Ten Tips for the Novice, Single, Heterosexual, Submissive Woman (Version 1.0)
by Jay Wiseman, author of "SM 101: A Realistic Introduction"
Let me guess. You're a woman, you're heterosexual, and you keep
having
strange, disturbing, recurring, and intense fantasies of a
powerful, masterful man having his way with you. Perhaps he
tears off
your clothes and takes you. Perhaps he throws you over his knee
and
gives you a long, hard spanking. Perhaps he ties you naked and
spread-eagled to a bed and proceeds to alternately tease and
torture you
for hours. Perhaps he locks his collar around your neck and
orders you
to kneel at his feet -- and you do, both fearing and loving
every second
of it.
Have these fantasies become so intense and recurring that they
make up
almost every sexual fantasy you have? Have they become the
centerpiece of
your thinking when you masturbate? Have you looked through
personal ads
searching for the ones from men that mention bondage, spanking,
and
related practices, longing but not daring to answer them? Have
you
thought of asking a man to help you explore your fantasies? Do
you worry
that if you mention these desires to a man that you might end up
being
beaten or even raped? Do you wonder how on Earth you are ever
going to
reconcile your deeply submissive desires with your distinctly
feminist
beliefs? Do you have the increasingly strong feeling that if you
don't
act upon these feelings soon then you will go insane with
frustration?
If many of these thoughts and feelings seem familiar, then it's
likely
that you have a erotically submissive side and that you're
either ready or nearly ready to explore this aspect of yourself.
If this
is the case then, as the saying goes, I've got some good news
and I've
got some bad news -- and I've got some advice.
Before I go further, please let me introduce myself. My name is
Jay
Wiseman. I'm a heterosexual, Caucasian male, born in 1949, who
currently
(1998) lives in San Francisco and is in a stable, long-term
relationship
with a wonderful woman named Janet. I have been exploring the
practices
associated with erotic domination and submission since 1971, am
primarily
-- but not exclusively -- dominant in my own desires, and since
1975 have
been a member of what is often called the Bay Area SM Community.
During that time, I have probably attended over 1000 SM-related
lectures,
demonstrations, discussion groups, parties, and related events.
I have
also given many presentations at SM groups, both locally and
across the
country -- ranging from Boston to New York to Seattle to Los
Angeles.
For more than twenty years, I have advised, taught, mentored,
trained,
and otherwise assisted many novice submissive women, and many
other types
of people, during their explorations into the realities of what
is often
called sadomasochism -- SM (or, sometimes, BDSM) for short. I am
perhaps
best known in this respect as the author of the book "SM 101: A
Realistic
Introduction" published by Greenery Press.
OK. That's enough about me. Now, as I was saying about your
situation,
I've got some good news and I've got some bad news -- and I've
got some
advice. The following is not intended as a comprehensive guide,
but it
should help you get off to a good start.
First, the good news: It is quite possible for you to explore
your
fantasies in a healthy and constructive manner, without in any
way
diminishing who you are as a human being and without
compromising your
feminist beliefs in the slightest. It is also quite possible for
you to
find a man who is a good, decent, highly ethical, and definitely
non-abusive person to help you explore this aspect of yourself.
There is
even a fairly good possibility that you will end up in an
ongoing
relationship with such a man, and feel delighted that you did. I
know of
many submissive women who found their "Master Right."
Now for the bad news: A few seriously "bad apples" lurk in the
SM
"barrel." There is no approved screening and training program
that
would-be masters must successfully complete. There are no
continuing
education or licensing requirements. There is no malpractice
insurance.
Any idiot can proclaim himself a "master." A jerk in his late
forties
who tried to tie up a girlfriend once when he was sixteen may
claim "I have over
thirty years of real-life experience."
Thus, it can be difficult, or even impossible, for a novice
submissive woman (such as you) to quickly tell the difference
between a
wonderful prince and a horrid frog. Therefore, it is also
possible for
you to encounter a "master" who is unethical, manipulative,
exploitative,
abusive, and an utterly horrible person for you to open up to in
the way
that a submissive can open up to a dominant. Getting involved
with such
a man can leave you heavily damaged -- both emotionally and
physically.
