentional and not detrimental to your body in a lasting fashion. There are also plenty of online groups about impact play and they will be able to field any questions you have if articles and videos aren’t enough.