Jerkoff instruction is verbal and sometimes visual prompts about how a man should masturbate and when to orgasm, if at all. Jerkoff instruction is often a component of orgasm denial, as practiced by couples in the BDSM community. However, it can also be an element of foreplay for vanilla couples.
Jerkoff instruction is often shortened to the acronym JOI.
During Jerkoff instruction, an instructor tells and sometimes shows a man how to masturbate. The instruction will usually tell men how hard or soft to jerk off, how rapid his strokes should be, and where he should touch. The instructor may also use a visual aid, like a dildo or vibrator, to demonstrate the right technique.
There are two main types of jerkoff instruction: jerkoff encouragement, which is positive reinforcement helping a male to orgasm, and jerkoff humiliation, which plays on submissive fetishes by making the man feel dirty or ashamed of his arousal and desire to masturbate.
During jerkoff instruction, the instructor may aim to help a man orgasm as soon as possible or tease him a little. The instructor may want to prolong arousal and make the man wait a long time for an orgasm, if indeed he has one at all. A practice called edging may bring the man close to orgasm many times, but never let him quite get there.
Jerkoff instruction can be an accessible way to experiment with BDSM, as the man masturbating must forfeit some level of control to his instructor. However, it is a low-risk power exchange compared to many BDSM practices, as it focuses entirely on pleasure, not pain.
A man may enjoy jerkoff instruction with his partner or seek this kind of sexual pleasure from other sources. Some sex workers make jerkoff instruction part of their repertoire. There are also many online sources for jerkoff instruction, including videos archived on pornographic websites and live video chats.
