Yes. The rear naked choke absolutely works for smaller people — and the proof is in the video above. A female blue belt locks it on a bigger, skeptical male partner and he's out in about four seconds.
Let me tell you why this matters.
Most "self-defense" techniques fall apart the second you try them on someone bigger and stronger. Punches get eaten. Kicks get caught. Joint locks require leverage the smaller person usually can't get. The rear naked choke is different. It doesn't care how big he is. It doesn't care how strong he is. If you get to the back and lock it in, he goes to sleep.
Here's the quote from the video that sums it up: "3 to 5 seconds, you can pass the guy out even if you're a girl, no problem at all."
Four seconds. That's what we clocked on the tape. The guy went in thinking there was no way a girl could choke him out. Then she squeezed. One-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three, one-thousand-four. Gurgle. Lights out.
The reason it works is simple. The choke cuts blood supply to the brain — not air. You're not fighting his strength. You're using your arms against his neck, and his neck isn't built to win that fight no matter how jacked he is.
But there's a catch. You have to get there and STAY there. That's where most people blow it.
In the second half of the video, we drill exactly that. Hooks in the thighs, seat belt grip locked across the chest, and ride him wherever he goes. If he rolls to his stomach, ride it. If he sits up, ride it. Lose the hooks? Re-insert them. Lose the seat belt? Get it back. That's the foundation.
Once you can stay on the back, the choke is a formality.
For the full walkthrough and the drills that build the position, check out our guide to how to choke someone out for self-defense. The complete course lives in the How To Win A Street Fight bundle.