Arm wrestling

Arm Wrestling

An arm wrestling competition
Players	2
Skill(s) required	strength, endurance, technique, resistance

Arm wrestling involves two participants. Each places one arm on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand. The goal is to pin the other's arm onto the surface, the winner's arm over the loser's arm.

Various factors can play a part in one's success in arm wrestling. Technique and overall arm strength are the two greatest contributing factors to winning an arm wrestling match. Other factors such as the length of an arm wrestler's arm, his/her muscle and arm mass/density, hand grip size, wrist endurance and flexibility, reaction time, as well as countless other traits, can add to the advantages of one arm wrestler over another. It is sometimes used to prove who is stronger between two or more people. In competitive arm wrestling, as sanctioned by the United States Armwrestling Federation (USAF), arm wrestling is performed with both competitors standing up with their arms placed on a tournament arm wrestling table. Arm wrestling tournaments are also divided into weight classes as well as left and right-handed divisions. Furthermore, strict rules such as fouls given to penalties (such as the competitor's elbow leaving a matted area where the elbow is to remain at all times, or a false start), and trying to escape a possible arm pin by breaking the grip with the opponent may result in a loss at the table. Paraphrasing USAF rules, arm wrestlers must straighten their wrists without a time lapse of one minute during competition.

The World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) is the universally recognized global governing body of professional arm wrestling and comprises 80 member countries.

Some noted top arm wrestling competitors include John Brzenk (hailed as the greatest arm wrestler of all time),Travis Bagent, Alexey Voevoda, Denis Cyplenkov, Andrey Pushkar, Tim Bresnan, Devon Larratt, Ion Oncescu, Neil Pickup and Jerry Cadorette. Allen Fisher is of high acclaim, for he has won 26 world championships. He is one of the oldest multiple world champion title holders in the sport of arm wrestling at 55 years of age in the year 2011. Heidi Andersson is a female armwrestler from Sweden who has won eleven world championships between 1998 and 2014.

John Brzenk is known mostly for his array of techniques which change almost every time he is engaged in competition, even with the same opponent within the same match. As of Summer 2008, John Brzenk is ranked #1 in North America. Ron Bath is known for his use of the Top Roll technique which emphasizes a 'roll' of the wrist as he brings the opponent's wrist down. Travis Bagent, like Brzenk, is known for his wide array of techniques, coupled with his massive strength and explosive style. Many of Bagent's matches have ended in seconds. Bagent is considered the best left-handed arm wrestler in the world and is currently ranked second overall in North America, as of summer of 2008.