If you are suddenly under an attack - say from behind, being strangled - the clock is ticking. You have about 8 seconds before your muscles give out and you start losing consciousness. Freezing and maintaining the status quo IS NOT an option. Fighting his grip around your neck IS NOT an option. The attacker is in a dominate state of control and is proceeding forward to his goal. You need to maximize the chaos. Throw in some variables that he is not ready for.
What can you do? Arching up and throwing your whole body down to the ground or over a chair may hurt you but also may hurt him. At the very least he is probably not ready for it and in that chaos you can hopefully break free and then escape or fight back. It is risky but it throws variables into the mix that you can then use to gain an opportunity.
Learn to manage choas. Sometimes more chaos is a good thing!