Years ago I was walking to a friend’s apartment late at night, less than a minute away, when I got jumped. I had headphones on, blaring; next thing I knew someone was choking me from behind. I tried pulling away; no luck, he was bigger than me, stronger. Tried telling him I had no money (pocket change; less than a dollar). He wasn’t the chatty type. He just kept squeezing.
I was a couple of feet in front of a brick wall, my back to it; him being behind me meant his was, too. I pulled forward one last time as hard as I could, straining against him, then threw all my weight backwards.