What should be your initial action when escaping a rear chokehold?

In the context of escaping a rear chokehold, lowering your center of gravity is essential for maintaining balance and stability. This action allows you to become less vulnerable to being thrown or pulled off balance by the attacker. By bending your knees and shifting your weight downward, you are making it more difficult for the attacker to control you and are putting yourself in a better position to execute an escape technique.

Additionally, lowering your center of gravity can facilitate a range of subsequent defensive actions, such as moving sideways or creating space to free yourself from the hold. This positioning also sets you up for more effective movement and can make it easier to employ other defensive tactics if necessary.

While options like twisting to face the subject or attempting to strike the subject might seem viable, they can leave you vulnerable if not executed correctly, especially under the stress of a chokehold. Using your free hand to push away might also not be as effective without the necessary stability; hence, lowering your center of gravity becomes the foundational first step at the onset of responding to such a threat.