Based on a video by ProCPR.
A choking person has maybe 2-3 minutes before they pass out. Knowing the Heimlich maneuver - properly called abdominal thrusts - is one of those rare skills you can learn in 5 minutes that might save someone's life. The technique is straightforward once you know the landmarks.
The signs are unmistakable. They can't cough, can't breathe, can't speak. They may grab at their throat - the universal sign for choking. If air is moving (any cough, any wheeze, any sound), encourage them to keep coughing. If nothing is moving, this is a full block and you need to act.
Approach calmly, look them in the eye, and ask 'Are you choking?' If they nod yes, say 'I know how to help you. May I help?' Get a yes (or a nod) before you touch a conscious person. It takes two seconds and is both legally and ethically important.
Stand behind them and wrap your arms around their waist. The belly button is your only landmark - it tells you where everything else goes. Get oriented before you make a fist.
Make a fist with one hand and tuck your thumb in (don't poke them with the thumb tip). Place the thumb-side of the fist on the soft abdomen, just above the belly button and well below the xiphoid process - the bony tip of the breastbone. This is the soft spot directly over the diaphragm.
Tip
If you can't find the xiphoid by touch, just stay above the belly button and below the rib cage. Aim for the squishy middle.
Grab your fist with your other hand. Keep your elbows pointed out and away from the person's ribs - you don't want to crack ribs while you're trying to clear an airway. Your forearms should rest against their lower abdomen.
Pull both hands toward you and up at the same time - the J-shaped motion drives the diaphragm up, which compresses the lungs and shoots air up the windpipe. That blast of air is what pops the obstruction out.
Keep going. Each thrust is a separate, distinct, full-strength movement. Don't rest until the object comes out or the person becomes unresponsive.
Tip
If they go unresponsive, lower them carefully to the ground, call 911, and start CPR (compressions). Each compression has the same effect as a Heimlich thrust on an unconscious person.
Even when the object comes out and they're breathing again, abdominal thrusts can occasionally cause internal bruising or rib injuries. Call 911 if you haven't already and let EMS check them out. If they refuse the ride, encourage a same-day visit with their doctor.
If the person is visibly pregnant or so large that you can't get your arms around their waist, do chest thrusts instead. Place your fist on the lower half of the breastbone (sternum), grab it with the other hand, and pull straight back into their chest. The compressions on the lungs do the same job as the abdominal thrust without putting pressure on a baby or strain on a too-wide abdomen.
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