Arm wrestling (also spelled armwrestling) is a sport with two opponents who face each other with their bent elbows placed on a table and hands firmly gripped, who then attempt to force the opponent's hand down to the table top ("pin" them). The sport is often casually used to demonstrate the stronger person between two or more people.
In the early years other names were used to describe the same sport, including arm turning, arm twisting, twisting wrists, wrist turning and wrist wrestling.
History
Current knowledge of the history of arm wrestling is based on written and pictorial evidentiary sources, and arm wrestling may have existed in any number of ancient or medieval cultures that did not record it. Popular claims that it was practiced in ancient Egypt or
ancient Greece
Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of Classical Antiquity, classical antiquity ( AD 600), th ...
, while not necessarily implausible, are founded on misinterpretation of sources (confusing references to
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
with the arms or images of wrestling with the hands or of dancing for arm wrestling).
Arm wrestling ( ja, 腕相撲, udezumō; formerly known as "wrist wrestling" in this context in English, the literal translation of the Japanese) is known to have been widely practiced by the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...
of Japan, depicted in art from as early as the 1700s, and recorded in writing as early as the eighth century in the '' Kojiki''. Illustrations unambiguously demonstrate this was the same as modern arm wrestling. It is likely that the modern popularity of arm wrestling comes from the Japanese treatment of the sport.
Arm wrestling was also practiced by
Spaniards
Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex history, including a number of different languages, both in ...
and
Cubans
Cubans ( es, Cubanos) are people born in Cuba and people with Cuban citizenship. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic, religious and national backgrounds.
Racial and ethnic groups
Census
The population of Cuba wa ...
in the nineteenth century, possibly via the influence of Japanese contact; these arm-wrestlers would place a piece of money under each elbow.
Arm wrestling in the United States was formerly also called "Indian arm wrestling"; some sources suggest the practice originated amongst American Indian peoples such as the Lenape. A similar sport, "Indian hand wrestling", attested from the early 20th century and commonly ascribed Native American origins, was conducted standing upright. Both "Indian arm wrestling" (or simply "arm wrestling") and "Indian hand wrestling" were popular among
Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts may refer to:
* Boy Scout, a participant in the Boy Scout Movement.
* Scouting, also known as the Boy Scout Movement.
* An organisation in the Scouting Movement, although many of these organizations also have female members. There are ...
and other American youth in the early to mid 20th century.
Organized arm wrestling tournaments arose in the 1950s, while the World’s Wristwrestling Championship, Inc. (WWC) was the first armwrestling organization, organized the first World’s Wrist-wrestling Championship - held in Hermann Sons Hall, the second largest auditorium in Petaluma, California in 1962; later those (WWC's) World championships were known as Petaluma World’s Wrist-wrestling Championships.
Description
Casual
Casual arm wrestling is common between individuals simply as a game or casual contest of strength. Casual arm wrestling is usually performed seated on any available surface (commonly a standard table or chair) and lacks the technical rigor, specially designed table, and regulation of competitive arm wrestling. Injuries are more common in casual settings than in competition due to a general lack of conditioning and proper technique. Additionally, participants in casual matches are less likely to be close in strength, and such strength disparities often result in dangerous positions which increase the likelihood of injury.
Competition
In ''competitive arm wrestling'', a match is conducted with both competitors standing up with arms placed on a ''tournament arm wrestling table''. Competitions are usually conducted in either tournament or supermatch form. A tournament usually involves successive rounds of a single match (or "pull") between any two opponents and a large number of total participants. A "supermatch" usually involves anywhere from 3 to 6 matches between two specific athletes, with short rest periods between consecutive matches. The supermatch format is usually reserved for more experienced and high-level pullers, and is analogous to a traditional bout in other combat sports.
