I may be out of my league here since I don't consider myself having had any real BDSM events. Once tied the hands of my girlfriend and blindfolded her and used a dildo, vaginal balls and myself to satisfy her, but I have yet to learn to talk during sex.

Still, I have thought of this a lot since entering the realm that is this forum. I find myself enjoying the thought of being in control of the partner I'm with, so I guess I am a dominant at heart, but too nervous to be truly dominant IRL. So for me, inflicting pain would mostly involve using myself. That means I could leave marks by biting nipples, leaving a "hickie" or inflame their ass with my hand or a light paddle, at most a belt. Now, could I take this pain myself? I truly think so. I generally consider myself a sissy but fact is fact: When I was in the sixth grade, I broke my upper arm. I was thrown on ice and landed on my left arm. It hurt like hell off course. I got off the last two classes of school that day, after having attended one class after this happened. Got to my grand parents' home and watched TV. Took pain killers to sleep that night. That was it, apart from being excused from gymnastics for three weeks. After two weeks I continued playing my flute and after three weeks I went back to gym, doing push ups and pull ups (not so good off course) just like everybody else. After the pain was still there six weeks later my parents and I finally thought it was time to check it out. Got an X-ray, a requisition to see the physical therapist and a line I'll never forget: "How have you endured this? Lucky as well. It's healed perfectly"

Another time I broke my lower left arm. Didn't take as long to get an X-ray this time as the following it was clear it was broken by the bulge on my arm. Still, only three weeks later we were at a sailing school and even though it hurt, the teachers said I was the best one at piling/taking down (don't know the maritime term) the sails.

What I am saying is that most people can endure a lot more pain than they think, and what I believe myself capable of inflicting upon others would be no more than what I have already lived through myself.