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One should always learn from history.  During the Inquisition, a
large number of devices were built which were simple, inexpensive
and very efficient at causing pain.  While damage to the subject
was not a matter of concern to the inquisitors, they were very
concerned about the possibility of the subject being unable to
respond with the "right" answer.

One such device was the strappado -- the subject was tied with
the arms behind the back and wrists pulled upward by rope or
chain, and either suspended with the feet touching the floor,
suspended with the feet not touching the floor, suspended with
weights on the ankles or with ankles attached to an eyebolt
attached to the floor, or dropped from a height with the
suspension attached to the wrists.

The feeling of helplessness and pain is overwhelming -- when
suspended in the bent-over position, the subject cannot even
straighten out to try to relieve the pain, and struggling only
makes the discomfort worse.  

In more recent times, this means of torture have been alleged to
be used in combination with other forms of torture on political
prisoners.

For practical use, the best approaches I have seen are to either
suspend the subject with feet on or off the ground, with legs
tied together or widely spread and possibly tied to eyebolts on
the floor.  IT IS POSSIBLE TO DISLOCATE SHOULDERS AND/OR CAUSE
NERVE DAMAGE BY EXCESSIVE FORCE APPLIED OVER TOO LONG A PERIOD
AND SOME PERSONS WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY BREATHING.  BE CAREFUL!

When a subject is in this suspension, the breasts and nipples
present wonderful targets for attention, the buttocks protrude
providing easy access for flagellation or anal penetration or
watersports, and with the legs spread, the genitals are easily
accessable.

Always check the subject's hands for temperature and color at
regular intervals (blue nails are a warning that blood
circulation has been restricted, as are cold hands) and never
suspend a subject for more than 2 hours this way, no matter how
willing the subject is due to the problems with nerve damage.

With care, this can make a very effective technique to add to the
repertoire of any top.  A variation has the subject suspended by
one arm while the other is tied to the side, causing severe pain
due to the imbalanced forces on the shoulders.

Dave  8{)


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In discussion with a top recently, I discovered another plaything
with which she (and I assume others) is unfamiliar.

Imagine, if you would, a pair of shoes or boots fastened to a
wooden platform or crosspiece.  When the subject's feet are laced
into these boods, the subject is both unable to close the legs
and unable to twist the feet.  In the traditional foot stock, the
subject is able to twist the feet and, if the stock is not
attached to some fixed object, able to move about.

This device, called a Spanish Stock, is very easily made from a
pair of ski boots and a plank.  If the plank is of sufficient
strength, the subject can be suspended from it in the inverted
position with little worry of damage, discomfort, or escape.

Without going into great detail, the biggest advantage of ski
boots is that they are easily available and are designed to
firmly hold a foot fastened to a fixture.

Dave  8{)


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How many submissives of whom you can think fantasize about being
transported to a dungeon and there submitting.

This includes rape fantasies, The Chateau (from the Story of
"O"), etc.  

Station wagons, pickup trycks and vans are such WONDERFUL tools for this.

A scenario:

        A sub is awakened in the bedroom by either the top or a
        known agent of the top.  The sub is ordered from the bed,
        ordered to strip, and is put in restraints and hooded
        (but not gagged).  The sub is then ordered down to the
        garage.  The sub is ordered into a vehicle and the
        restraints are connected to a series of eyebolts on a
        4' X 8' X 5/8" sheet of plywood (which fits into most
        full sized wagons, pickup beds, and vans).  The sub is
        covered so as to not be visible from outside.
        
        The vehicle starts to move and the sub now has an
        indeterminate amount of time to consider what will happen
        at the other end.
        
I bet that most of the subs who have this fantasy would reach
orgasm during the trip.  The caveats here about safety are
simple: donot gag the sub (if something goes wrong you will need
to be able to hear the sub).  Do not do this alone (it helps to
have a helper who will be able to release the sub if necesary).
Carry clothing for the sub since you will be embarrassed if you
need to have the sub get out of the vehicle nude in a public
place.  Use a time of little traffic so the sub will be at least
risk of an accident.  If the sub were in a coat (only), this
would be a wondeerful way to get to the Vault (a club in NYC).