Unfortunately, I also know of some submissive women who got
involved with
"Master Wrong" or even "Master Nightmare." Most recovered. Some
didn't.
Now for the advice: What you will be doing, in a very real
sense, is
exploring a wilderness. Therefore it makes a great deal of sense
to
approach your explorations into SM in much the same way that you
would
approach your explorations into any other type of wilderness.
This
wilderness, like all others, contains large amounts of both
beauty and
danger. Do yourself a big favor and never forget those two
extremely
important facts.
OK, Ms. Explorer, how might you approach that wilderness?
Tip One: Study and otherwise prepare before you approach it.
In one way, you are lucky to approach the SM wilderness at this
time,
because it has been already been extensively explored, and many
people
are willing to share their own findings. While universal
agreement does
not exist regarding what is and what is not appropriate SM, in
reality
there is actually fairly close consensus among most experienced
practitioners about most points. Most explorers have come to
highly
similar conclusions and recommendations, and many are quite
willing to
share this information with interested others. In particular,
there are
several very good books on the subject, a large number of
excellent SM
educational organizations (most large cities have at least one),
and a
wealth of quality information on the internet. You will find
references
to some of the better resources at the end of this article.
Also, again, as with approaching any other wilderness, it would
also be
prudent to do a bit of preparing for emergencies before heading
out.
Many SM people have done things like taken a first aid/CPR
class, had an
HIV test done, and gotten shots to protect themselves against
exposure to
Hepatitis A and B. Additionally, do you know what a "safeword"
is and
how a "silent alarm" works? Find out before you play with
someone in
private.
Tip Two: Get some perspective.
There is no such thing as the National Bureau of Sadomasochistic
Standards and Practices that issues rulings about what is and
what is not
"real" SM. Therefore, people must work out between
themselves what does and what does not work for them. On the
other hand, there is actually fairly close consensus among
experienced practitioners regarding the broad outlines of what
is and
what is not appropriate. That being the case, it would be smart
to seek out a variety of such opinions.
More to the point, it would be very dumb of you to depend upon
only one
source of information, no matter how "convincing" or
"authoritative" that
(usually male) source of information tries to appear. Try to
read at
least three different books, written by three different authors,
on the
subject. Look over a number of different web sites. Attend as
many
different SM-related presentations, by as many different
presenters, as
you can.
Tip Three: Time is your best and most important friend.
Rushing into any sort of wilderness is a Bad Idea. Take your
time. Look over the landscape. Talk with the natives. Talk with
lots
of different natives. Observe their colorful native costumes.
(Many of these natives look far more scary than they really are.
Don't let the sight of those whips and chains frighten you too
much.)
Venture into their shops and look over the goods for sale.
(Don't feel
too bad if you can't immediately figure out how some of those
goods are
used.) In particular, don't get heavily and exclusively involved
with
any one particular "native" too quickly.
Key Point: The seriously dangerous, abusive, predators usually
shun the
mainstream SM community because they know they would quickly
be discovered and ostracized. Therefore, they lurk on the
fringes of the
community, trying to "pick off" the novice submissive female,
whose low
level of knowledge and uninformed perspective can make her
dangerously
vulnerable. By the way, guess what you are?
Tip Four: You may get more attention than you can easily handle.
You are a female who is entering a territory in which it is
common for
there to be more men than women, and many of these men are
looking for a
woman to do SM with. (In common SM parlance, to do SM with
someone is to "play" with them. This is not meant in any sort of
diminishing or trivializing way, but rather in a manner similar
to how
one might "play" tennis or bridge with a partner.)
Anyway, there tend to be more men than women in the "relatively
heterosexual" sections of the SM community (there are men-only
and
women-only sections as well) and many of these men are looking
for women
to be either occasional or ongoing "play" partners. (A fair
number of
women and couples are looking for female play partners too.)
Therefore, you may get scores of polite offers -- and,
unfortunately, a
few not-so-polite offers -- for coffee dates or other
get-togethers.
