Escaping a Side Headlock
Turn your head toward your attacker. Turn into your opponent's body so your airway is no longer constricted. This will allow you to breathe so you can escape the headlock.
Stun your attacker. Use your hand closest to the front of your attacker's body to strike their testicles (if your attacker is male). Also try to strike your opponent in the gut or ribs with your elbow. Striking your attacker in the gut and ribs works for both male and female attackers. Keep your outside hand free to attack their testicles, or to protect your face if your attacker tries to hit you. If it is a life-or-death situation, biting is totally on the table and it is an excellent way to injure an attacker if they are not set up properly. However, do be aware that if they have you in a proper chokehold (elbow joint is aligned vertically with your esophagus, and their choking-arm hand is on their opposite bicep, with their opposite hand on the base of your skull), attempting to bite will give them an easy chance to pull your neck towards themself, rendering you unconsciousness.
Reach to your attacker's head. Use your outer arm to reach around and up to your attacker's face. If this is a life-or-death situation, use your fingers to try and gouge their eyes, reach underneath their nose with your hand or fingers to pull their head back, or reach underneath their chin with your hand to pull their head back. Keep your other hand on the arm or hand that was head-locking you. The body has to follow the head. That is why pulling their head back will render them unbalanced.
Stand up and attack. As you pull back your attacker's head, stand straight up to disarm them even more (his back will be curved). Use the hand that was holding onto their head-locking hand and arm to attack him again in the ribs or groin and push them away from you. This would be your time to run and escape.
Escaping a Rear Headlock
Protect your airway. Turn your head toward the side from which your attacker is choking you. This will ensure that your airway doesn't get cut off. Use your hands to grab onto your attacker's arm, with your fingers on the inside of their arm, near your chin.
Tuck your chin. Raise or shrug your shoulders so you create a space where you can tuck your chin down to your body and get your fingers into the space between their arm and your chin. Aim to tuck your chin into the crook of their elbow; that is where there will be the most wiggle room. Sink down in his hold by bending your knees. This will make it more difficult for your attacker to lock their arm onto your neck.
Step back. On the side that your attacker is choking you, step your foot back behind their foot to lock in their leg. Don't arch your back backward. Instead, keep your back curved forward. If you lean back, you render yourself defenseless with no balance. Do not step out to the side, but back, behind their foot so your legs are calf-to-calf.
Turn out and throw them down. Bend your knees and turn 180° toward your stepped foot. Your hands should still be on their arm, in between your chin and their arm. Once out of the headlock, pull diagonally across your body to throw your attacker to the ground. Keep your opposite foot (the foot that didn't lock behind your attacker's leg) strong so as to trip your opponent as you throw them to the ground across your body. If you can't throw your attacker, keep turning your shoulders and hips inward to create more leverage. Eventually, this should create enough space that you can pull your head out.
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