In our Facebook group, “BDSM Answers by The Crow Academy,” a fine gentleman asked “What is High Protocol Domination & Submission?”
This was our reply, as The Crow Academy is very much a High-Protocol, High-Etiquette school of Romantic Domination & Submission.
Enjoy. 🙂
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A High Protocol D/s Relationship (whether intimate or not) revolves around a very strong sense of Roles and Decorum. The Dominant expects precision and grace from the Submissive in their actions, and the Submissive performs certain activities and actions in carefully laid-out, pre-set, step-by-step sequences, also usually revolving around doing so precisely and gracefully. Throughout all of this, there is an aura of Deference and Respect aimed from the Submissive towards the Dominant, and a gentle oversight and attention from the Dominant as though they are listening for tonal accuracy in the song of an Opera Singer, i.e. that precision and grace in the actions of the Submissive.
Expectations are appropriately high because both the Dom and Sub desire that shared level of precision, generally attained through practice and repetition. The Dominant does in fact return the precision by way of carefully measured commands and instructions aimed at providing a platform for the Submissive to shine gracefully and excel in their High Protocol presentations. High Protocol is often – but not mandatorily – accompanied by overt, unspoken confirmations as well, be they visual such as special clothing, special jewelry, tempo of the physical presentation, manner of speaking and diction, etc.
Commonly, High Protocol D/s involves a series of generally utilitarian Physical Postures or Positions the Submissive will take for the Dominant. Kneeling a certain way, presenting their body for a certain kind of play, standing at attention… and many more… are all common High Protocol Submissive Positions. These “Slave Positions are often elicited by nothing more than the Dominant speaking a certain word or even merely calling out a number, etc.
This D/s Style known as (Consensual) High Protocol and / or High Etiquette can be traced back to at least the mid-1800’s North Western Europe. A great number of the practices enjoyed today began as the “stately” practices of closed societies of aristocrats in private BDSM gatherings. Many of the common aspects of D/s Etiquette these same aristocrats expected of each other in “polite society” were transferred and modified for their BDSM gatherings and experiences. This then, is why sometimes you hear people describe their D/s style as “High Protocol & High Etiquette.”
The Crow Academy is a school of Romantic, High-Protocol, High-Etiquette D/s & BDSM, and our first book, “Igniting The Fire: The Art of Romantic Submission” is entirely written from this standpoint.
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