History Main / ChokeHolds

* In the first episode of ''Series/{{GLOW}}'', one wrestler uses this technique to shut up her complaining sparring partner.

Of course, real life isn't as clean. There are two kinds of chokes: Blood and air.

The air choke is when someone is choked unconscious by cutting off his air supply. The air to the lungs is suspended. In fiction the person chokes and flails in silence, and after maybe thirty seconds he is rendered unconscious. In reality, cutting off someone's air supply would take several minutes and he'd be at full strength the whole time.[[note]]A reasonably fit individual can hold their breath for up to a minute, so why should the choke be any different?[[/note]] Do not choke someone this way.

The blood choke is when someone is choked unconscious by cutting off his blood. The supply of blood to the brain is suspended. In fiction the person goes cross-eyed and immediately succumbs to unconsciousness. In reality, the process takes a few seconds and the victim understands what's happening and can protest, in the brief window available. Do choke someone this way, '''if you know what you're doing'''. If you don't, you can kill someone. Even trained individuals can accidentally kill with a blood choke. The pressure on the arteries which chokes the victim can just as easily collapse the arteries, fatally disrupting blood flow. This is why cops no longer employ "The Sleeper Hold". It kills.

It's possible for a karate chop to be a form of a choke. If a blow to the neck is intended to hit the carotid artery and briefly interrupt blood flow, it's a stunning blood choke. If it's a blow to the side of the neck that's intended to strike the vagus nerve, it's a PressurePoint strike. The typical depiction of a karate chop is a TapOnTheHead.

* In the first episode of {{Glow}}, one wrestler uses this technique to shut up her complaining sparring partner.

* In ''WebSerialNovel/{{Worm}}'' Grue instructs [[AntiHero Taylor]], who is restraining [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Leet]], to pull the artery [[ShownTheirWork instead]] of the windpipe.

* In ''FanFic/BoldoresAndBoomsticks'', when disarmed and held captive by a gang [[spoiler: on [[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Faba]]'s payroll]] that had the remarkably bad idea of [[spoiler: trying to steal Grimm]], [[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} Blake]] [[ReformedCriminal Belladonna]] briefly considers using "sleeper holds" to take down the trainers one by one before they can bring their Pokémon to the fight. She didn't go through with it, mostly because the [[spoiler: ContaimentFailure]] that ensued made the [[spoiler: Grimm]] the priority targets.

* In ''Film/StarTrek'', Kirk goads Spock into getting angry, [[CurbStompBattle leading to a brutal beatdown]] which culminates in Kirk getting a chokehold. Spock only stops when his father, Sarek, demands that he does so.

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': The homophobe placed Italy in one. Let's just say Germany and Japan were ''[[{{Understatement}} not]]'' [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend happy]].

* Creator/GuyRitchie's ''Film/SherlockHolmes'' features both chokes at the same time. A thug sneaking up on Holmes is put in a blood choke by Watson. To prevent the {{Mook}} from screaming, Holmes immediately pinches off his nose and mouth. They chat for a bit and, once the thug has passed out, move on. At the end of the film, a big mook has to be slowly air choked because he's just [[TheBigGuy too darn big]] for anything else.

* ''Film/OsmosisJones'': Near by the end of the movie, Thrax attempts to strangle Ozzy with a DNA beads to death.

* This was a regular staple of Jack Bauer on ''Series/TwentyFour'' to the point of being something of a SignatureMove and known in some circles as the "patented Jack Bauer sleeper hold." The ''24'' wiki indicates that it was used a total of 13 times on the series, and this despite the fact that it didn't first appear until the third season. It even came with its own CatchPhrase.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons 3rd Edition had a wizard/sorcerer spell called Choke, which worked similarly to the Force Grip Darth Vader liked using in ''Franchise/StarWars''. It was pathetically underpowered and useless.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Darth Vader's Force Choke appears to be a long distance mystical air choke. Slow, unpleasant, unstoppable. Very dark-sidey.

* As mentioned in the description, this was a police takedown tactic, but in light of such high profile deaths like Eric Garner, it's been phased out in many spots.

* The [[TheUndead Redead]] from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' is infamous for this, doubles as NightmareFuel by how they ride on Link's back and ''[[FreudWasRight hump him to death]]''.

* In ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', Alex's Headbutt changes to a Choke Hold after turning an opponent around with his Flash Chop. The attack doesn't do much damage but it swiftly fills up the stun meter.

* In ''[[{{Deryni}} The Bishop's Heir]]'', Dhugal (who doesn't then know he's Deryni, never mind controlling his shields) reacts badly to the psychic energies unleashed at Duncan's consecration as bishop. Morgan uses a choke hold on Dhugal to get him away from the cathedral via Transfer Portal and avoid unwanted attention from potentially hostile clerics when Dhugal's shields prove impossible for Morgan to breach.

* In ''{{Genshiken}}'', Hato applies one on Kuchiki to prevent Kuchiki... eeer... ''molesting'' Madarame. Unfortunately for Hato, the shamelessly perverted Kuchiki suddenly discovers he has a fetish for it.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Dishonored}}'', this is one of the non-lethal means of taking down opponents. In ''The Knife of Dunwall'', Daud can find a Bone Charm that reduces the time it takes to choke someone unconscious.

* GuyRitchie's ''Film/SherlockHolmes'' features both chokes at the same time. A thug sneaking up on Holmes is put in a blood choke by Watson. To prevent the {{Mook}} from screaming, Holmes immediately pinches off his nose and mouth. They chat for a bit and, once the thug has passed out, move on. At the end of the film, a big mook has to be slowly air choked because he's just [[TheBigGuy too darn big]] for anything else.

* In ''{{Sneakers}}'' Dick Gordon knocks out Bishop with a sleeper hold. In contrast to the repeated TapOnTheHead he's been given up to this point, it's an act of mercy.

* In ''DoTheRightThing'', Radio Raheem dies from a police chokehold, sparking off a riot.