My courtship with Strength

The niche Sport of Arm-Wrestling

A little-known fact about me is that I've always been a fan of professional arm-wrestling. Yes, there is such a thing, and no, I'm not talking about slap fighting, where you stand between a table across from an opponent and proceed to take turns trying to knock the other out. I mean arm-wrestling, a competitive strength sport that occurs on a table of particular dimensions with a strictly enforced set of rules, making your average countertop bar/pub match look childish.

I was a little older than my son is now when my Lolo (grandfather), Mariano, took me to the cinema to watch my first movie, a lesser-known '80s action flick called Over the Top. The film stars Sylvester Stallone and features a real-life 18-hour marathon arm-wrestling tournament, which took place at the Hilton in Las Vegas. It aimed to publicize the still unknown and very niche professional sport and take it to a global scale. I was still residing in the bustling metropolis of Manila, Philippines, when the film debuted. 

Recent findings have shown that we form our earliest memories at 2 ½ years of age, so it's interesting to note that I never really knew a world before going to the cinema that day. I still have vivid memories of taking a motorized tricycle that day, a common form of public transportation in the city. Suffice it to say that this film had a profound effect on me. So much so that I began challenging anyone and everyone I could to a tabletop arm-wrestling match after seeing it. My dad spoke about this time when he gave a toast at my wedding—recalling that he and his friends got a kick out of losing to me and seeing my excitement and joy in mimicking what I saw on film. You'll be delighted to know that if you held your hand out to my son, he would proceed to pin your arm in the same manner! 

Arm-Wrestling Explained

Arm-wrestling isn't just a competition of who's got the biggest biceps, nor is it a sport just for a motley crew of savages that risk the possibility of breaking their arm. Many professional arm wrestlers have taken on the likes of world-class strongmen and Olympia-level body-builders, winning with relative ease. It's a highly technical sport with a 50/50 split on strength and technique. Strength isn't measured by musculature but rather by specialized tendon load capacity and how much force one can generate with particular biomechanics. For instance, there's a leverage advantage to having long forearms, and having longer fingers give you the ability to hold on to your opponent neutralizing their pronation. At the same time, having a shorter arm and a stronger hand can help contain and undercut a person's leverage depending on the amount of pressure one can generate sideways. 

I'm an avid fan of the sport and could go as far as to say that I nerd out on the subtle nuances of techniques or strategies and how they counteract one another. From what I've learned over the years, the fundamental movements of the sport are:

• RISE - also called up pressure; an upward bicep static hold or curl motion where the elbow is fixed to a point on the elbow pad.

• PRONATION - used in a top rolling motion to compromise the hand and wrist of your opponent; the hand (facing palm up) rotates counter-clockwise, and your shoulder moves away from the opponent and into "your pocket."

• CUP - curling wrist inward, which also includes grip strength, particularly in the fingers, and maintaining hand position.

• SUPINATION - used in a hook motion where the hand facing palm up rotates clockwise; you're usually wrist to wrist with your opponent, and your shoulder is committed forward.

• KICKBACK - moving hand backward from neutral wrist position; the hand (facing palm down) and your knuckles move upward or outward.

• PRESS - also called down pressure; your shoulder is committed forward, and your chest and triceps drive an opponent to the pin pad. 

• ROW - also called back pressure; your lats and biceps are engaged in a rowing motion, pulling your opponent toward you while keeping your elbow on the pad. The force comes through the first two joints of your index finger along with your wrist. 

Safety Tips 

The first thing to note is you must proceed with caution! Don't try this at home unless you understand the risks of injury. 

• Keep eye contact with your hand (don't turn your head away) and keep your chest facing towards the table as much as possible. Allow your body to stay square with your arm, whether in the winning or losing position—this means leaning to the left or the right, respectively.

• The humerus bone can only withstand about 15 lbs of pressure when in a twisted position (where your forearm and hand are outside of shoulder alignment). DO NOT throw your shoulder inside your hand and forearm when arm-wrestling.  

King of the Table IV

There are still a few promotions running events in a post-lockdown world for those interested in seeing an epic match. Core Sports organizes powerlifting meets and exhibition boxing matches and has recently promoted arm-wrestling events. One such event is a series called "King of the Table," and the 4th installment is happening on June 25th! The main event, touted as the biggest arm-wrestling super match (6 rounds) in the history of the sport, is between Devon "No Limits" Larratt of Canada, and the "Georgian Hulk" Levan Saginashvili, who is the current number 1 arm-wrestler in the world. 

It's going to be a clash of styles and approaches. Devon (47), who stands at 6" 5' and weighs in at nearly 300 lbs, is former Canadian Special Forces and a legend in the sport. He is known for his technical abilities, high table IQ, extreme durability, and high lactate threshold. Levan (33), who is 6" 3' and weighs in at 415 lbs, is probably the most dominant arm-wrestler on the planet. He is known for registering the highest numbers in all fundamental movements/lifts of arm-wrestling and hasn't lost a round in over five years. It's going to be EPIC!

Reflection

As I look back at specific points in my life, it makes all the more sense why I've had a longstanding relationship and history with strength. Many men could say the same, even as the pendulum has swung so far in reaction to harmful forms of masculinity in our culture today. How men form who they are fundamentally is based on things that miss the mark, fall short, and ultimately do not matter. It's easy to build our identities on how much weight we can bench press, whether we've increased our PR (personal record), or what sort of achievements and accolades we can wear and stack up on the podium of our self-aggrandizement. We can get caught up in the desire to wear the wreath, adorn medals, and hoist up trophies. However, I would also be quick to identify that no matter the outcome of a competition, training for Sports—applying max effort, dedication, and discipline—are great things that form character. 

When Paul of Tarsus, a dedicated and well-traveled missionary in the 1st century, wrote to his apprentice Timothy, he recognized this. Paul had traveled to places like Corinth, where he had witnessed the Isthmian Games, an ancient festival and athletic competition in honor of the oceanic god, Poseidon. He saw gladiators doing battle in coliseums, foot races in honor of Caesar, and grueling boxing matches. He had been around athletes when he wrote:

"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:6-8

At this point in his letter, Paul was trying to impart wisdom to Timothy to shape his leadership and form the living example of the Gospel that he would embody for others. He tells his apprentice that running and lifting are good things that benefit the body, but their value is temporary—time and gravity are inevitable. But imagine dedicating yourself to training godliness daily in the same manner. That is, practically living out your right standing before God through love, compassion, discipline, and wisdom as empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

What is true strength as it relates to manhood and masculinity? Is it the chauvinistic ideals of physicality and exerted power or the primal instinct to intimidate others by use of brute force? Nope. When I think of Paul and Timothy, who were both following the masculine example of Christ and were empowered to live out this example by his person and work, I think of two words. Responsibility and sacrifice. These markers of masculinity only find their meaning when considering their purpose. Responsibility and sacrifice are not merely selfish endeavors—for your esteem, for the benefit of your family, tribe, or people. That's part of the problem of misguided or misplaced masculinity, never mind toxic—there's so much more "top-end strength" to discover than self-interest. Loving God and loving neighbor as yourself—doing good for others (considering them before and above yourself) aren't just hallmark statements by a two-dimensional Jesus. Such qualities come forth from a transformative work of God and being a recipient of his radical love. His strength was ultimately showcased in his seemingly weakest and most vulnerable state—on the Cross when he took responsibility for us and made the ultimate sacrifice for us. 

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:10