Data is very observant and would have known, by observation, where the precise nerves would have been in order to perform the nerve pinch. And the reason why Archer was able to do the nerve pinch was because he was suffering from the mind meld that Syran (SP?) had performed on him before he died, to insert Surak's katra into Archer, so Archer was reacting to Surak's knowledge, and probably that knowledge is what allowed Archer to effectively use the nerve pinch. But this is all just argumentative.
I know in real life, if a person has enough knowledge about the nerve points of the body, such as an acupuncturist, they could effectively perform a nerve pinch, but mainly to paralyze someone for the duration that contact was maintained, because enough pressure would need to be applied in order for the victim to pass out.