Dave  8{)


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Since I don't own my domocile, and I wanted a secure system for
restraining submissives, and I do have a water bed, I started looking at
it.  The sides are made of 1 1/2" by 10" lumber.  The matress rests on a
base of 3/8" plywood.  Most of the people that I know cannot bend 3/8"
steel rod with bare hands, nor can they break 1 1/2 x 10 lumber just by
pulling on it.  My solution in my apartment was to get some 3/8" x 3"
eyebolts with wood threads (they look like lagbolts) and measure them.
The root diameter of the thread was .280 (roughly).  The crest diameter
was .350.  

              ____
               | _/\_/\_/\_/\_/\ _____
Crest diameter |  _  _  _  _  _  _____ Root diameter of thread
              _|_/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

Using a 1/4" drill bit and my trusty 3/8 drill motor, I drilled a series
of holes in the side, top, and bottom of the frame.  3 on the top, 3 on
the bottom, 3 on each side, and one at each corner.  Each hole started
just above the liner and was at a shallow angle so that it went down at
least 2" without breaking out the other side.

             _ Side rail
        __  /_ 3/8" Eye bolt (wood screw threads)
       |  |// ______________
       |  |o /
       |  / |
       | /|||
       |  |||    Waterbed Matress
       |  |||
       |  | \\______________
       |__|  \______________ Liner
        ____________________
       |____________________ Plywood base

Lubricating the threads with soap, I threaded an eyebolt into each hole
and let them sit overnight.  Next morning, I removed the eye bolts.  I
now have a rack which allows me to bind a submissive for my pleasure,
which is strong enough so there is almost NO way a submissive could get
free by pulling the bonds loose, which is invisible to those persons I
do not wish to show it to, which takes up less than a 6" cube of
additional space, and which cost less than $20.00 more than the original
bed.

For those among us who are apartment dwellers, or those of us who just
don't have a spare room for a dungeon, this technique provides for a
simple, safe, effective, low cost rack which takes up almost NO space.

Dave  8{)


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Inverted suspension bondage has always had a fascination to me.
When inverted, most people find the rush of blood to the head
very disconcerting.  The variations possible are manifold and
great fun.

With a long haired female subject, the hair can be either allowed
to brush the ground (which frustrates the subject as she can feel
the floor only inches below her, offering a release from the
strain of the suspension) or used to control her swinging.

The legs can be bound together (providing more freedom of
movement as the subject can swing and twist as you wish) or apart
(which limits the swinging to back and forth, but provides easier
access to the genitals) or one can be left free and used by the
top to control the movement and "openness" of the subject or
restrained to the floor or walls or a post.

The hands can be bound to the body, to each other, or used as tie
points to control the motion of the suspended subject.  The
nipples provide interesting points to control the "swinging
load".

If the subject urinates due to a full bladder, and a small amount
of foresight was used, the urine will run down the body over the
subject's face -- thus providing incentive to wait until the top
allows the subject to do so.

Due to the positioning of the body, the buttocks are well
positioned for whippings (at shoulder height, less strain for the
top) and the mouth is well placed for oral worship or forced
sexual activity.

Dave  8{)


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The Chinese are a remarkable people who have brought many
interesting things to western culture.  One means of punishing
peasants which the Chinese used was called bastinado, or beatings
on the soles of the feet.

While the soles of the feet are tough, they abound in nerve
endings, and nature has made them so for a reason, it is a
survival characteristic to remain mobile.  

In more recent times, this practice was improved upon by binding
the hands and feet together in front of the subject and placing
the subject on the back while holding the bindings.  This also
provides some other areas as targets if the flagellator wishes.

If the subject is bound in the more traditional "hogtie" position
(wrists to ankles, ankles or wrists together), punishment is also
enhanced.

My favorite is the bastinado bench:  An "L" shaped device which
rigidly holds the body, legs and feet in position for the
baculine punishment.  The feet usually protrude through either a
set of slots or stocks and the big toe is tied to the surface on
which the top of the foot rests.

       _____eyebolt
     /  --Toe restraint
    /  /        _____ Sole of foot
   /  /  ______/
   O-----\___  )
   +=========\ \=== Ankle restraint
    Leg     /\\ \
    support//\\====  Straps or rope
          //   \\\ \___|______
         //      \\\___|______
       ================|=======  Base 

The choice of restraints for the top of the body are open, the
buttocks are freely available for punishment in this position if
desired.

Dave  8{)


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