There is nothing necessarily bad or wrong with such offers but,
again, go
slowly and don't get heavily involved with any one particular
man (or
woman, or couple) too quickly. In particular, be relatively
quick to
accept personal information from others, but be relatively slow
about giving out personal information about yourself to others
such as your telephone
number, where you work, your email address, and so forth.
Given that the competition for new females can occasionally be
intense
(by the way, don't let me scare you too much on this point),
keep in mind
that the person who shows the most aggressiveness in meeting you
may not
be the best person for you to become involved with. Indeed, and
sadly,
the converse is often more likely to be true. The nicer guys
often hold
back out of courtesy and respect while the creeps thrust
themselves into your face.
Keep your options open. Try to meet and have conversations with
many
different men. It is important that you not allow any one
particular man (or woman, or couple) to monopolize your time and
attention. Remember that the slightly more reserved people are
often the
better people to become involved with.
(By the way, once you've gotten some knowledge and perspective,
meeting
prospective partners via personal ads can be useful, as there
will be no
direct competition when you talk on the phone or meet at a
public
restaurant.)
Also, the more "known" a man is, the safer he is likely to be.
As a
rule, a man who has been known in his local SM community for
over a year
is probably relatively safe (although exceptions exist). A
lesser known man is more questionable. Again, take your time.
Another Key Point: You are under absolutely no obligation to act
in a
submissive manner towards a man until after the two of you have
negotiated that -- and done so as equals. If some jerk tries to
insist
that you call him "Sir" or "Master," or tries to give you
orders, or
touches you in an overly familiar way, or says that you're not
being
properly submissive when you haven't previously agreed to be
submissive
specifically to him, your "creep alarm" should
start ringing loudly -- and you should head elsewhere, fast.
(By the way, a friend of mine who is a very experienced
submissive woman
has come to believe that there is a strong inverse relationship
between how good a dominant a man is and how quickly he brings
up to
subject of fellatio.)
On the other hand, a low-key, friendly, courteous approach by a
dominant
is a very positive sign. Good-quality dominants tend to take a
measured,
attentive, respectful approach.
Tip Five: Take "elite" (and other) claims with a large grain of
salt.
Some men, in an attempt to impress you, may claim to be members
of an
"elite" private SM organization that only admits the "select
few" -- and
you, tasty little morsel that you are, just happen to qualify.
Well, the
truth is that there are many relatively private SM clubs, but
almost all are small, local groups, and most don't make any
special
claims of being "elite" or "true" SM organizations. In
particular, I
would urge you to be extremely skeptical of anyone claiming to
be a "true
master" or to practice the "one true form" of SM.
Remember that a bit of bragging on a man's part is often a
normal
part of dating behavior, so let him talk -- and listen carefully
to
both what he says and how he says it. How long has he been in
the
community? How many meetings, parties, and other events has he
attended?
What relevant books has he read? Has he ever given a
presentation at an
SM club? If so, did he get invited back?
Has he ever served a term as an officer in an SM club? If so,
how did most of the club members feel about him by the time his
term was over?
What are his opinions about others in the community, and his
view of
their opinions towards him? Dominant men often have strong
personalities
and strong opinions, and thus often evoke strong reactions.
Therefore,
it would be relatively normal if he had a bad view of a few
people in the
community, but does he have a bad view of virtually everybody?
(By the
way, notice how quickly, frequently, and intensely he voices
negative
opinions about others. That itself can be insightful.)
It would also be relatively normal if he (correctly) believed
that he had
a few enemies in the community, but does he believe he is being
widely shunned, or even conspired against?
How many friends does he have? Does he at least get along with
most
other dominant men? How do the dominant women in the club feel
about
him? Does he get along with most submissive men? In particular,
does he
have any close, deep, ongoing friendships?
When out on a date with such a man, notice how he treats the
people in
service jobs. Remember what's sometimes called the waitress
test:
Notice how your date treats the waitress -- because that's how
he's going to be treating you in six months. As one submissive
woman
remarked about how her (now ex) "Master" treated such people, "I
figured
it out. He's not a dominant. He's a rude asshole."
How does he now feel about the women he used to be involved
with? If he
has a low opinion of one or two of them, that's relatively
normal, but if
he claims that all of them were lying, unstable, bitches, it's
time to
get worried.
