What happens physiologically to make someone unconscious during this kind of hold? How do you know you’re not suffocating someone or causing serious damage?
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As someone who did bjj for a year, blood chokes come on INCREDIBLY quickly. They aren’t really painful, but a well applied choke will almost instantly make you lightheaded. When I was rolling with someone good, I’d usually only get to try to fight the choke for a few seconds before having to tap. It’s also not uncommon for someone to go unconscious while thinking they still have a chance to escape. In terms of safety, messing with the carotid arteries is always going to be dangerous. The reason why blood chokes come on faster is because with an air choke, you’re essentially “holding your breath” but blood is still flowing to the brain and you’re getting some energy due to the anaerobic part of cell respiration. With a blood choke, the brain uses up all its energy in a few seconds, and is prevented from being resupplied with fresh oxygen.
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