From Master's Desk: Two Breeds of Master

Masters like an air of mystery about them. They like to appear stoic with a tough exterior. After all, they are dominants, bad asses in control with whips and chains, house manuals and protocols. They are their own person, not afraid to claim that they follow no one else’s rules but their own. Each one is different; each one unique. They are masters, hear them roar.

However, the truth is we’re not so unique. Actually, there are only two types of master. They may have varying shades under these headings, but when it’s boiled down to the core of who they are, only two types emerge – a Protocol Master or a Play Master, and before anyone gets offended, I am not using the word “play” to mean it’s a game to them. Far from it. These masters are just as serious in what they do as anyone else. Furthermore, as I said, each master has shadings of both. I lean more towards protocols, myself, favoring the structure of how things are done. However, I transform our bedroom – or kitchen, or bathroom, or, well you get the idea – into a dungeon with ease. Everyone has both aspects, but we tend to lean more towards one end of the Lifestyle than the other. Allow me to explain.

In my observations, masters focus on one of two areas, either protocols or scenes. What I refer to as a Play Master is really a Master of the Scene. They are experts in the physical aspects of M/s with a heavy bent on S/m and everything that falls under those two letters. Some are so involved as to actually make their own toys and gadgets from floggers to clamps to fisting devices. They have vast rope knowledge and lead the pack in safety measures. The subject of techniques and stories of their experiences fill their conversations because it’s what interests them the most.

On the other side of the leather coin is the Protocol Master. They are passionate about how things are done, the details of service. Rituals and rules are their focus as they strive for structure and order. They may seem stiffer in mannerisms at times than the Play Masters, but it’s only because their world revolves around how things are done just as much as what is being done.

Neither of these masters is better than the other; they are just different.

The sad part is the way the two types view each other. Because the Play Master is seen to mainly focus on sceneing, at times he isn’t taken as seriously as he deserves. “He’s only in it for the kink,” is the common criticism. He’s laid back in the structure of every day living and could care less what side of the plate the fork resides. Likewise, because the Protocol Master does care where the fork is placed and even has a written rule for it, he comes across as rigid and snobbish. Both sets, however, come across as arrogant believing their way is the right way when really it is only right for them.

Furthermore, each group can learn from the other. The hypocrisy of it all is where we scream that we’re our own person and do not follow the path of others and yet, we criticize them for their path. I have friends on both sides of that fence – Play Masters and Protocol Masters – and I value both for what they can teach me. I may not agree with them or do things like them; my interests may lie in other areas, but I respect these men for who they are and what they bring to the Lifestyle.

What type of master a person is only matters to them and those under them. What is right for one may not be right for another, or even to their liking, but it should be respected. The world of BDSM is a vast umbrella and regardless which side of the fence a person leans, everyone should be treated with honor and courtesy. As a Lifestyle we will never gain acceptance until we can accept our own community.

BY PapaBear66