Check out his sense of humor, as this is often deeply reflective
of the
person. Be wary of the dominant who cannot laugh at himself.
(By the way, another submissive woman of long and somewhat
world-weary
experience has concluded that there is also a strong inverse
relationship
between how many titles a man awards himself and how good a
dominant he
is. Remember that fact when you meet someone who wants you to
address
him as Master Top Daddy Lord Sir.)
Tip Six: Know that "malicious warnings" occur.
The SM community is made up of human beings, and human beings
can be both ethical and unethical. While most people in the SM
community are pretty
ethical most of the time, there are lapses. This community,
unfortunately but predictably, has its full human share of
personality
conflicts, political feuds, bitter feelings following failed
relationships, and so forth.
While the community does try to warn newcomers about genuinely
dangerous people, understand that this warning process is
usually not
well organized, usually lacking in "due
process," and often not very objective in how such warnings are
made. It
is therefore, unfortunately, subject to abuse by unethical
people.
(Remember that there are at least two sides to a story, and the
guy may not even know an unflattering "story" is being
told about.) Therefore, I advise you to take an unsolicited
warning with a grain of salt.
Let's say that you are at a club meeting and having a
conversation with a
dominant man who seems decent enough, but after your
conversation with him someone else, whom you barely know, warns
you that the man you were talking to is an evil, unstable,
battering, substance abuser who kicks his dog and votes
Republican. What
should you do?
First, discreetly ask around (or simply listen as people talk).
How many
other people agree with your self-appointed "helpful
friend's" assessment? Is there any history of a personality
conflict,
and/or of a political feud, and/or of a failed relationship
between the
two of them? Do the members of one particular clique seem to
thing
that the guy in question is a creep but the rest of the club
members feel
OK about him?
Second, try this test: Ask several women who seem fairly
stable and objective to name some men that might be good for you
to
play with, and see who does and does not make their lists. How
do those
lists compare? What reasons are given for the selections and
exclusions?
Third, again, give it time. Personality always emerges over
time. Give
him enough time and, sooner or later -- and it's usually sooner
rather
than later -- you'll be able to judge quite clearly for yourself
whether
the guy is a prince or a frog. (You'll know something important
about
that helpful friend, too.)
Tip Seven: Beware, especially, of the person who tries to
isolate you.
Perhaps the single biggest "red flag" that a prospective male
partner
might be abusive or otherwise toxic is an attempt by him to
limit
your access to information and discussion about what are and
what are not
considered appropriate SM practices, ethics, and relationships.
This can sometimes be a bit difficult to determine because, as I
mentioned, the competition for new females can sometimes be
intense;
therefore it's understandable that a man might want to arrange
for you to
spend a significant amount of time just with him to see if he
can form a
relationship with you. (And let us remember there is a decent
chance that such a relationship might very well be a wonderful
thing for
both of you.)
Try this test: Dating realities being what they are, it's
understandable
that a guy might not want you to spend much time with other guys
(indeed,
it's a harsh fact, but many men won't bring a woman to an SM
club meeting
until their own relationship with her is firmly established),
but how
does he feel about your spending time with other sources of
information?
If he strongly opposes your discussing or learning about
SM from a source other than him, beware! If he doesn't want you
reading
non-fiction books about SM, or looking over web sites about SM,
or
attending presentations given by SM clubs, or hanging out with
other
submissive women, or in any other way "corrupting" yourself with
such
ideas of "false SM" when he is willing to bestow upon you the
honor and
privilege of learning "true SM" (from him), get out of there!
On the other hand, if he gives you books to read, points out web
sites
and other internet resources, takes you to various SM-related
presentations, and -- in particular -- puts you in contact with
other
submissive women, stick around for a while.
Tip Eight: Seek, especially, the advice and companionship of
other
submissive women.
I increasingly believe that the first resource a novice
submissive woman should be referred to when she comes into the
SM
community is a support group for submissive women -- preferably
a group
whose members meet face-to-face at least once a month. Several
SM clubs
have such a group, and more are starting them.
