He couldn't defend himself, now he is in a coma...

Yes, this story is as sad as how bad the title of this post sounds.

I don’t want to make this post a sad story, my personal intention is to motivate you to learn about self defense. Although I do have to write about what apparently happened with a person I know.

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The Story:

A person I know and I like that lives in town with his girlfriend, both from Belgium, had a little fight with a colleague at his job. They were arguing badly and it got physical.

According to their version of the story, he was assaulted from behind by his coworker. He lost consciousness due to a chokehold.

a tight grip around a person's neck, used to restrain them by restricting their breathing.

Meaning that during the choking air and blood cannot flow and you can faint in less than 10 seconds. But if you keep the choke, this could become tragic.

The attacker stopped applying the chokehold, but the damage was already done. I cannot imagine what would have happened if they were alone, there were other coworkers around and people watching, but I don’t really know much about the details of what each person did.

He woke up from the choke after he started to feel a headache and pain in one of his arms, lost vision in one of his eyes and did not have good balance. At the local hospital (not the best), they told him and his girlfriend that he was fine, so he left home.

Following day in the evening, he collapsed. Some neighbours helped and took him back to the same hospital to then been transferred to main land to another hospital which is supposed to be better equipped, but unfortunately the radiologist was not available until the following day (more time). After waiting for several hours for the CAT scan result, doctors expressed his critical situation and they transported him to another hospital in the next province, a private one.

Finally, a proper MRI was done and a neurologist treated him.

Besides having a leg and arm paralyzed, the MRI results showed an obstruction in the carotid and aorta, plus a lesion in the back side of his brain, preventing him from moving and swallowing.

It is important for me to say that this story explained is what we learn from a family member of them.

He is in a come currently.

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I keep thinking of him and keep telling myself to always avoid violence, but sometimes in life it is hard to avoid violence just like that, when you get attacked you get attacked.

I remember when I was a kid, my grandfather from my mom's side taught me how to box when I was 10 years old because I told him I was being bullied at school, although I should say he taught me “how to punch and defend myself” instead, since I never practice boxing more than just pushing a bag and spar with friends in the past.

I learned from him that you should always remain calm in a bad situation and react fast.

Later on in my life I learned a bit of krav-maga but what really got me addicted was Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I love BJJ as a competitive sport and also as a self defense.

Maybe being attacked has never happened to you, but a lot of people end up traumatized, in the hospital or even dead because of not being able to avoid arguments, defend themselves, or even have enough conditions to just run away.

I always say and repeat people should always practice a sport to be able to have conditions in case you have to run for your life.

That person I know, the victim is today in a come, he did not know what to do when that guy grabbed him from behind. It really sucks.

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But what if you learn how to defend a choke attack from the back?

At the academy I train, we learned how to apply chokeholds as well as how to defend it. I remember sometimes I like to not defend the chokehold just to see how many seconds I can last right before I feel I am losing my consciousness.

I had the opportunity to attend a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu seminar in Phoenix Arizona once, at the Megaton’s Academy. The instructor was the famous black belt Royler Gracie.

The seminar was focused on applying jiu jitsu techniques against attacks in the streets. Some of them were neck chokehold defends. I was very happy to learn these techniques. But most importantly was his explanation on why everyone should learn a little bit of self defense techniques, and how brazilian jiu jitsu it’s one of the best martial arts to learn in order to use as a defense in a street attack.

In the following video I found you will see a similar situation of a standing chokehold attack from behind and different ways to defend it.

Of course you won’t be able to learn how to defend yourself by just watching videos. Practicing the moves with a training partner will help, but I highly suggest you to sign up in an Academy near you. You will not only learn about techniques but also you will be able to gain good cardio, conditions and more confidence in yourself.

I am not saying that martial arts will make you invincible, if you encounter a gun or a knife in front of you, the best thing to do would be to let the thief take what he or she wants.

Defending yourself against an attacker is what you do when dialogue and running are no longer an option.

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It is hard to understand how that chokehold to that person I know made so much damage on him. Maybe the chokehold plus the stress and madness triggered what was going to happen to him later in his life, a stroke. Who knows.

What I do know is that if he would have known how to remain calm and defend himself from the choke, he wouldn't be in a come right now.

I really hope his family will be able to transport him to his country, which what they are currently trying to do with him, and hopefully he will be able to get better.

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In conclusion, don’t wait longer, go train, stay healthy and learn a martial art, it could save your life or the life of the person you love the most.

Thank you!

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