As little boys growing up, often times we were told to "stop or you'll go blind." Not to mention that whole hairy palms deal (I was actually looking forward to that). No matter what any adult told us about masturbating, it's a fact that 94% of teenage boys masturbate (the other 6% were probably lying).

And what about adult men like yourselves? Well, it's always hard to establish definitive truths in any survey on sexuality and sexual behavior since they are highly influenced by what people imagine is normal, but one thing seems likely: the vast majority of men masturbate at some point in their life and many men do it on a regular basis.
Why Should We?
In 1994, Dr. Jocelyn Elders actually lost her job as the US surgeon-general because she stated that masturbation should actually be taught to boys. Although she lost her job for it, Elders made a very good point. Teaching lads how to masturbate can actually be quite beneficial in their lives.

Playing with your weasel can help you learn how to control and delay your responsiveness so that pleasure is heightened for both you and your partner when you finally do reach orgasm. Also, for some men, it is the foundation for learning advanced sexual techniques like becoming multi-orgasmic (although this one is quite a rarity among men).
But Wait, There's More!
Besides the fact that it can actually help you with women, it also feels pretty darn good and pleasurable. Ah yes, pure self-gratification; you don't have to worry about anyone getting off but yourself.

In addition to feeling so delightful, masturbating relieves sexual tension that builds up naturally over time (have you ever seen There's Something About Mary ?). Nearly every living, breathing male gets horny, at which time his mind becomes overly preoccupied with erotic (or even perverse) thoughts.

This is a very normal process: your sex organs produce and accumulate semen, and your body responds accordingly by making you want to release the ejaculate in order to make room for more (what a wonderful cycle, huh?).
Can I Die From It?
Even today, some men still think that there are some major repercussions that follow masturbation. So let me say this once and for all: Masturbation is completely safe. It doesn't affect the size of your penis, or even your ability to get an erection or have children. Instead, it's a great way to perfect your sexual technique (penis control) when you're ready for it. Actually, masturbating before engaging in sex with your partner can help you last longer.

Like I mentioned at the start of the article, it was commonly believed, once upon a time, that masturbation caused blindness, insanity, hairy palms, or other weird ailments. All of these terrible beliefs have obviously been disproved through modern science (not common sense, mind you.) Imagine if the folklore was true... just about every man in the world would be roaming the streets blind as a bat, with hairy hands and an uncontrollable twitch.
Why Hide It?
If you are a masturbator, don't hide it; but don't post a sign on your forehead either. If your girlfriend asks you whether you choke the chicken or not, admit it. As long as you don't give off the impression that you're thinking of other women at the time, she'll be cool with it. You can even incorporate masturbation into your sexual sessions if you like.

There's nothing a woman loves more than when you tell her that you were thinking about her so intensely that you just had to play with yourself. Most women I've conversed with have admitted that one of their greatest fantasies would be to catch their boyfriends masturbating and then complete the task for them.
How Much Is Too Much?
I'm sure that all guys, when they first discovered it, were masturbating more often than they were urinating. It's not surprising that some guys still think that they may be doing it too often. The problems that can occur though, have more to do with the psychological aspect of it all rather than the physical.

Men who masturbate chronically may be doing so because they are uncomfortable with their bodies (self-conscious, insecure); they don't like women and can't face up to it; or they may simply have an unusually high sex drive.

If your masturbating gets in the way of your daily activities, then perhaps it's time to cut back on the pocket pool. And if you begin to prefer masturbating over having sex with your girlfriend, or any woman for that matter, then you need to stop and ask yourself why.

Find out where and how it can be done..Where Can I Play?
There are no rules to where, when or how to masturbate, but there are some popular ones that I'm sure a lot of men would be interested in. First off, you can play "solitaire" wherever you please, but you are much better off if you're in a place where you can take your time and satisfy yourself at your own pace.

On the other hand, some guys like the fact that someone might catch them in the act and prefer to play in the bathroom at work or in their bedroom with the door slightly ajar. Be careful not to masturbate in public locations because you may be considered a pervert, or worse yet, you could get arrested for lewd and indecent behavior.

This question depends on your preference. Do you prefer a jump-start to your morning, or would you rather release a load in order to get a good night's sleep? Perhaps you choose to shed a whole new light on the term "coffee break". Whatever gets your rocks off, go for it.
Positions
I'm pretty sure that most guys are already quite in tune with the how-to aspect of masturbation, so I'm going to suggest some positions you may want to try.

First off, some guys like to masturbate by lying on their stomach and rubbing their penis against the bed. A more common technique involves lying on your back or leaning against the wall and rubbing your penis with your hand(s).

For you crazy guys out there, why not buy a whole, warm apple-pie and slowly insert... oh yeah, that's already been done!
Techniques
Let's move on to the most common ways that men are intimate with themselves.

Fist Technique
In this widespread technique, you simply wrap your hand around the shaft of your penis and rub it up and down at your own pace. This technique is great for guys who have big penises; if it isn't that much longer than your fist is width-wise, then you probably won't be able to stroke it very far, so another grip might be more effective.

Backhand The Sucker
This basically consists of inverting the "fist technique". Although it's not as common among guys, it feels very good nevertheless. Whichever hand you use, grab your penis from the left side rather than the right if you're right-handed and vice-versa if you use your left. Rotate your wrist so that your thumb is pointing down; you might have to pull your penis slightly to the side.

Five Fingers Of Fun
Let your hand and arm form an angle with your penis, with four fingers on top of the shaft at a diagonal and your thumb below. This allows you to get more control over the hand-to-penis contact and lets you maneuver your hand along the entire length of the shaft, no matter what size your penis is.

Three Finger Frolic
This one is good for gentlemen who aren't as well hung. All you have to do is hold your penis as though you're holding a pencil. This hold allows for the utmost control and maximum distance of motion from the bottom of the penis to the top, even though it doesn't involve full contact (your whole hand is not covering your penis).

Let Her Hand Do The Job
If you're not alone and you're in the mood for a good hand thrashing without having to do all the work, why not let your lady play with it as she pleases? Or, if you'd like to play a little game, show her how you like to play and ask her if she could mimic it.

She would love to get involved in your private sessions, even if it's only once in a blue moon. So get to work guys, and don't forget, it's always different strokes for different folks!