yeah, a distinction has to be made between real choking (which can't really be done safely, even a little bit) and mimicking choking with minimal pressure placed somewhere it won't actually affect blood/air flow. I am willing to do the latter but would never ever consider the former.

Knowing some anatomy helps, as it's a lot safer to put pressure on muscles like the upper trapezius that are fully behind the trachea or major arteries/veins. Combine that with light pressure in the front on the collarbone and you have a relatively safe approximation of choking.