Florentine Flogging Practice – Long Version

AdryX is here to guide you.

Below you'll find the basics of Florentine flogging — in words, to begin with.

Handling floggers the Florentine way is best learned with two identical objects (whips, floggers, poi or equivalents).

Experienced practitioners may deliberately use two different types of toy to vary the sensations. And when starting out, you may not have two identical objects to train with. We recommend using objects of identical or very similar size and weight — it will make your practice easier.

Make sure the weight, balance and grip suit you. The tips of the falls can be cut to your preference: square, round or bevelled. By default, AdryX makes its falls square. Feel free to re-cut them round or bevelled. Bevelled tips are especially prized for Florentine work by experts in the discipline.

Don't hesitate to practise one hand after the other, then both, to get used to moving them through space.

The possible movements are almost infinite — it all depends on your imagination and dexterity. Watch your surroundings: your furniture and the people nearby will thank you.

Here we present the two main movements that form the basis of the Florentine: four-beat and six-beat, the sequences that repeat before the pattern starts again.

Before you begin, it's important to determine your dominant hand. Generally the right for right-handers, the left for left-handers. It sounds obvious put that way, but it matters for what follows. Throughout the explanations below, I'll use these two terms (dominant hand, non-dominant hand) so they're useful whatever your predisposition.

The four-beat movement:
The dominant hand draws a figure eight, always above the non-dominant hand. It's the simplest variant to learn and master. Most practitioners use only this version.

The six-beat movement:
The two figure-eight movements interlace, and the hands alternate passing one above the other. This variant is more complex and should only be attempted once the four-beat is perfectly mastered.

Learning the movement:
The basic movement is an elongated figure eight, like the infinity sign (∞). This pattern creates an X shape on the partner's back, so the strikes cross the spine. Striking vertically could create some risk, so it's something to avoid.

First steps:
Start by mastering the figure-eight movement with each hand separately. Once you feel comfortable, let's lay the foundations of the movement. To practise, you can use something a little soft such as a bed, a sofa or a massage table. The height should be slightly below your crotch height. I've already damaged my office chair while practising, so I can only recommend choosing a surface that won't come to any harm.

Once comfortable with each hand, combine the two following this sequence:

Four-beat method:
The dominant hand always stays above the non-dominant hand. The cycle repeats in a loop: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on.

- Beat 1: Backhand of the dominant hand
Start with both floggers on the non-dominant side. The dominant hand strikes backhand toward the target. The flogger lands diagonally on the surface (or target).

- Beat 2: Fall and follow-through of the non-dominant hand
Let the dominant-hand flogger fall back to the dominant side. Simultaneously, the non-dominant hand begins its movement, following toward that same dominant side. It stays below the dominant hand at all times.

- Beat 3: Overhand strike of the dominant hand
The dominant hand comes back with an overhand strike, hitting from the dominant side toward the target. The flogger again lands diagonally, crossing the first impact to form an X.

- Beat 4: Backhand of the non-dominant hand + return
The dominant hand's movement crosses the non-dominant one; the arms briefly cross. The non-dominant hand follows with a backhand, then falls back to the non-dominant side. You're back to the starting position: begin again at 1.

Progression
Once the four-beat is mastered, practise:
In the air, with no target.
On a fixed target (a mark on a wall or a cushion).
On a partner wearing thick clothing or a leather jacket, before moving to bare skin.

The AdryX tip: Count slowly out loud at first — “1, 2, 3, 4” — until the sequence becomes a reflex. Keep your wrists as close together as possible to smooth out the movement. Later, to make the gesture more spectacular, you can open it up by spreading your elbows, which will gradually lead you to spread your wrists.

Six-beat method
Here, the two hands alternate passing above one another. Think of the cycles in two blocks of 3: beats 1, 2, 3 are dominated by the dominant hand on top, beats 4, 5, 6 by the non-dominant hand on top. Keep your wrists as close together as possible to smooth out the movement.

- Beat 1: Backhand of the dominant hand (on top)
The dominant hand is above. It strikes backhand toward the target, as in the four-beat. The non-dominant hand is below and follows the overall movement.

- Beat 2: Crossing of the floggers
Both hands move toward the centre. The floggers cross in space, the trajectories interlacing. This is the transition moment: neither is yet clearly on top.

- Beat 3: The non-dominant hand passes on top
This is the key moment of the six-beat. The non-dominant hand rises and takes the top position, while the dominant hand drops to the low position. The role change happens here.

- Beat 4: Backhand of the non-dominant hand (on top)
The non-dominant hand is now above. It strikes backhand, mirroring beat 1 but on the other side. The dominant hand is below and follows.

- Beat 5: A new crossing
Second transition moment: the floggers cross again at the centre, the trajectories interlacing once more to prepare the return.

- Beat 6: The dominant hand passes back on top
The dominant hand rises back to the top position, the non-dominant drops. You're back to the starting configuration: begin again at 1.

The AdryX tip: Don't try to “think” the 6 steps one by one. Instead, feel the rhythm in two waves of 3. If you naturally fall back into the four-beat while practising, that's normal. Once you find how to swap the hands in the four-beat, the six-beat almost triggers itself. Sometimes even coming back to the four-beat is tricky for me — know that this happens too.

You can practise with scarves, tea towels or poi to focus on the movements without worrying about precision. And it's more discreet — sort of. Some practitioners train by lightly tying their wrists together to learn to keep the technique tight. It works quite well; I'm sure you have handcuffs at home. Otherwise, AdryX will surely offer some soon.

Try switching from the four-beat to the six-beat mid-session to vary the sensations.

There are several ways to hold your floggers; we may come back to that in a future guide.

Conclusion
Practice is the key. It's essential to give your partner a good experience. And for you too — what's more frustrating than not executing the gesture you intended, swatting at flies or hitting the wrong spots.

Flagellation is a dance between you and your partner. It's not a demonstration of technical virtuosity. Two-handed Florentine is an excellent way to create a smooth, continuous session experience. It must never distract you from the essential: mastering your ego and staying focused on your play partner.

For a better experience, vary the speed and intensity. Learn to strike, to caress. Stay focused on your partner's body — you must be able to read it. Practise! Practise! Practise! Until you're sure of your precision. Your partner's safety depends on it. Train often and you'll never stop improving.

After a while, you'll forget the gesture, you'll stop counting, and there you'll be truly connected to your partner — and that's all that matters. Have fun and play safely!

Too much chatter, but it seemed important to me, so below you'll find a visual summary. Maybe one day I'll redo it for you on video, though there are very good ones on the internet.