Arm wrestling

Arm wrestling (also spelled "armwrestling") is a strength sport in which two participants, facing each other with their bent elbows placed on a flat surface (usually a table) and hands firmly gripped, each attempt to "pin" their opponent's hand by forcing it to the surface. In popular culture, arm wrestling is commonly interpreted as a display of physical dominance, symbolizing superior strength and toughness between two individuals.

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. The most popular claims that it was practiced in ancient Egypt or ancient Greece, while not necessarily implausible, are founded on misinterpretation of sources (confusing references to wrestling with the arms or images of wrestling with the hands or of dancing for arm wrestling).

Modern-day practices and depictions of arm wrestling have been widely practiced during the Edo-period of Japan (Japanese: 腕相撲, romanized: udezumō; formerly known as "wrist wrestling" in this context in English, the literal translation of the Japanese) 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 and Cubans 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 Native American 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 and other American youth in the early to mid 20th century.

The transition from informal arm wrestling matches to professionally organized competitions began in the 1950s. In late 1954, a "wristwrestling" challenge issued by Jack Homel at Mike Gilardi's bar in Petaluma, California, sparked local interest and led to the formation of a committee to organize a fundraising event for the March of Dimes. The first contest was held on 27 January 1955, and its success led to the establishment of an annual event that steadily grew in scale and popularity. In 1962, the sport was formalized with the creation of the World's Wristwrestling Championship, Inc., which hosted the first official World's Wristwrestling Championship on 2 February 1962. This marked a pivotal shift from informal local contests to structured, professional tournaments.

By the late 1960s, arm wrestling had gained national attention, with televised broadcasts on ABC's Wide World of Sports and references in popular culture, including a Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz.

The 1970s and 1980s are often considered the "golden age" of professional arm wrestling, characterized by increased media coverage and corporate sponsorships. The sport reached mainstream audiences with the release of Sylvester Stallone's 1987 film "Over the Top", which was inspired by real-life arm wrestling events. As the only major motion picture centered on the sport, it played a significant role in popularizing arm wrestling worldwide.