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Discipline and correction and how it relates to submissive training will be the final category discussed in this basic introduction to submissive training content and techniques. Some might see these two terms as meaning essentially the same thing. Others might wonder why punishment was not included in the title. To address the latter first, correction may involve punishment but punishment is generally punitive while correction need not be punitive at all. A review of the following definitions should show that while all three terms are related, there are clear distinctions.

Defining the Terms

Discipline - “Training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. Control gained by enforcing obedience or order. A rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity.”

Correction - “The action or an instance of correcting. A bringing into conformity with a standard. Something substituted in place of what is wrong.”

Punishment - “The act of punishing. Imposing a penalty on for a fault, offense, or violation. Inflicting a penalty for the commission of an offense in retribution or retaliation.

Source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Clearly all three terms are related to a degree but each have differences in meaning and context that demonstrates they should all be considered independently.

What to Expect From Discipline and Correction Training

Discipline and correction covers a fairly broad area in submissive training, including…

• Maintaining stillness
• Accepting restrictions on movement
• Being unobtrusive
• Posture
• Being restrained
• Delaying gratification
• Acceptance of pain
• Accepting punishment in the way dominant requires

A superficial review of the items listed should illustrate that when it comes to discipline and correction, the new submissive should expect much more of the former than the latter. Six out of the eight items listed have to do with discipline while only two have to do with correction (including punishment).

Specifics of Discipline

Restrictions on movement is one aspect that I think it fair to say, every new submissive will experience to a great extent, both in initial and continuing training from a dominant. Typically except where freedom of movement is required to accomplish some task assignment, such as household cleaning, gardening or meal preparation, a submissive is typically not free to roam about as they desire.

When not actually serving the dominant or being used by the dominant, the submissive is usually “parked” or placed on a specific spot to await instructions or use by the dominant. When parked, the submissive is expected to remain quiet, still and to exhibit good posture. At the very least, speaking without permission (unless authorized in advance), fidgeting about or letting the eyes roam all about the room are generally not permitted.

Real life D/s relationships involve a great deal more of this than an online one, where the submissive generally enjoys greater freedom and autonomy. The dominant may have to use more creative instructional methods to teach a submissive discipline in an online environment. As an example, I was once required to kneel in a designated spot in my own home for a half-hour at the same time each day, forbidden to answer the phone, go to the bathroom, get a drink, or anything else so that I could learn to accept restrictions on movement, work on posture, and cultivate the ability to be quiet and still for an extended period of time.

Specifics of Correction

While dominants are typically quite patient and give a new submissive time to acclimate to all the new things encountered when new to the lifestyle, after a certain point, the dominant will expect the submissive to have learned and retain the things they have been taught. Early on, a dominant might just provide a quick verbal correction if the submissive should forget a rule or do something wrong but the time will come when mistakes will receive more firm correction since the dominant does not wish the submissive to slip into bad habits.

Correction sometimes takes the form of something as simple as the dominant making an on the sport correction during positions training like, “spread you knees wider” or “move your knees an inch closer together.” These type of corrections I tend to refer to as active coaching. Negative reinforcement can be a feature of correction, but correction, unlike punishment is non-punitive.

Specifics of Punishment

While punishment will likely be experienced less often than either discipline or correction, punishment is perhaps the broadest component under the category simply because punishment can be meted out in so many different ways. Just as some parents believe and spanking and others do not, there are varied philosophies regarding how to punish among dominants.

Punishment can roughly be divided into two primary categories…

• Corporal punishment
• Non-corporal punishment

Corporal punishment

Corporal punishment in the form of spanking, whipping, caning, slapping and the like is sometimes meted out as punishment but the use of corporal punishment is in my experience used sparingly for several reasons.

Some dominants see positive reinforcement as a better means of shaping a sub’s behavior and so do not rely on the negative reinforcement of corporal punishment. Another consideration is that many subs are masochists and so corporal punishment might be perceived as a reward rather than as correction and thus ineffective except when used with subs who do not have a masochistic streak.

Lastly, many dominants refuse to use things involved in play and scenes as punishment because they do not wish to confuse the submissive, wishing to maintain a clearly positive, erotic connection with these things. Thus if spanking is often an activity used in play, it is unlikely to be used as a punishment.

Non-corporal punishment

Non-corporal punishment techniques are the techniques more often used both in real life relationships as well as online. Punishments of this type are generally quite effective in getting a dominant’s point across and as will be seen, lend themselves much more easily to online training than corporal techniques.

A few examples of non-corporal punishments techniques often used include…

• The submissive is not permitted to play with the dominant.
• The submissive is not permitted to use the dominant’s name (e.g., Master, Mistress).
• The submissive is not permitted to wear his/her collar.
• The submissive is not permitted orgasms.
• The submissive is not permitted to walk upright but must crawl.
• The submissive is required to stand in a corner.
• The submissive is required to write essays on the topic requiring the punishment or may be required to write repetitive sentences (i.e., “I will not whine, pout or behave like a spoiled brat”).
• The submissive is required to eat or drink from a pet bowl.

Actually there are infinite possibilities when it comes to ways a dominant may punish a submissive in non-corporal ways that typically are far more effective than any type physical punishment that might be used.

While far from an exhaustive treatment, hopefully this overview gives the reader introductory exposure to the topic of discipline and correction and the role it plays in submissive training. This concludes our introductory tour of submissive training and it hoped that those who have taken the time to read these articles have gained not only some useful knowledge but are now in the position to view the prospect of training at the hand of a dominant with far less anxiety.

For those who may wish to use this series as a ready reference to refer back to, please bookmark the introductory post, Understanding Submissive Training. In the last section of that post, Submissive Training Categories, there is a listing of the eight training categories and I have created in-text links from each category to the appropriate post where the category is discussed.