Competition tables
Tables used for organized armwrestling competitions include elbow pads, which indicate the area within which a competitor's elbow must remain throughout the match, pin pads, which indicate the height an opponent's hand much reach before being considered pinned, and hand pegs, which must be gripped with the non-wrestling arm and are used for additional leverage. These tables vary slightly in their dimensions based on the governing body of the competition, but are always symmetrical with predefined distances between the elbow pads and pin pads.
Competition divisions
As with other combat sports in which body weight is recognized to play a significant role in victory, arm wrestling tournaments are usually divided along weight classes as well as left and right-handed divisions. Because most humans and therefore most pullers are right-handed, right-handed competitions are both more common and more prestigious than equivalent left-handed competitions.
There are also rules governing fouls and imposition of penalties, such as when a competitor's elbow leaves a mat where the elbow is meant to remain at all times, when a false start occurs, and attempting to escape arm pinning by breaking the grip ("slipping") with the opponent which may result in a loss. Paraphrasing USAF rules, arm wrestlers must straighten their wrists with less than a one-minute time lapse during competition.
Types
*armwrestling
**stand-up arm wrestling
**sit-down arm wrestling
*wristwrestling
**stand-up wristwrestling
**sit-down wristwrestling
Technique
There are many styles and moves in arm wrestling, each with their own relative balance of hand and arm pressures. The three most common general moves are the hook, toproll and press.
Pressures
Many force vectors, or "pressures", contribute to the overall success of an armwrestler. Generally speaking, these pressures can be classified into hand pressures and arm pressures.
Hand pressures
The primary hand pressure is "cupping", or wrist flexion. The flexing of the wrist by the forearm muscles bends back the opponent's wrist, and dramatically decreases their accessible leverage during the match.
Secondary hand pressures include supination (as in a hook), pronation (as in a toproll) and "rising", or wrist abduction. Each of these can be used to get an opponent into an uncomfortable or disadvantageous position, from which the initiator can more easily pin.
Arm pressures
The three major arm pressures in armwrestling include side pressure, back pressure, and "posting" or upward pressure.
Side pressure involves contraction of the pectoral muscles and whole body movement in order to generate force against the opponent perpendicular to the plane of the palm. This pressure is most directly associated with movement of the hands toward the pin pad, and as such is often the main or only pressure instinctively utilized by novices trying to pin their opponent.
Back pressure involves contraction of the muscles of the back (primarily the lats) in order to adduct the upper arm and generate force toward the self and away from the opponent. If successful, the application of back pressure increases the elbow angle of the opponent and therefore limits their leverage.
"Posting", or upward pressure, involves contraction of the biceps in order to flex the elbow. If successful, the application of upward pressure decreases the elbow angle of the initiator, therefore increasing their leverage against their opponent.
Moves and Styles
Hook
The "hook" or "hooking" is any move classified within the "inside" style of arm wrestling. The defining characteristic of a hook is supination of the hand and forearm, which results in a match centered on pressure applied through the wrist. Generally, a successful hook is more dependent on raw arm strength (centered on the biceps) than hand control and technique compared to a toproll.
Toproll
The "top roll" or "top rolling" is any move classified within the "outside" style of arm wrestling. The defining characteristic of a toproll is pronation of the hand and forearm, in which the thumb becomes the point in which pressure is applied as you rotate into the opponents hand. Generally, a successful toproll is highly dependent on technique and the strength of the hand and forearm, moreso than a hook or press.
Press
The "triceps press", "shoulder pressing", or "shoulder rolling" is often described as the third primary move or style of arm wrestling. The defining characteristic of a press is the rotation of the competitor's torso in order to position their shoulder behind their hand. This position allows the athlete to better utilize their triceps strength and body weight, and is usually only attempted in neutral or advantageous positions in order to finish an opponent. A press can be accessed from either a hook or toproll.
Factors
Various factors can play a part in one's success in arm wrestling, technique and overall arm strength being the two greatest contributing factors. Other considerations such as the length of an arm wrestler's arm, muscle and arm mass/density, hand grip size, wrist endurance and flexibility, reaction time, and other traits can lend advantages of one arm wrestler over another.