There is usually a tremendous amount of collective wisdom and
perspective
in such a group, and a novice submissive can learn a great deal
very
quickly. Probably the only big limit would be a "no setting up
play
dates" rule at the meetings. If a woman makes an offer to you,
during
such a group meeting, such as, "you know, a few play dates
with my wonderful Master (and maybe me as well) would teach you
ever so
much" I suggest that you quietly decline. On the other hand, as
you
meet many other submissive (or switchable) women, you may find
that you
have a particularly close rapport with some of them, and these
women can
become some of your best friends.
Hopefully there will be many such women in the group, and they
will come
from a variety of backgrounds, and not all be members of the
same group,
clique, or club (other than that one). Among other things, this
is a
great place to check out a dominant's reputation. If most of the
women
in the group think he's a good guy, that's one sign. If most of
them think he's a jerk, that's another sign. (In both cases,
try to get specifics as to why they feel that way. What,
exactly,
are the things he did or didn't do that were so wonderful or so
terrible?
Opinions unaccompanied by facts aren't worth much.)
Tip Nine: Explore.
Your first year of involvement in the SM world is often a time
of
tremendous personal growth and change. You will likely have many
new
experiences, meet many new people, and see many new sights.
(Being into
SM allows you opportunities to wear some truly wonderful
outfits, too.)
In addition to exploring your submissive aspects, you might also
find that you have some dominant aspects to yourself.
(A many "submissive" women are not
exclusively submissive. Many are more correctly called
"switches," and they at
least occasionally enjoy taking the opposite role. This is also
true of
many "dominant" men.)
Also, you will probably have a chance to take a closer
look at issues such as bisexuality and non-monogamy. I've found
that at
least half of the women in the "relatively heterosexual" section
of the
SM community are at least somewhat bisexual, and a large
percentage
of the couples are other than entirely monogamous.
You will also likely have a chance to explore many different
SM-related practices. For example, you may have had fantasies of
being
tied up, and you'll likely get a chance to explore that. You may
also
get opportunities to explore activities such as spanking,
whipping, using
clamps, dripping hot wax, and so forth.
One bit of advice: It's common to find that you will come to
enjoy
a broader range of activities over time, and that some (but not
all)
of the activities which at first held little interest for you,
or perhaps even
turned you off will become enjoyable. There's a saying: "Never
say
never."
On the other hand, there is a proper time and place to explore.
Trust your intuition. If doing something feels really right,
then doing it probably is right. On the other hand, if doing
something
distinctly feels wrong, then doing it probably is wrong. In
particular, don't rush into anything blindly. Never let
some "expert" talk you into doing something if doing it doesn't
feel
right. There is no rush about doing any of this. The truth
almost always emerges over time, so give yourself that time.
It can be insightful to play with several different partners as
you
explore SM, but you have to go about it carefully. This is true
even if your ultimate
goal is to find, and be monogamous with, "Master Right." As
always, take
your time, get to know the other person fairly well, and
negotiate
carefully before you play. It can be useful to keep the "NTA
test" in mind: How do you feel about the
idea of being "naked, tied up, and alone" with this person? By
the way,
one great feature of play parties is that they allow you to the
chance to
play with a new partner in relative safety.
Notice how things are developing over time in any relationship
you may
establish with a dominant man. While every relationship has its
ups and
downs, its successes and failures, and its rough spots and
smooth spots,
the overall trend should be a good one. If you basically feel
happy and,
over time, generally feel happier with your partner and your
relationship, that's a good sign.
On the other hand, if you basically feel unhappy and, over time,
generally feel unhappier about your partner and your
relationship, that's
a bad sign -- a very bad sign. If you're unhappy and getting
unhappier,
get some help or get out. (One novice submissive woman, who was
miserable in her relationship, asked me "every time he learns
that I like something, he takes it away from me -- even the
pleasure of
my giving him an orgasm. Is it supposed to be like that? I
didn't know
I knew so many different ways of saying "no." She didn't stay in
that relationship much longer.)
Tip Ten: When the proper time comes, help educate and
orient new submissive women, and others.
