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Bastinado
Bastinado: from the word baston, which in English becomes baton. A baton is a stick, club, cudgel, or truncheon which, as 'bastinado', is used to beat the soles of the feet, generally as a form of corporal punishment.
Falaq, Falanga, Falaka, Fallagas: all appear to be variants of the same word, which is used in Middle Eastern cultures to refer to a small crop-like weapon that is approximately 18" in length, with a hardened inner shaft, the outside made of leather, either braided or wound around the 'cane'. The word/s by extension become the practice of using this weapon to inflict punishment on the soles of the feet.
Feet whippings extend back through history. The practice appears to have been used or is currently being used globally to punish miscreant activities. Bastinado is considered to be extremely painful and has long been used in interrogation and torture activities as a means to elicit information from the victim. Some of the Asian cultures tend to use small rattan switches, quite similar to or identical to S/m rattan canes, to beat the soles of the feet of their children. This beating is also done to the soles of the feet of women.
A majority of the currently practicing cultures appear to favor using bastinado on their children of both genders, whereas the male parent appears to use bastinado on his children and wife. In adulthood, the male may only experience bastinado himself if he is brought into the hands of the militia or judicial system.
Some cultures believe that to be 'bastinadoed' is to be forced into a position of overt submission. If a person is severely bastinadoed, they will be unable to place their weight upon the soles of their feet, forcing them to crawl, a position which will reinforce the domination of the performer of the bastinado over them. Some cultures extend this practice beyond caning to include the slicing of the bottoms of the feet and burning the bottoms of the feet. Often, these types of injuries are forcibly kept open so that the victim of the practice must remain 'at the feet' of their assaulter indefinitely. When a man is forced into this position, he is often seen by many or all within his culture to be 'emasculated' or removed from 'male status', sometimes for the remainder of his life.
The furthest extensions of bastinado include the removal of the feet. This and 'hobbling' were practices performed to prevent escape and permanently enslave the victim without the need for constant monitoring. Such a victim was often placed in a position of drudge and made to clean or attend to 'filth' tasks which were considered beneath the 'level' of a 'human being' or to be used as a source of 'inescapable' labor.
Hobbling is a practice of cutting the tendons at the back of the foot and was extensively used on black slaves right here in America.
From the perspective of S/m scening. What can you do and what should you do? First, I will tell you how it was and is done. The person is placed belly down with their feet attached to a whipping post. Some posts have cross bars for the feet to rest upon. The person is bound sufficiently to prevent excessive movement. If you wish to scene bastinado, then you should support and cushion the foot. Some people create and use foot stocks, which are heavily padded.
The foot is an extremely fragile and delicate machine. There are numerous bones, tendons, joints, muscles, and tissues that are vulnerable to significant injury. What is perhaps more significant is that most of the bodies nerve system has nerve endings which are somewhat exposed in the feet. A severe beating to the feet can cause injury to the entire body, not just the feet. A severe beating can destroy or damage any of the foot's many complicated and complex systems, reducing or impairing the individual's ability to walk or causing significant long-term harm to that person. That becomes, by extension, a 'non-sane' practice and violates the underlying tenets of Safe, Sane, and Consensual. It also becomes unsafe, in that it can permanently injure.
What can you do if you wish to scene bastinado? First, use a small switch or a cane. Never use a paddle, heavy rod, crop, or other hard object to strike the foot. You are not trying to break bones here. The bones of the feet are quite small and very easy to break. Protect the areas around the foot, such as the ankles and toes. You can wrap the foot in a towel, exposing only the soles to prevent inadvertent injury. Use objects that will sting but not damage. Do not try to whip or cane the feet until bruising occurs. Do not try to break the skin or leave visible welts. Go for sensation but not damage.
You can safely include the soles of the feet in candle and ice play. You can, with relative safety, use 'doctored' clothespins in and around the toe area as you might on the webbing between the fingers of the hand. Remember to allow clothespins on any area of the skin for short bursts of time - recommended time is 7 minutes. Longer clamping of the skin can cause permanent tissue damage. Take a course in Reflexology and learn where the most vulnerable areas of the foot are and what to avoid. Avoid clamping or binding where there is known exposure of the nerves - this can cause permanent nerve damage and numbness.
(From a watchful member
Scene safe. Use mild forms of bastinado in small doses. Learn as much as you can if this is of particular interest to you. Never engage in any practice that will reduce, diminish, or permanently negatively alter the health and well-being of another human being. Do NO Harm.
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