A piece of meat goes wrong, a bite swallowed too quickly, and suddenly you can’t breathe. If someone is nearby, they can help. But what do you do when you’re alone at home, unable to speak, cough, or call for help? It’s precisely this question that an American firefighter-paramedic decided to answer, with a method born… in a boxing ring.
A resuscitation instructor confronted with a gap in protocols
The man demonstrating this technique is named Raymond. A firefighter and paramedic north of Denver, Colorado, he has been teaching first aid and CPR for twenty-two years. Over the years, he has noticed a gap: there is no truly effective way to rescue oneself when choking and no one is there to help.
He therefore developed a technique that, according to him, works quite well. Its origin is unexpected: it dates back to the 1980s, when he practiced boxing. His coach had him repeat this exercise to strengthen and toughen his abdominal muscles. Decades later, he felt it could be used for a much more practical purpose and adapted it to his work as a first responder.
The maneuver explained step by step
The principle relies on the force of the impact of the torso on the ground, which violently expels air from the lungs upwards. Here’s how to do it, as Raymond demonstrates:
