The article appeared in the September
1998 issue of BLACKBELT.
"Burrese! Banister is pounding on Loftus!"
The excited yell came as I was sitting in my barracks room. For the second time that evening, I was about to find myself on the way to intervene in a physical confrontation.
Earlier, I had managed to calm down Banister and defuse the situation before any punches started flying. This time, however, the dancing had already begun, and I needed to interrupt the waltz before anything serious happened. I understood what was going on: Banister had received some disturbing news from home, had started drinking and now was looking for physical outlets to vent his frustrations. Unfortunately, he was also looking at getting himself into trouble by causing a ruckus in the barracks.
As I entered Loftus' room, I found him in the corner covering up. Banister was throwing wild punches mixed with slaps, demanding that Loftus throw something back. I hurried across the room, grabbed Banister's shoulder and spun him around.
"Russ, knock it off," I said, using his first name. I was hoping that he'd realize that it was Alain, a friend, who was intervening. No such luck.
In his drunken, angered state, he didn't care who it was. Banister's only thought was to fight, and he would fight anyone around. Since my hope that he'd recognize me and calm down was lost, it was good that I had moved back a step after spinning him around. This enabled me to step off-line as he came forward with an overhand right.
I stepped 45 degrees to my left and blocked his punch with my right arm. This left me in the perfect position to circle behind him and put on a sleeper hold with my right arm. Rather than taking him to the ground as I would normally do with this hold, I opted to take him down onto the bed that was nearby. This meant a softer landing for both of us, and it still enabled me to control all the action.
I tightened my arm around his neck, reducing the blood flow through the carotid arteries. A few seconds later his struggling let up. Mark, the soldier who had summoned me and witnessed the entire scene, said, "He's turning red."
I let up on the pressure, knowing that a second or two more could cause him to lose consciousness. But I kept my arm around his neck, ready to reapply pressure if needed, and I asked, "Russ, you going to quit?"
"Yeah," he replied. The fuzzy feeling and light-headedness he felt just before I released the pressure had taken the fight out of him. I let him go, and we both regained our feet.
"You just wait," he said as he headed to his room to sleep off the alcohol.
"Take it easy, Russ," I told him, knowing that he would always be someone I could count on to watch my back when things went down. Tonight was just a bad night; normally we were on the same side.
I went back to my room, glad I was able to end the situation without anyone getting hurt or getting into trouble. Apparently the chokes and sleepers I had practiced - techniques that could severely injure a person - could also end physical encounters without anyone being harmed.
Art of Control
The first martial art I studied was judo. I started when I was 15, so I was introduced to choke holds early on in my martial arts education. I still remember tapping out at one judo tournament after my opponent had successfully applied a hold. The helpless feeling I had when everything started turning fuzzy as I tapped the mat in submission was enough to let me know that I wanted to become proficient at those techniques. Where some people (because of mind-altering substances or just a naturally high pain tolerance) can withstand hard punches and kicks - even to the point of weathering broken limbs - once the brain is deprived of oxygen, unconsciousness follows.
The problem with some judo techniques is that they rely on using the opponent’s gi (uniform) to aid in applying pressure to the throat or arteries. For that reason, I prefer practicing naked holds, or holds that don't need any clothing to work. (Note that judoka learn both kinds, so they can use the naked holds in competition, too.)
Before I discuss how to apply any of these techniques, let's first look at what differentiates a choke from a sleeper hold. The main thing is where the pressure is being applied and what causes the person to lose consciousness.
A choke is a technique in which you apply pressure against the windpipe or larynx to cut off the air supply to the lungs, thus limiting the supply of oxygen to the brain, which leads to unconsciousness.
A sleeper hold is a technique in which you apply pressure to the carotid arteries, which are located on the sides of the neck, to interrupt the flow of blood to the brain, which again results in unconsciousness.
The choke is the most hazardous method for rendering a person unconscious. If too much pressure is applied or if a hard blow is struck against the throat, damage to the larynx or trachea could occur. This can be fatal. The area can swell, causing the person to suffocate if a tracheotomy is not performed.
Many police departments forbid the use of chokes; martial artists would be well-advised to do likewise the sleeper hold is safer and faster than the choke. It can render a person unconscious in as little as five to nine seconds, whereas a choke may take from one to three minutes. Although the sleeper hold is a safer method for causing unconsciousness, care must be used when practicing these moves, as well as when using them in an actual confrontation. If the pressure is held after the person loses consciousness, it could result in brain damage - or worse.
Most martial artists "tap out" when a successful joint lock, choke, sleeper hold or any other submission technique is applied. While training, make sure you immediately release the pressure when your partner taps. A few more seconds just for laughs can be dangerous. Train seriously, but train safely. I have never rendered a friend or training partner unconscious. Many instructors agree that it is unnecessary during training.
Sleeper Specifics
Now let's look closely at the application of the sleeper hold. The carotid arteries run along the sides of the neck. They are located straight down from the ear at about the level of the Adam's apple. These are the arteries you want to constrict. Once pressure is applied, it will be only a matter of seconds before your opponent is rendered unconscious.
I recommend executing this technique from the rear. When you are in front of a person, it is more difficult to apply pressure, and you may have difficulty avoiding his hands and feet. The way I applied the sleeper hold to Banister at the beginning of the article is a common way to use this technique in a real situation. As you step to the outside to avoid an overhand punch or straight right, you block and start to circle behind the person. By stepping to the left, you are in position to circle and apply the hold with your right arm.
The sleeper hold is performed by
wrapping your arm around your opponent's neck with your biceps against
one side and the bone of your forearm against the other. To help
apply pressure, you can use your other arm - in this case, your left.
You grab your left biceps with your right hand and lock that hand in the
crook of your left arm. Then your left arm can aid in the
squeezing by pushing your opponent's head toward your
right elbow. It's like having his neck in a vice; the pressure on
both sides restricts the blood flow through the carotid arteries.
While you can render a person unconscious
in an upright position, it is easier to control him by taking him to the
ground. This prohibits him from doing a lot of the self-defense moves
that are intended to function against an assailant who attacks from behind:
stomping backward against the shin, stomping on the instep, striking backward
into the groin, etc. You should
also remember that you may have to tuck your head
down so your attacker cannot reach back to your eyes.
In training, remember to immediately release pressure when your partner taps. In an actual confrontation, apply pressure until you feel the attacker's body become limp or slack. Initially the attacker will resist, but you need to continue applying pressure until the technique takes effect.
Once he is unconscious and lowered to the ground, release the pressure but maintain the position of your arm. If he was faking or happens to revive quickly, your arm will be in position to quickly apply pressure again.
The period of unconsciousness that follows a sleeper hold depends on a variety of factors that are specific to each opponent. It can last from a few seconds to several minutes. You will need to decide for yourself when you want to release the hold and disengage.
Safety First
It is recommended that martial artists who want to learn and practice the sleeper hold first take a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or emergency medical technician (EMT) training. Besides helping make you more prepared for an accident, this can increase your knowledge of healing techniques, which should be a part of every martial artist's training. Many of the great masters of the past were also the healers in the communities in which they lived.
The sleeper hold can be used in conjunction with blocks, punches, kicks, sweeps and throws. You can easily add it to the art you currently study.
Just remember that because it is so effective, it must be used - and taught - responsibly.
Once you have mastered the sleeper hold and its variations, you will have weapons that allow you to decide how much damage you inflict on your attacker. You can render a drug user who is "feeling no pain" unconscious, or you can control a person without harming him - or yourself.
The choice will be yours.
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