Is Professional Armwrestling a Real Sport?

[nostyle126]

It can be.

[nostyle126]

It can be.

I was just curious for some responses because it's a hobby of mine.

[Tcali]

While Tiger Woods may be an idiot for the wreck he has made of his personal life he can't be denied status as an athlete. How is golf any less athletic than baseball? Do you have to run for something to be considered a sport? To play golf well you have to have an excellent combination of balance, strength, flexibility and muscle contol. How are these things not physical or athletic?

golf--borderline sport. a sport/skill/hobby combo

[billsfan89]

While Tiger Woods may be an idiot for the wreck he has made of his personal life he can't be denied status as an athlete. How is golf any less athletic than baseball? Do you have to run for something to be considered a sport? To play golf well you have to have an excellent combination of balance, strength, flexibility and muscle contol. How are these things not physical or athletic?

 

In baseball the ball is thrown at you with the intent of you not hitting it. In fact in baseball when a ball is easy to hit they say that it is put on a tee in golf the ball is just sitting there with the intent of you hitting it. Hitting a stationary ball (Which is all you are doing in golf) is far from the same as baseball which also involves fielding the ball and running bases (Which requires reacting to something in an instant manner and speed as apposed to golf when you can take your time with your shot).

 

Baseball requires a lot more skill and athletic ability to be a complete player at it. Golf you don't need to be fast, strong, or have reactionary skills its simply a game that requires a lot of skill. Tiger isn't an athlete fact.

[billsfan89]

Interesting take. But what is an athlete? Someone who's fast? Someone who's strong? Someone with incredible dexterity? Someone with good hand-eye coordination? Someone with low body fat? What makes an athlete an athlete? Are offensive linemen athletes? Are quarterbacks?

 

Athletic simply means that you are all of these things fast, strong, quick, hand eye coordination, and dexterity its a combination of all of those traits. Golf you only really exercise one maybe 2 of them tops, there is no speed, dexterity, quickness required (Even strength is in question). In real sports you need to be able to exercise all 5 or have a limitation to your game if you don't.

 

If a QB is fast it helps him play if he isn't fast it limits his game BUT because of the nature of the position you can still be damm good without being fast just that speed would help you obviously a QB needs strength, hand eye-coordination, and dexterity. Offensive lineman get helped by being fast (Getting to the second level pass blocking speed rushers), strong, dexterity, and handeye coordination (hand techniques and other small things that go on in the trenches).

 

You can be fat and athletic its just harder but not impossible to have quick movement when carrying extra weight.

[nostyle126]

Athletic simply means that you are all of these things fast, strong, quick, hand eye coordination, and dexterity its a combination of all of those traits. Golf you only really exercise one maybe 2 of them tops, there is no speed, dexterity, quickness required (Even strength is in question). In real sports you need to be able to exercise all 5 or have a limitation to your game if you don't.

 

If a QB is fast it helps him play if he isn't fast it limits his game BUT because of the nature of the position you can still be damm good without being fast just that speed would help you obviously a QB needs strength, hand eye-coordination, and dexterity. Offensive lineman get helped by being fast (Getting to the second level pass blocking speed rushers), strong, dexterity, and handeye coordination (hand techniques and other small things that go on in the trenches).

 

You can be fat and athletic its just harder but not impossible to have quick movement when carrying extra weight.

Okay, so apply that to armwrestling. Great armwrestlers are fast (Cobra Rhodes, Corey Miller, Allen Fisher, etc), quick (Chad Silvers, Travis Bagent, etc), hand-eye coordination (Ron Bath is IMO the master of hand manipulation), dexterity (EVERY good armwrestler has this), not to mention, obviously, strength and power...but one thing I would also add is quick thinking. Armwrestling requires you to analyse your opponent much like a QB has to read a defense pre-snap. You have to read your opponent's grip and body positioning to identify what technique they plan to use against you. IMO it has a lot of elements that make it a sport.

 

Does the fact that you do not run or skate make it a non-sport?

[Chandemonium]

Athletic simply means that you are all of these things fast, strong, quick, hand eye coordination, and dexterity its a combination of all of those traits. Golf you only really exercise one maybe 2 of them tops, there is no speed, dexterity, quickness required (Even strength is in question). In real sports you need to be able to exercise all 5 or have a limitation to your game if you don't.

 

If a QB is fast it helps him play if he isn't fast it limits his game BUT because of the nature of the position you can still be damm good without being fast just that speed would help you obviously a QB needs strength, hand eye-coordination, and dexterity. Offensive lineman get helped by being fast (Getting to the second level pass blocking speed rushers), strong, dexterity, and handeye coordination (hand techniques and other small things that go on in the trenches).

 

You can be fat and athletic its just harder but not impossible to have quick movement when carrying extra weight.

 

Isn't there? PGA tour professionals' club speed on a swing is well over 100 mph. I'd say that requires some pretty quick/fast hands. A good golf swing requires coordination of the entire body, so I'd say dexterity is important too. I don't even like golf, watching it is like watching paint dry to me and I'd rather watch it than play it. But to say golf isn't a sport or doesn't require athletic ability is ridiculous IMO.

[nostyle126]

I think the crux of the issue is defining what an "athlete" is, and how that relates to what a "sport" is. Is Tony Stewart an athlete? Is Tiger Woods? Is Jared Lorenzen? Is Pat Williams? Is Usain Bolt? Does Bolt meet ANY of your requirements other than speed?

