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When you hear the term BDSM, you probably immediately think of restraints and dominance. But there is much more to this term than handcuffs, leather harnesses, or other toys. Once you delve a little deeper into this exciting world, you will quickly realize that safety, consent, and communication also play an important role for those who engage in various types of BDSM play. To ensure that sessions are not only hot but also responsible, various principles have developed within the scene. You may have heard of SSC, RACK, or PRICK. In this article, we’ll explain exactly what these terms mean.
Why BDSM principles are important
Before we dive into the individual concepts, it makes sense to briefly explain what BDSM actually is. BDSM stands for bondage & discipline, dominance & submission, sadism & masochism. It is therefore about consensual power games, living out fantasies and often extreme stimuli.
Precisely because these games involve physical, psychological, or emotional intensity, clear rules are necessary. BDSM principles help you to better protect yourself and others, take responsibility for your role, and build healthy, trusting relationships. After all, pleasure always arises where there is trust.
SSC principle: Safe, Sane, Consensual
The best-known BDSM principle is probably SSC. It focuses on three elements: safe, sane, and consensual.
Safe (safe) is meant to remind you, as a participant, to engage in all activities in such a way that no one is harmed, either physically or emotionally. To achieve this, it is useful to work with safe words.
Conscious awareness of potential risks during sessions also contributes to safety.
Sane (of sound mind/healthy) expresses that you and all participants should be of sound mind and mentally stable during your activities. This is ensured above all by not using drugs, taking protective measures such as condoms, avoiding extreme emotional states (e.g., despair, grief, or anger) and not making dangerous impulsive decisions.
Consensual (mutually agreed) presupposes that everything that happens between you and your partner(s) is voluntary. Every action should be voluntary and happen by mutual agreement. The principle here is that consent is not negotiable.
The BDSM principle SSC ensures that BDSM sessions take place within clear boundaries, remain controllable at all times, and occur in a low-risk environment. Beginners in particular usually feel very comfortable with SSC.
RACK: Risk Aware Consensual Kink
RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink) is, so to speak, the further development of the SSC principle. It can provide a framework if you want to dive a little deeper into the scene and consciously play with risks.
The idea behind RACK is, first and foremost, risk awareness. This means that you are aware of possible risks and accept them. For example, you know that needles or breath control can have physical consequences, and you decide to do it anyway because you are physically and mentally prepared. The RACK principle also includes the term consensual, which means that even in risk-aware actions, consent between the participants remains essential and is non-negotiable. Kink is the final element of the RACK principle and focuses on your individual preferences. Social norms therefore take a back seat.
PRICK – Personal Responsibility, Informed, Consensual, Kink
PRICK is a principle that focuses on your personal responsibility. It combines elements of SSC and RACK, but goes one step further. The most important element is personal responsibility. This means that you alone are fully responsible for your actions during a session. This applies not only to what you want yourself, but also to what you expect from your partner. In addition, there is the term “informed,” which is intended to make it clear that decisions are made on the basis of sufficient information. This means that you know what you are getting into and have also informed your play partner. The term “consensual” has the same meaning in the PRICK principle as it does in SSC and RACK. The word “kink” also indicates the focus on individual play in this principle.
FRIES: modern BDSM principle
FRIES is an abbreviation and also stands for a consensus-based guiding principle in BDSM that you can use as a guide. FRIES combines the initial letters of certain aspects that you can use as guidelines for yourself (and your respective partner) in BDSM. Specifically, FRIES stands for:
F – Freely given, i.e., the consent given by all parties voluntarily and without pressure to what happens in the session.
R – Reversible, which means that you can withdraw your consent at any time.
I – Informed means that all participants are informed about practices, their risks, and safety measures.
E – Enthusiastic means that participants look forward to playing together and no one does anything just to please the other person.
S – Specific means that you have given your consent specifically for a particular session, a particular practice, or an agreed duration. It is therefore not to be understood as a kind of general power of attorney.
FRIES is a very modern principle that emphasizes regular consensus discussions and secure information. For these reasons, it is also suitable for beginners.
YKINMKBYKIO – what?
A basic principle in BDSM is the somewhat awkward YKINMKBYKIO, which is of course an abbreviation and, when read correctly, means the following:
Y-our K-ink I-s N-ot M-y K-ink B-ut Y-our K-ink I-s O-kay
Loosely translated, this means something like “Your preference is not my preference, but your preference is okay.” This principle may sound awkward, but it clearly illustrates what BDSM is all about: acceptance within the BDSM scene. Even if a fetish, kink, or preference is extremely unusual and someone cannot understand it, it is still not to be condemned.
DEBRIS: Dominance through authentic presence
Domination Enhanced Beyond Rule Induced Superiority (DEBRIS) is a modern BDSM concept that leaves classic ideas of dominance behind. This principle does not insist on rigidly enforcing rules or taking control solely through formally established power relations. When you practice DEBRIS, you rely less on external structures and develop your dominance through authenticity, presence, and a keen sense of your counterpart. It is, so to speak, an invitation to rethink dominance. It becomes something that goes beyond mere superiority and creates a genuine connection between you and your partner.
Total Power Exchange (TPE)
This concept describes an intense form of BDSM relationship. In a TPE relationship, you, as the submissive partner, hand over full responsibility to the dominant partner, who takes it on. The special feature is that the handover or takeover is not just for the duration of a session, but for the entire everyday life. The goal is not control for control’s sake. Rather, you choose a deep, consciously chosen power imbalance based on trust, mutual consent, and clear communication. When you live TPE, you shape your relationship as a permanent power game in which roles, tasks, and decision-making power are clearly distributed. This form of devotion or leadership can be deeply fulfilling when practiced mindfully, reflectively, and respectfully.
Complete and Irrevocable Submission (CIS)
In the BDSM scene, this refers to a radical concept that describes complete and irreversible devotion to someone. It is basically the radicalized form of a TPE relationship. When you enter into CIS, you permanently surrender all your freedom of choice to your partner as a fundamental way of life. Following the CIS principle requires an extreme degree of trust, self-knowledge, and inner clarity. The whole thing is not just a short-term thrill, but represents a profound, usually contractually and emotionally solidified state in which your identity as a sub completely merges with your role. However, it is important that your consent is voluntary and that you are informed about the consequences. In addition, it must be possible to legally revoke your consent at any time, even if you actually submit “irreversibly.”
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