Governing organizations
The
World Armwrestling Federation
The World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) is an international federation of national and regional arm wrestling associations. Currently, WAF has members from 82 countries.
WAF members
World Armwrestling Championships
World Armwrestling Fede ...
(WAF) has been the universally recognized global governing body for professional arm wrestling and comprises 82 member countries.
Common rules
The rules and regulations for arm wrestling are designed to create an even playing field and to prevent broken bones. Below are some of the general arm wrestling regulations:
* The shoulder of both players must be in a square position before the match starts.
* All starts will be a "Ready… Go!" The cadence will vary.
* Competitors must start with at least one foot on the ground. After the "go" players may have both feet off the ground.
* One's opposite (non-wrestling) hand must remain on the peg at all times.(If one slips off the peg and quickly regains contact it does not count as a foul in most cases)
* If the elbow of the offensive competitor comes off the pad prior to a pin it will not be counted and a foul will be given.
* To make a winning pin, a player must take any part of the opponent's wrist or hand (including fingers) below the plane of a touch pad.
* A false start is a warning. Two warnings equals a foul.
* Competitors will forfeit the match with a second foul. (Subject to change based on foul limits)
* If opponents lose grip with one another, a strap is applied and the match is restarted.
* Intentional slip-outs are fouls, which occur when player's palm completely loses contact with the other player's palm.
* Competitors may not touch their body to their hand at any time.
* Shoulders may not cross the center of the table at any time.
* Competitors will always conduct themselves in a sportsperson-like manner while at the tournament.
* The most important arm wrestling rule: the referee's decision is final.
Training
Improvement at armwrestling is most driven by two factors: strength development/conditioning, and experience.
While there is no consensus among top athletes as to whether table training or weight training is most effective for developing armwrestling strength, it is generally accepted that both are important. Common lifts for armwrestling include bicep curls, wrist curls, and rows, all of which develop overall pulling strength and greater pressures against the opponent. In addition to standard dumbbells and barbells, serious pullers often make use of bands and cable systems with specialized handles in order to more closely replicate the angles and tensions of real armwrestling during weight training.
Table training often involves pulling many casual or semi-serious matches from various starting positions, and developing one's strategy and techniques against a large variety of opponents and styles.
Associated injury
Arm wrestling puts substantial torque/torsion stress on the upper arm's humerus bone, to a degree seen in few other physical activities. Generally speaking, the bones and connective tissue involved in arm wrestling are not prepared to accommodate the stresses imposed by the sport, and severe injuries can occur without proper training and conditioning. An arm bone may fail in a diagonal break at or below the shoulder and elbow midpoint. This is significantly more likely when one of the pullers rotates their shoulder inward (as in a press) without first getting behind their hand, a position known as the 'break arm' position. It is for this reason that a common safety cue for beginners is to maintain eye contact with their own hand. This helps prevent rotation of the shoulders away from the arm, and therefore limits the likelihood that the puller will reach the 'break arm' position.
Common injuries include humeral shaft fractures, shoulder trauma, muscle strain, golfers' elbow, and less commonly pectoralis major/biceps rupture.
Injuries associated with armwrestling occur most commonly between novices or athletes of significant strength difference, when competitors are forced into unsafe positions out of inexperience or inability to maintain advantage. Matches or practices involving experienced pullers with the conditioning and knowledge to stay safe very rarely produce injuries.
In popular culture
* In ''
The Old Man and the Sea
''The Old Man and the Sea'' is a novella written by the American author Ernest Hemingway in 1951 in Cayo Blanco (Cuba), and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction written by Hemingway that was published during his lifetime. O ...
'' (1952), the character Santiago recalls winning an arm wrestling match that lasted for a whole day.
* In the episode "Dead Lift" of the series ''
The Streets of San Francisco
''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...
