Apparently you've had no experience in fighting at all. The full nelson wil render any person helpless, and it's relativly easy to do it with a good twist to someones arm.
Once you've put somone into a full nelson, you use your weight, and take advantage of their balance.
I don't sit there like every other brawler, and swing fists like monkies, like you helpless nerds would do. Fuck that, I make it easy for myself, and save the effort, of mindless fisting.
I go for the legs too, in fact I usually go for the legs if I am in close range, but if someone takes a swing, and I manage to grab a limb, they're fucked.