Chokehold

The lateral vascular neck restraint is a very potent chokehold.

Stranglehold redirects here. For the game, see Stranglehold (video game)

A chokehold or stranglehold¹ (in budo referred to as shime-waza, 絞技, "constriction technique"Ohlenkamp, Neil. [Principles of Judo Choking Techniques]. judoinfo.com. URL last accessed March 3 2006.) is a grappling hold that strangles the opponent, and leads to unconsciousness or even death when held for a considerable amount of time. Chokeholds are practiced and used in martial arts, combat sports, self-defense, law-enforcement and in military hand to hand combat application. They are generally considered superior compared to brute-force manual strangling, which usually requires a large disparity in physical strength to be effective.Jones, Richard. [Asphyxia], [Strangulation]. www.forensicmed.co.uk. URL last accessed February 26 2006. Instead of simply using the fingers or arms to attempt to crush the neck, chokeholds effectively use leverage such as figure-four holds or collar holds that use the clothes to assist in the strangle. Depending on how the chokehold is performed, it may compress the airway, interfere with the flow of blood in the neck, or work as a combination of the two (see the 'General' section in the article on strangling for further detail).

Contents

1 Air choke
2 Blood choke
3 List of chokeholds
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
7 Further reading

Air choke

An air choke or tracheal choke specifically refers to a chokehold that compresses the upper airway (trachea, larynx or laryngopharynx), hence interfering with breathing, and leading to asphyxia. Although less effective at inducing unconsciousness than its vascular counterpart, the air choke causes excruciating pain and air hunger, and in combat sports a fighter will usually submit to such a submission hold.Koiwai, Karl. [How Safe is Choking in Judo?]. judoinfo.com. URL last accessed March 3 2006. Air chokes have been associated with fractures of the larynx or hyoid bone,DiMaio, Vincent; DiMaio, Dominick (2001). Forensic Pathology, Second Edition. [Selected Pages from CHAPTER 8] and from [Deaths Occurring Following the Application of Choke or Carotid Holds]. www.charlydmiller.com. URL last accessed March 2 2006. and are considered less safe than blood chokes to practice. The common law-enforcement bar arm choke is an air choke done by placing the forearm across the front of the neck from behind. The free hand grabs the wrist and pulls back the forearm, hence driving the forearm (usually the radius bone) into the front of the neck.

This chokehold can be either a blood or air choke depending on how the head is rotated.

Blood choke

A blood choke or carotid restraint specifically refers to a chokehold that compresses one or both carotid arteries and/or the jugular veins without compressing the airway, hence causing cerebral ischemia and a temporary hypoxic condition in the brain.Koiwai, Karl. [Deaths Allegedly Caused by the Use of "Choke Holds" (Shime-Waza)]. judoinfo.com. URL last accessed March 3 2006. Most chokeholds featured in combat sports and martial arts are blood chokes, although some air chokes or combinations occur as well. A well applied blood choke leads to unconsciousness in 8-14 seconds, and if released, the subject regains consciousness spontaneously in 10-20 seconds. Compared to traditional manual strangulation, properly applied blood chokes require little physical strength, and can be applied successfully by a comparatively weak person. Blood chokes are considered safe for practice and application, although being a lethal technique when held long enough. In Judo, no deaths have been attributed directly to the usage of blood chokes.

The law-enforcement lateral vascular neck restraint (also called sleeper hold) is a widely taught blood choke in law enforcement, and is performed from the behind by putting an arm around the neck with the crook of the elbow over the midline of the neck. By pinching the arm together while assisting with the free hand, the carotid arteries and jugular veins are compressed on both sides of the neck. This hold does not put any pressure on the airway, but can quickly turn into an air choke if the person being strangled resists the hold by attempting to turn around.

List of chokeholds

Rear naked choke — Arguably one of the most effective chokeholds, a top finisher in mixed martial arts competition.Sherdog.com. [Top 20 most common fight endings]. www.sherdog.com. URL last accessed February 5 2006.
Guillotine choke — Another very popular chokehold, also a top finishing hold in mixed martial arts.
Triangle choke — Unusual in the sense that it is performed using the legs, another top finisher in mixed martial arts as well.
Arm triangle choke — Similar to the triangle choke except that it is performed using the arms.

Notes

Note 1: The terminology used varies. In most martial arts, the term 'chokehold' or 'choke' is used for all types of grappling holds that strangle. This can however be considered misleading since, except for air chokes, there is rarely any actual choking (with choking meaning "to have severe difficulty in breathing because of a constricted or obstructed throat or a lack of air"The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1999). Oxford University press. ISBN 0-19-861263-X.). In Judo technical terminology, blood chokes are referred to as 'strangleholds' or 'strangles' while air chokes are called 'chokeholds' or 'chokes'. In forensics the term 'strangle' and 'stranglehold' designate any type of neck compression, while being referred to as 'neck holds' in law-enforcement.Reay, Donald; Eisele, John. [Death from law enforcement neck holds]. www.charlydmiller.com.URL last accessed March 3 2006

Chokehold

Air choke

Blood choke

List of chokeholds

See also

Notes

References

Further reading