Guides

Slave positions: kneeling, inspection and other BDSM positions

Slave positions are set poses a submissive takes on command: kneeling at her feet, waiting quietly, standing still for inspection. There's no official list, and every dynamic invents its own, but the idea is universal. As Wikipedia puts it, kneeling is commonplace in BDSM as a way to show or enforce submission to the dominant partner. This page describes the common kneeling and standing positions in plain terms, explains the inspection position, looks at where those numbered lists online really come from, and covers the part most lists skip: protecting knees and breathing.

What slave positions are

A position is protocol made physical. It says something without a word: I'm waiting, I'm ready, I'm yours to look over. In a femdom dynamic, the mistress names each position, teaches it, and calls it with a word or a gesture, and the submissive's job is to take it promptly and hold it well. Positions are often part of slave training, alongside forms of address and daily rituals, and they suit both in-person dynamics and sessions on cam.

The phrase BDSM positions has a second meaning, too: the positions used in rope bondage. Those are a separate skill with their own safety rules, and they're not what this page covers.

Kneeling positions

Kneeling is the classic posture of deference, used for centuries in prayer, knighthoods and marriage proposals. The common forms are:

• Resting kneel. Kneeling with the legs folded underneath and sitting back on the heels, hands resting on the thighs, eyes lowered. This is the Japanese seiza posture, and it's the most sustainable kneel.
• Alert kneel. The same, with the toes tucked under, a variant called kiza in Japan. It's less comfortable and so feels more attentive.
• Upright kneel. Knees down, body straight from the knees up, hands behind the back. This is the formal, at-attention version.
• One knee. Kneeling on a single knee, the genuflection, often used for greeting or presenting something to her.
• Bowed kneel. Bending forward from a kneel to lower the head. Keep it brief, because folding the chest onto the knees restricts breathing.

Where the hands go, where the eyes look and how far apart the knees are can all be part of the definition. Small differences give each position its own meaning, and she decides what they are.

Standing and waiting positions

Not every position involves the floor. Common standing ones include attention, standing straight with hands clasped behind the back and eyes forward; waiting, standing or kneeling quietly at a set spot until called; and at heel, walking half a step behind her. Standing positions are kinder to knees and work well in daily life, where kneeling may not be practical.

The inspection position

The BDSM glossary describes inspection as the submissive adopting a pose to have their posture, grooming and appearance inspected, and sometimes their duties examined too. In practice it usually means standing straight and still, hands behind the back or head, eyes forward, while she checks nails, shave, clothing and posture, or reviews the results of a task. Claudia Varrin's femdom guide The Art of Sensual Female Dominance, first published in 2000, numbers its positions, among them attention and two waiting and inspection positions, and notes of one inspection pose that there is no humiliation associated with it. Inspection can be strict without being cruel; it's about being looked over and found ready.

Where numbered position lists come from

Search for slave positions and you'll find long numbered lists with exotic names. Many of them trace back not to any BDSM tradition but to fan culture around John Norman's Gor novels, which began with Tarnsman of Gor in 1966. Wikipedia notes that formal slave training, slave positions and commands are central to the Gorean subculture, which is generally seen as distinct from the wider BDSM community. Even a well-known leather protocol handbook from 2010 has been criticised as not true to historical fact and for drawing on Gorean positions.

The lesson is liberating: there's no canon you have to learn. A position is whatever the two of you agree it is.

Teaching positions in a femdom dynamic

• Start with two or three. A resting kneel, attention and inspection cover most needs.
• Name them simply. A word or a hand signal for each, so she can call them quietly, even in company.
• Practise short holds. A minute, then two, building up over weeks rather than in one evening.
• Correct gently. Adjusting a hand or a chin is part of the pleasure for both people.
• Fit them into rituals. Kneeling to greet her, attention while receiving tasks, inspection before bed; see femdom rules for how protocol fits together.

Protecting your knees

Kneeling looks gentle and isn't. Wikipedia notes that newcomers to seiza tend to get pins and needles after more than a minute or two, while experienced practitioners can hold it for 40 minutes or more, and that long periods are associated with knee problems. The UK Health and Safety Executive says knee bursitis is caused by repetitive kneeling and links repeated kneeling and squatting with damage to the knee cartilage. Floor layers and cleaners, who kneel for a living, have a higher risk of knee osteoarthritis.

The fixes are simple. The NHS advises padding when kneeling and regular breaks; the HSE recommends knee pads or anti-fatigue matting. A kneeling cushion or a low seiza stool takes much of the pressure off. Avoid long pressure on the back or side of the knee, which can compress a nerve; case reports describe foot drop after prolonged kneeling. Anyone with a knee replacement should ask a physiotherapist first, since kneeling is among the activities they most often advise against. And ignore endurance contests: one 2008 primer describes holding inspection for four hours as a goal. That's not normal, and it's not necessary.

Breathing and restraint

Positional asphyxia happens when a position stops someone from breathing adequately, and the risk rises when someone is pushed forward with the chest on or near the knees, or when the thighs press hard against the stomach. Never hold a folded position for long, and never add pressure from above. If restraints are involved, Wikipedia's guidance for bondage applies: never leave a bound person alone, change position at least once an hour, and watch for numbness, cold or colour change in the hands and feet. A silent safeword, such as dropping an object held in one hand, is useful when speaking is difficult.

Positions on cam

Positions translate well to a webcam: she calls them, you take them, and the camera is the inspection. You can frame the shot so your face stays out of view, and nothing needs to happen that you haven't agreed. The strip at the top of this page shows strict mistresses live now, and our limits guide covers what to agree first.