History Main / ChokeHolds

* PlayedForLaughs in the ChristmasEpisode of ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'' when Tohru hears the story of ''Literature/TheLittleMatchGirl'' and thinks that the part where the grandmother [[TogetherInDeath hugs the girl as they ascend to heaven]] means that she strangled the girl to death.

* This is how Batman performs a Silent Takedown in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum''. He uses a blood choke to knock them out with a meaty paw over their airways to keep them from making noise.

** Played [[ZigZaggedTrope somewhat straight]] in ''[[VideoGame/HitmanAbsolution Absolution]]'', which adds chokeholds; while {{mook}}s go down in about six seconds, the player ''must'' to surprise them, enemies ''always'' struggle and have to be wrestled, and 47 has to option of forcing too hard to kill by a neck break.

* ComicBook/RedRobin manages to escape from a choke hold by stabbing his attacker with the retractable blade hidden in his staff. His options for fighting back were incredibly limited as the attacker was using his other ''three'' arms to restrain him. Earlier as [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]] Tim managed to escape when Azrael tried to choke him to death by quickly stabbing Az!Bats in the arm and fleeing.

[[folder:FanWorks]]

** ''Film/CaptainAmericaWinterSoldier'': The famous elevator fight scene has a large mook restraining Captain America with a choke hold while other thugs electrocute him with stun batons.

* Blood chokes are part and parcel of martial arts and MMA. If an MMA fighter taps out half a second after an arm goes 'round his neck, it's because he's about to pass out.

Air chokes are also one way to engage in EroticAsphyxiation but be careful otherwise you might have an AccidentalMurder on your hands. Or an UndignifiedDeath, depending on which end you're on.

* In ''Film/ThePrincessBride'', The Man in Black knocks out Fezzik with a blood choke. Since [[Creator/AndreTheGiant Fezzik]] is a giant, it takes several minutes and they have a rather cordial conversation all the while.

** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'': During the infighting in Avengers Tower as Steve and the Maximoff twins try to stop Tony and Bruce from bringing Vision to life, Bruce grabs Wanda from behind in a chokehold as she's about to hex Tony and dares her to make him Hulk out. She quickly [[AttackingThroughYourself casts a spell through herself]] to force Bruce to let go of her, then spins around and casts another spell to immobilize him.

** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'': [[spoiler:2012 Steve Rogers]] puts [[spoiler:present Steve Rogers]] in a chokehold, thinking that he is a disguised Loki. [[spoiler:Present Steve Rogers]] manages to free himself by distracting [[spoiler:his past self]], saying that Bucky is still alive.

* On ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'', in the episode The Blind Banker, Sherlock is investigating Soo Lin's flat when he is grabbed from behind and air choked almost to unconciousness by an unknown assailant, who [[ItMakesSenseInContext slips an origami flower into his coat pocket]].

* ''Series/WandaVision'': When the two Visions face off in the finale, Hex Vision (created by Wanda) gets White Vision (the original Vision, reactivated by Hayward) into a headlock. In an inversion of the ''Civil War'' instance, White Vision phases his way out of the hold instead of Hex Vision phasing through him.

** ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'': After [[spoiler:Loki]] unsuccessfully attempts to attack Thanos, Thanos lifts him up by the throat with his Infinity Gauntlet hand and strangles him for a while before [[spoiler:eventually increasing the pressure and [[NeckSnap breaking his neck]], killing him.]]

* As [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpLErgPHt_o this clip on YouTube shows]], Film/{{Haywire}} has several chokeholds, and they take an appropriately long time.

** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'': During the infighting as Steve and the Maximoff twins try to stop Tony and Bruce from bringing Vision to life, Bruce grabs Wanda from behind in a blood choke as she's about to hex Tony and dares her to make him Hulk out. She quickly [[AttackingThroughYourself casts a spell through herself]] to knock Bruce down, then spins around and casts another spell to immobilize him.

* Creator/GuyRitchie's ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'' 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 ''Film/ThePrincessBride'', The Man in Black knocks out Fezzik with a blood choke. It takes several minutes and they have a rather cordial conversation all the while.

* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', Bruce Wayne does this to Harvey Dent.

** ''Film/CaptainAmericaWinterSoldier'' : The famous elevator fight scene has a large mook restraining Captain America with a choke hold while other thugs electrocute him with stun batons.
** ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'': After [[spoiler:Loki]] unsuccessfully attempts to attack Thanos, Thanos lifts him up by the throat with his gauntleted hand and strangles him for a while before [[spoiler:eventually increasing the pressure and [[NeckSnap breaking his neck]], killing him.]]
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'': [[spoiler:2012 Steve Rogers]] puts [[spoiler:present Steve Rogers]] in a chokehold, thinking that he is a disguised Loki. [[spoiler:Present Steven Rogers]] manages to free himself by distracting [[spoiler:his past self]], saying that Bucky is still alive.

InstantSedation is very common. Compare TapOnTheHead where unconsciousness is rendered with a blow, TheParalyzer ([[Franchise/StarTrek Vulcan nerve pinch]] included). Also, the VorpalPillow, where a choke hold causes instant death.

* The blood choke variant is how Phelan Kell wins a mutually unarmed zero-G duel against a Clan battle armor trooper (a so-called "Elemental", i.e. a significantly bigger and stronger genetically engineered {{super soldier}}) during his Trial of Bloodright in the ''{{TabletopGame/BattleTech}}'' novel ''Lost Destiny''. Even once the hold is established, he still has to hang on for dear life for quite a while and collect some bruises before his opponent finally succumbs. Notably, the Elemental does not realize what's happening until the last few seconds, thinking instead that Phelan is trying (and failing) to break his neck--fatal results in Trials of Bloodright are so common that it rarely occurs to contestants to prepare against nonlethal attacks.

* ''Film/CaptainAmerica:WinterSoldier'' : The famous elevator fight scene has a large mook restraining Captain America with a choke hold while other thugs electrocute him with stun batons.

[[folder: AnimeAndManga]]

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'': This often happens when two characters fight. Like [[RuleOfFunny most of the series]], it's PlayedForLaughs and no one passes out.

* ''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 ''not'' [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend happy]].

* 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: containment failure]] that ensued made the [[spoiler: Grimm]] the priority targets.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': When Diana Prince tried to question Mephisto Saturno the man started choking her, which caused Diana to quickly slip out of his grip and surrender to try to avoid having him realize that squeezing both hands around her throat wasn't actually having an effect on her and blowing her secret identity.

* The blood choke is when someone is choked unconscious by cutting off the blood supply to their brain. 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. However, this method is easy to mess up, and messing up generally means accidentally killing the victim. Even trained individuals can accidentally kill with a blood choke, since 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.

* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid Flotsam and Jetsam]] attempt to suffocate [[BadassInDistress Sora]] by [[BoundAndGagged tightly wrapping their bodies around him]]. The trope is defied, thanks to Donald and Goofy.

* ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'': [[spoiler:After Loki unsuccessfully attempts to attack Thanos, Thanos lifts him up by the throat with his gauntleted hand and strangles him for a while before eventually increasing the pressure and [[NeckSnap breaking his neck]], killing him.]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

** Played [[ZigZaggedTrope somewhat straight]] in ''[[VideoGame/HitmanAbsolution Absolution]]'', which adds chokeholds; while [[{{Mook}} mooks]] go down in about six seconds, the player ''must'' to surprise them, enemies ''always'' struggle and have to be wrestled, and 47 has to option of forcing too hard to kill by a neck break.

* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', [[{{Disney/TheLittleMermaid}} Flotsam and Jetsam]] attempt to suffocate [[{{BadassInDistress}} Sora]] by [[{{BoundAndGagged}} tightly wrapping their bodies around him]]. The trope is defied, thanks to Donald and Goofy.

* In ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' chokeholds are only possible if the enemy is surprised and then the holds are intentionally lethal.

[[folder: Webcomics]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

* Of course, there's [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]] and his [[RunningGag infamous]] chokeholds on Bart, though there doesn't seem to be any ill effects on the part of Bart.

[[folder: Real Life]]