Yes, I can explain it. I do it all the time in my humble juijitsu class. I can "choke" a guy slowly enough that he feels the pressure and decided to tap before he goes out (as opposed to ringing his neck with all my weakness 100% from the start. And guess what, if they didnt tap they would go out, and yet there would be no mark.
And yes, thowing someone down "passively" as in, you know...not bulldozing them with all of your brute force, either pushing them yet not full power, or other throwing them (as in a Judo style thow" yet controlling their fall to an extent/