'' (first broadcast May 5, 1977), where Arnold Schwarzenegger plays an important role, one sees his friend Franco Colombu, himself a high-level bodybuilder, and also a competitor of athletic strength and "strong men" contests, make a showdown in a bar.
* At the beginning of the film ''
Predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
'' (1987), the characters played by Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers (born January 14, 1948) is an American actor and former professional football player. He is known for his roles as boxer Apollo Creed in the first four ''Rocky'' films (1976–85), George Dillon in '' Predator'' (1987), Action Ja ...
improvise a showdown after a vigorous handshake.
* The film ''
Vendetta dal futuro
''Vendetta dal futuro'' (, also known as ''Hands of Steel'') is an Italian science fiction film directed by Sergio Martino. The film stars Daniel Greene, George Eastman and John Saxon.
Plot
An evil industrialist (John Saxon) has created a cyb ...
'' (1986) features arm wrestling.
* The film ''
Over the Top
Over the top may refer to:
Music
* "Over the Top", a 2017 song by Hey! Say! JUMP
* ''Over the Top'' (Cozy Powell album), 1979 album by British drummer Cozy Powell
* ''Over the Top'' (Infinite album), 2011 album by South Korean band Infinite
* ...
'' (1987) features a wrestling champion, played by Sylvester Stallone.
* The film ''
Addams Family Values
''Addams Family Values'' is a 1993 American supernatural black comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Paul Rudnick, based on the characters created by Charles Addams. It is the sequel to '' The Addams Family'' (1991). The fil ...
'' (1993) opens with a showdown between Gomez and Thing.
* ''
The Fly (1986 film)
''The Fly'' is a 1986 American science fiction horror film directed and co-written by David Cronenberg. Produced by Brooksfilms and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the film stars Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and John Getz. Loosely based on Geo ...
'' features an arm wrestling scene in which one competitor's arm suffers a compound fracture.
* In the episode of ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' " Marge's Son Poisoning" (2005), Homer enters an armwrestling tournament.
* The 2007 Japanese rhythm video game ''
Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the third of three rhythm games developed by iNiS for the DS, and is the sequel to ''Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan'' while incorp ...
'' has an unlockable bonus image of two oendan holding an informal arm-wrestling contest at a picnic, awarded to players who are able to raise their total high score to an exceptional level.
* The documentary ''Pulling John'' (2009), focuses on the battle for pre-eminence between heavyweights John Brzenk, Travis Bagent and
Alexey Voevoda
Alexey Ivanovich Voyevoda (russian: Алексей Иванович Воевода; born 9 May 1980) is a Russian bobsledder, professional armwrestler and politician.
Bobsleigh
A professional bobsleigher since 2002, Voyevoda won silver in the fo ...
.
* The reality TV show ''
Game of Arms
''Game of Arms'' is an American television series that debuted February 25, 2014, on AMC. The series is a reality television show about American competitive arm wrestlers. The series follows arm wrestling clubs in Erie, Pennsylvania; Kansas Cit ...
'' (2014) showed teams of American competitors sacrificing to become the nation's best armwrestler.
* In Italy, the term used for ''arm wrestling'' is ''braccio di ferro'', and the cartoon character
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Braccio di Ferro''.
Grip strength
Grip strength is the force applied by the hand to pull on or suspend from objects and is a specific part of hand strength. Optimum-sized objects permit the hand to wrap around a cylindrical shape with a diameter from one to three inches. Stair rai ...
*
Handshake
A handshake is a globally widespread, brief greeting or parting tradition in which two people grasp one of each other's like hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up-and-down movement of the grasped hands. Customs surrounding handshakes a ...
*
Grappling
Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling ...
*
Thumb war
A thumb war (also called thumb wrestling, pea-knuckle or pea-knuckle war in New Zealand) is a game played by two players in which the thumbs are used to simulate fighting. The objective of the game is to pin the opponent's thumb, often to a count ...