Interest in SM is growing rapidly, and the demand for realistic
information is growing accordingly. Don't be too surprised if
other
people, when they learn of your interest, start asking you for
information and advice. This may start happening long before you
feel
ready to start giving it. Don't worry too much. The generally
agreed
upon principles are fairly well known, and it's not difficult to
refer people to good sources of information. (You may quickly
become a
pretty good source of such information yourself.)
Remember that in a very real sense, there is a fierce
competition, almost
a war, going on between the "good guy" educators and the "bad
guy"
predators for the "hearts and minds" of the novices,
particularly the
novice submissive women, and that the stakes are very high --
sometimes
as high as life or death.
The "good guys" always need more team members. Please join when
you're ready.
Resources:
Many excellent resources exist
and I can't possibly include them all. I'm going to deal with
this
problem by listing a few that are sometimes called "gateway
resources"
because they are resources that lead to many other resources. I
recommend you look over as many of them as possible, and see
which
ones feel like a good match specifically for you.
1. "SM 101: A Realistic Introduction" by Jay Wiseman (me)
published by
Greenery Press. I wrote this book with the specific intention of
its
being the first book that a novice might read. It is a fairly
comprehensive introduction to SM, and includes an extensive
resource listing of other recommended books, clubs, and
additional
resources.
2. Greenery Press. Greenery Press publishes "SM 101" and more
than a
dozen other books dealing with relationships and sexuality
matters --
especially as they pertain to SM. In particular, after you've
thoroughly read over "SM 101," I recommend you carefully study
"The
Bottoming Book." For more information, including many useful
articles
and links to other resources, check out
www.bigrock.com/~greenery on the web.
To get a catalog, send a legal-sized, self-addressed, stamped
envelope to Greenery Press, 3739 Balboa # 195, San Francisco, CA
94121.
3. The Society of Janus. Located in San Francisco, this is one
of the
oldest SM education and support groups. Their activities
include educational programs, discussion groups, and parties.
They can
be reached at www.soj.org (another website with many excellent
articles
and links) or by calling 415 985-7117.
4. San Francisco Sex Information. These people offer an
excellent
telephone information, advice, and referral service (but not
phone sex).
They can be reached at www.sfsi.org or at 415 989-7374.
5. The internet newsgroup soc.subculture.bondage-bdsm. This is a
lively, ongoing forum for the discussion of many different
aspects of SM
(or BDSM, as it's more frequently called there). It also
contains
announcements of many national and local events.
6. Your local stores. Your local erotic boutique or leather
store can be
a first-rate source of information and support. There are often
books
and items of equipment for sale there, and sometimes there are
"in-store"
presentations as well. There is often also a bulletin board that
lists
upcoming local events.
7. Your local SM club. This is a prime resource. There is no
substitute for getting first-hand, face-to-face information and
advice,
and some clubs have absolutely world-class experts among their
members.
By the way, some areas also have more commercial enterprises
that put on
SM-related classes. Your local group will know which such
enterprises
are good ones. They can also steer you to informal discussion
groups
that meet occasionally in local restaurants; these are often
called
"munches."
8. Your local submissive women's support group. Such a group may
exist
either formally or informally. (One of my goals in writing this
is to
urge the formation of more such groups.) There is probably no
safer,
more useful, source of information, perspective, and support
than the
counsel of your "sisters" as you explore this wilderness.
My best wishes to you in your explorations.
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If the subject matter of this website, or the discussion thereof offends you in any way or form, or if you are not of legal age, you may not enter the website and MUST LEAVE NOW.
By entering this website you declare that you are of legal age of 18 years or older and agree to the terms and conditions of this website.
This Dominant submissive/slave lifestyle website first became active on about February 1, 2002. The Asj community has been online in one form or another since approximately early 1985.
Copyright © 1998 - 2013 [A submissives journey]. All rights reserved. Revised: March 10, 2013
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asj online community
- Visit our online community, including our chat rooms, member profiles, blogs and more.
- For those of the Gorean (Gor) persuasion, yes the Asj chat rooms include a Gorean Chat room, considered to be a safe zone.
ask live, online
Can't find what you're looking for, have a question about the Asj community, or the lifestyle in general, click the icon to chat live with one of our site monitors. We're proud to be one of the few D/s or BDSM sites to offer this feature.
