The first time I even heard of a strangle. I was about 13 when Hulk Hogan choked out comedian and Law and Order star Richard Belzer when Belzer laid claim that pro wrestling was fake. Watching Belzer get knocked cold from the sleeper hold was all it took, I wanted more.
Getting choked and learning to choke for the first time is a surreal experience. The controlled power of being able to strangle someone until they pass out is intoxicating to say the least. On the flip side being choked sucks. The claustrophobia, the ears ringing and the out of body experience of being put to sleep and getting 10 seconds of REM are off-putting at best.
In the beginning, I thought I knew how to choke. I put on the hold and in a few seconds my partner would tap. When I was choked, I did the same. That was until I started training in combatives.
British Judo Great and World Champion Neil Adams once said, "...you haven't been strangled until you shit yourself mate." For years I really didn't understand this. I though that getting someone to tap was god enough and getting someone to tap in competition was even better, but that was only the half of it. My combatives training that would eventually lead to The Self Defense Training System brought my strangle skills to a whole new and frightening level.
Most people think they know how to strangle and technically I guess they do. They can put on a hold and get someone to tap or pass out. This usually takes several seconds in practice or competition which is fine, but against a person who's fighting for their life, that turns into forever. Forever is not an option.
I prefer more efficient means of strangulation. Believe it or not, I'm a little lazy and the thought of wasting energy and time doesn't appeal to me. This method of combat strangles is detailed in The Self Defense Training System. This system involves several different technical points that can be applied across the board to all strangles.
The first involves the point of contact as demonstrated in the video above. While it's common to see the elbow of the choking aligned with the chin and contact on both sides of the neck with the bicep and the forearm, you will discover that this creates gaps between your target's neck surface and your choke. Like a noose, you want to have 360 degree contact around the neck and throat. To do this requires you to move the elbow back and initial contact with your wrist on the thumb side. NOTE: The purpose of the seated position above is to demonstrate the strangle grip and not full execution. Full execution involves the use of gravity, body weight, your legs and core which I will describe later.
This new point of contact gives you some critical benefits. First, it's extremely painful on the throat. This may be mistaken as a throat crush, which it can be but your target will be passed out for the blood strangle well before you can crush the trachea. The pain will distract him while you set the rest of your body position. A lot of times in competition an opponent will tap just from this pain. The other benefit of this grip is that you trigger the gag reflex when you start to rotate your wrist up into position. This will cause your target to convulse, allowing you even deeper penetration on the choke.
The Devil is in the Details
The choke grip is only the conduit. The real strangle comes from gravity (ether using your weight or his weight), your legs and your core, depending on your position. For example, the rear strangle(s) above may involve rocking him back and compressing his spine while you lean your weight directly onto the strangle (Module 12 of the SDTS). You could also be on your feet and have him in a guillotine or front strangle and by "lifting him" instead of just squeezing him (module 3 and 12 of the SDTS)you will increase pressure and effectiveness of the strangle exponentially. You may also be in the mount and use your body weight in conjunction with legs and core to apply the choke (modules 3 and 12 of the SDTS).
Another little secret is breathing. Inhaling while you're strangling helps fill in the gaps and increase pressure. The inhale expands your chest and aids in filling in the gaps and creating more pressure.
when you're training chokes, the tap should be instant. Because in reality that instant will turn into seconds and seconds is all you have.
Train Honestly, Damian Ross, CEO The Self Defense Company
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