By Uncle Abdul

You can hardly go to any BDSM party nowdays without seeing somebody playing with a single tail. Generally you can see several, and the multiple cracking sounds almost makes a place like Castlebar sound like downtown Beirut. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. The sight of writhing subb... (oopps... I mean persons of a submissive persuasion) together with accompanying whimpers and screams warms the cock...les of my heart.

Of course with the mass use of single tails comes the proliferation of many quality whipmakers who supply the need for equipment. Also conversations in the social areas are laced with terms like, "momentum transfer', "sonic velocity", "lead shot", "crackers', and the like. Even single tail classes are given--Andrew, Guy, and others.

But then of course, there was a time years ago when such play was first introduced into the Bay Area Community. Of course back then it wasn't a 'single tail', it was a bullwhip. The only implement that had tails then were cats (as in cat-o-nine-... -- now floggers).

In the early 80's a young gay man showed up at parties with his 6-foot bullwhip. He'd crack it in the back yard within a group of folk who self-selected themselves into a seven-foot circle about him.

Then it was done more for the thrill of the crack more than anything else. Oh, his brave partner would bare her butt for several intense strokes, but she made sure she wore a heavy leather corset--more as armor against misdirected strikes that might hit her back.

This young man's recommendation for learning how to use a bullwhip was to get a bullwhip and teach yourself. He did this by donning a heavy leather motorcycle jacket and goggles (motorcycle helmet was preferred) and start waling away. He used for a practice target a teddy bear hanging from a clothes line. This is a far cry from today's training done under the watchful eye of a teacher who works with you to get your form right. It's also a great relief to teddy bear lovers too.

Bullwhips caught on quickly in the gay and lesbian communities shortly after that. That's when you also saw the first of the custom bullwhip makers started strutting their stuff. And now a decade later bullwhips... I mean single tails... are thicker than flies (which the killing thereof off the heads of oxen was one of the primary original uses of a bullwhip more than a hundred years ago).

Oh, there are unique things used for impact play that you see at parties nowdays from time to time. There are still some who use buggy whips (lunges), and then of course there was that guy who used the canoe paddle. But it is interesting to be around long enough in this community to see the ebb and tide of various fads in play and toys. Makes me want to stick around for quite a while more.

Chao-4-Now

Unc'