The “guillotine” strangulation is a respiratory or blood type technique depending on whether the pressure is exerted on the carotid artery or on the trachea.
Such a technique is very dangerous and can lead to unconsciousness in a few seconds, or even death if the pressure is maintained for too long.
Although this technique is formidable in combat as well as in the street, it is very difficult to apply in real situations, as are all control techniques that are too complex and rarely adapted to the urban context.
The guillotine strangulation is rarely used by the aggressors, because it is a technique adapted to special circumstances. But what if the circumstances are appropriate and YOU are the victim?
Let’s review the options you have at your disposal.
Table of Contents
Surprise strangulation: a very risky situation
The typical example used in training consists of kneeling down to tie your shoes. Then an assailant strangles you using a guillotine strangulation in the meantime. This is a “cliché” situation, but it allows to break down the steps of the counterattack and thus to understand it.
Of course, the best advice we can give you is to stay alert in all situations and consistently maintain a safe area. If someone manages to get close enough to you to perform such a strangulation, then you’re completely lost!
Let’s pretend it’s happening.
We stick to the example where you tie your shoes. The assailant has wrapped his forearm around your neck and is compressing your trachea or carotid artery aiming at least at forcing you to pass out, which is likely to happen within seconds if you don’t react immediately.
The consequences can be extremely severe.
Without blood flow, the brain will not be irrigated and, without oxygenation, it will “switch off”. The syncope occurs more or less quickly according to the pressure applied (it’s a matter of seconds here).
As for the pressure on the trachea, it speaks for itself. By compressing this airway, you suffocate and pass out. The principle is the same, only the consequences are different.
This technique can be fatal (literally) in any case, either because it is held for too long or because too much pressure is applied to your trachea.
If you survive, you will probably have side effects.
Breath and counterattack
As always in self defense, you must neutralize the most immediate danger, in this case airway/circulatory compression.
There is no need to detail the appropriate reaction in such a situation, because you will do it instinctively: unhook the arm that is squeezing the neck, making a double grip and releasing towards the torso.
Easier said than done depending on the size of the aggressor! Then, if you feel a too strong resistance, it is essential to ” loosen ” the indelicate by one or two impacts pressed to the genital, and more if need be.
The situation usually allows for this, as this part is very accessible in the configuration described above.
It is thus possible to unhook the arm more easily, and thus to leave the stranglehold.
The actual exit, as proposed in the video of the day, consists in keeping contact with the arm of the aggressor (that we have kept tight against us), more precisely at the level of his elbow, and to get back to your feet while rolling up the arm in the opposite direction of the shoulder joint (see video for a better understanding of the technique)
From there, run away, after having inflicted an impact to prevent him from chasing you.
