Don't eunuch it until you've tried it

[dissolute ocelot]

The current law in England (and I think it all covers Wales) is a bit of a mess, with a general ban on actual bodily harm that includes exemptions, many of which have been established or limited by case law rather than parliament. There are certain categories you can consent to:

• sport (you're assumed to have consented to ordinary foul moves like dodgy tackles but not extreme violence on the pitch),
• daredevil and sideshow geek activities (would presumably include targets for knifethrowing but there must be limits),
• horseplay (subject to community standards so not the more extreme Jackass stuff),
• surgery/medical treatment,
• tattooing/piercing (but not other forms of body modification such as tongue bifurcation, let alone nullification),
• religious ritual (circumcision and flagellation at least)
• catching STIs.

Regarding combat sports it's a bit unclear: legal if under the auspices of a reputable governing body (although fuck knows if boxing's governing body is more reputable than a bloke down the pub), and you are allowed to challenge your friends to a manly contest of strength, such as fencing, but street-fighting or beating each other up for no reason is illegal. In practice the likely severity of injury and vague community standards will help judge the legality.

And there are soon to be statute laws against harm for sexual gratification (rather than relying on precedent). So someone can stand on your nipple wearing cleats on a rugby pitch but not in the bedroom, and you can get a nail through your face if you're being paid for it but not for kicks. You're allowed to be whipped for religious reasons but not for kinky ones. Not sure how far the religious exemption goes: flagellation and circumcision (no gender specified but possibly male only?) are the ones mentioned, but no word on nailing someone to a cross.