Category: D/s, Power Play
Subcategory: Power exchange / Protocol

Training

Training involves the systematic instruction and development of a submissive's skills, behaviors, and responses according to the dominant's preferences and standards. This might include learning specific service techniques, proper protocol implementation, body position training, speech patterns, sexual responses, or other abilities that enhance the submissive's capacity to please and serve.

The developmental focus of training appeals to the growth potential within power exchange. Submissives often find satisfaction in measurable improvement, the deepening of their submission through new skills, and the attention received during instruction. Training provides tangible ways to demonstrate devotion through effort and achievement. Dominants typically value shaping their partner according to their vision, witnessing progress under their guidance, and the investment in developing a submissive who increasingly embodies their ideals. This process creates a dynamic where power exchange becomes a vehicle for continual evolution and refinement within the relationship.

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This is a description of an activity in the BDSM checklist (also known as a 'kink list'). Want to discover what (more) kinks you might have? Maybe share them with a partner? Start the checklist!

About the category D/s, Power Play

Dominance and submission (D/s) and power play revolve around the consensual exchange of control between partners. This dynamic can manifest in countless ways—from bedroom-only scenarios to comprehensive lifestyle arrangements—all centered on one partner taking a controlling role while the other yields authority within negotiated boundaries.

People are drawn to power exchange for diverse reasons: the freedom found in surrender, the thrill of exercising control, the deep trust required, and the opportunity to explore aspects of themselves not expressed in everyday life. Unlike physical BDSM activities which focus on bodily sensations, D/s emphasizes psychological connection and the erotic potential of power differentials, creating experiences that many find deeply fulfilling on both emotional and sexual levels.

About the subcategory Power exchange / Protocol

Power exchange protocols establish formalized patterns of behavior between partners that reinforce and express their D/s dynamic. These may include specific language requirements, postures, rituals, or rules that symbolize and maintain the consensual power differential between participants.

People engage in protocols for the structure and clarity they bring to power exchange relationships. These practices create consistent reminders of roles, deepen the psychological aspects of submission and dominance, and provide a framework for expressing devotion and control. For many practitioners, the mindfulness required to maintain protocols creates a meditative focus that enhances connection and satisfaction beyond what more casual power dynamics might offer.



All activities in the checklist: