Desperate situations call for desperate measures and being choked by some frog eyed goon is certainly a desperate situation. Lord knows what that pervert is going to do to your limp body once you’ve fallen unconscious after said choke. My friend Mike who for the record is not a sexual terrorist who likes to choke people out, came to class last night. So, we partnered up to practise the choke escape, I’d let him choke me, if He’d let me kick/slap him in the nuts. This is what we were taught:
CHOKE FROM THE FRONT. The attacker has both his hands around your throat and is standing right in front of you…what’s wrong with this picture?
Answer: YOU ARE BEING CHOKED!!!! so first off you have to deal with that straight away. Don’t think “Oh, I could punch them in the face and they’d stop.” This isn’t realistic when someone is pressing against your Adam’s apple, its is too painful and restrictive.
1. Remove the Choke. Use your hooks (fingers together, thumbs tucked in) to get a grip on each of the attackers hands and pull outwards away from your neck. This has to be done as quickly as possible.
2. Kick to the groin. raise your leg straight into the attackers balls or groin area at the same time as you release the choke. Still holding your attackers hands, release one of them so that you can throw a punch straight into their fat face.
3. Escape and Scan. Once you’ve given your attacker swollen nuts and a broken nose (or knocked them out) escape the situation and scan your surroundings for other trouble makers or something to use as a weapon e.g. a chair, a glass bottle, Steven Seagal etc.
CHOKE FROM THE SIDE. The attacker is to your side and has both hands around your throat, this time only one of their hands (the one at the front of your throat) is doing any damage. Once again the first thing we need to do is deal with the choke.
1. Remove the Choke. For this example, lets say that the attacker is on your left applying the choke. Use your right hand hook to get a good grip on the attackers hand at the front of your throat. Grab it just behind the thumb. Then pull the attackers hand to the right side of your chest bending your knees and dropping your body weight.
2. Strike to the Groin. As soon as you have released the choke, bent your knees to strike the groin of the attacker. From this position using your legs to really power the attack, stand up and raise your elbow straight into their chin. Still holding the attackers hand to your chest so that they cannot strike you or defend themselves. You can either grab the attacker by the shoulder closest to you and knee them, or simply move onto step three.
3. Escape and Scan. Make your escape by moving either to the side or behind the attacker, out of the line of danger basically and scan around for any possible threats (the attacker may have friends around who also want to disco dance on your face or squeeze your neck off) or look for any object that can be used as a weapon.
CHOKE FROM BEHIND The attacker is behind you and has both hands around your neck. The point we have to concentrate on are the thumbs in this type of choke as they are whats keeping the pressure on.
1. Remove the Choke.Using your hands to hook once again except this time, you want to reach behind your head, touch your pinky fingers together to make sure you get a good hold of the thumbs, then pull the attackers hands apart twisting their thumbs at the same time.
2. Strike to the Groin. Yep, you guessed it, here comes another strike to the groin. We practised these with open palms to make sure we get a good shot at the family jewels. So again, drop your weight by bending your knees as you pull the hands apart, strike the groin with either hand. Then raise your elbow directly into the chin of your attacker as you straighten your legs. From this position you should still be holding one of the attackers hands, plant one foot forward lean forward and deliver a mule kick straight to the crotch or knee. Placing your foot down in front of you helps get your balance and more power into the kick.
note: If you look under your arm at the attacker as you lean forward it helps you make a better mule kick rather than looking over your shoulder which twists your body making you perform more of a side kick motion. I found the mule kick more effective and natural as your body is moving in the right direction already. The forward motion of your torso and head puts more power into the kick you are sending backwards and helps facilitate your escape.
3. Escape and Scan. From here your in a great position to start sprinting off. Don’t make a meal of it, do what you have to do and get out of there. Its common that someone trying to mug you will usually have a friend to help them out. So be aware of your surroundings scan around for anyone that may pose a threat or for anything that can be used as a weapon.
WOW that was a lot! After we’d covered the techniques with our partners we tried a drill which summarized what we had been practising, where we stood with our eyes closed then our partner would try to choke us from whichever position they liked and we would have to react as soon as we felt the choke come on.
Incidentally and quite neatly for this post, the first technique was illustrated in the Human Weapon show…maybe my instructors are taking all their stuff from tv? In which case I look forward to some A-team/Knight Rider/Eastenders style cockney combat.
Filed under: 360 degree defence, choke, human weapon, krav maga, simultaneous attack and defence, video
tl;dr
Just kidding. Man Krav Maga sounds like a lot of work. I like this scanning stuff. When you scan, can you touch your finger to your temple and make a kind of “dzzzzzz” noise and imagine that you are a robot with infa-red X-ray vision? And can you say “SCANNING SCANNING” in a robotic voice?
Thats the way I usually do it…BREEEP! SCANNING before getting punched out or smashed on the head with a chair.