[PromoTheRobot]

Professional armwrestling, as you may have seen on ESPN...is it a real sport? Do any of you watch it?

It's more a sport than pro eating.

 

PTR

[billsfan89]

Okay, so apply that to armwrestling. Great armwrestlers are fast (Cobra Rhodes, Corey Miller, Allen Fisher, etc), quick (Chad Silvers, Travis Bagent, etc), hand-eye coordination (Ron Bath is IMO the master of hand manipulation), dexterity (EVERY good armwrestler has this), not to mention, obviously, strength and power...but one thing I would also add is quick thinking. Armwrestling requires you to analyse your opponent much like a QB has to read a defense pre-snap. You have to read your opponent's grip and body positioning to identify what technique they plan to use against you. IMO it has a lot of elements that make it a sport.

 

Does the fact that you do not run or skate make it a non-sport?

 

How can a sport be something that is done solely while sitting down. Can you tell if someone is athletic solely by how they arm wrestle. Can you tell if someone is fast by how they arm wrestle? No you can't you really can't tell how fast someone is (Arm speed isn't speed) by how they arm wrestle. How do you need hand eye coordination if your arms are locked from the very beginning?

 

I am not putting down arm wrestling as it does have elements of a sport like Strength and dexterity but to me its more putting a sport on a higher level rather then putting down arm wrestling.

[billsfan89]

Isn't there? PGA tour professionals' club speed on a swing is well over 100 mph. I'd say that requires some pretty quick/fast hands. A good golf swing requires coordination of the entire body, so I'd say dexterity is important too. I don't even like golf, watching it is like watching paint dry to me and I'd rather watch it than play it. But to say golf isn't a sport or doesn't require athletic ability is ridiculous IMO.

 

Once again you don't need to be fast to be a good golfer. Club speed isn't actual speed you know like running (Which you don't have to do and walking thanks to a golf cart) or skating which requires you to use your legs in an active continual manner. Golf isn't a sport what about having to hit a stationary ball with no one (Even in the form on noise) trying to stop you is athletic?

 

People tend to confuse skill (Which Golf requires a tremendous amount of) with athletic traits. As I said in my arm wrestling reply its not to put golf down but rather to elevate what a true sport is. By comparing Tiger Woods to any NHL, MLB, NBA, or NFL player is just ridiculous. Can you tell if Tiger Woods is fast or quick by how he plays golf no you can't because all he is doing is hitting a stationary ball and driving to where it is and hitting it again without any time limit or interference.

[nostyle126]

How can a sport be something that is done solely while sitting down. Can you tell if someone is athletic solely by how they arm wrestle. Can you tell if someone is fast by how they arm wrestle? No you can't you really can't tell how fast someone is (Arm speed isn't speed) by how they arm wrestle. How do you need hand eye coordination if your arms are locked from the very beginning?

 

I am not putting down arm wrestling as it does have elements of a sport like Strength and dexterity but to me its more putting a sport on a higher level rather then putting down arm wrestling.

Armwrestling is done standing up, typically.

 

Having said that, a lot of activities that are considered sports are done while sitting...bobsled, luge, auto racing, equestrian events, and so on. Are running events, the kind that Usain Bolt dominates, a sport? They give you no indication of what the competitor is capable of with his upper body. So those aren't sports?

 

Few sports, from start to finish, truly test all athletic abilities.

[billsfan89]

Armwrestling is done standing up, typically.

 

Having said that, a lot of activities that are considered sports are done while sitting...bobsled, luge, auto racing, equestrian events, and so on. Are running events, the kind that Usain Bolt dominates, a sport? They give you no indication of what the competitor is capable of with his upper body. So those aren't sports?

 

Few sports, from start to finish, truly test all athletic abilities.

 

I don't consider Nascar, most things done in the Olympics, bobsled, equestrian events, and so on and so on sports but rather displays of skill in a competitive manner. I have a really high standard of what a sport is Basketball, Football, Hockey, Lacrosse, Baseball, Tennis, Boxing, MMA, Amateur Wrestling and in track the decathlon (The only part of track that is a sport as it is a combination of all the individual skill events) are all sports besides that I can't really think of much else that is a sport.

 

To me a sport should be held in higher regard then a game or a skill specific competition as a sport in some easily identifiable capacity should test every measurement of athletic ability. Usain Bolt would only in my mind be a sportsman if he can the decathlon which would require him to do a few throwing and jumping events as well as running.

 

I take the definition of a sport very seriously

[nostyle126]

I can tell!

 

At least you're consistent.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I don't consider Nascar, most things done in the Olympics, bobsled, equestrian events, and so on and so on sports but rather displays of skill in a competitive manner. I have a really high standard of what a sport is Basketball, Football, Hockey, Lacrosse, Baseball, Tennis, Boxing, MMA, Amateur Wrestling and in track the decathlon (The only part of track that is a sport as it is a combination of all the individual skill events) are all sports besides that I can't really think of much else that is a sport.

 

To me a sport should be held in higher regard then a game or a skill specific competition as a sport in some easily identifiable capacity should test every measurement of athletic ability. Usain Bolt would only in my mind be a sportsman if he can the decathlon which would require him to do a few throwing and jumping events as well as running.

 

I take the definition of a sport very seriously

 

If I might ask...why? Don't get me wrong, I'm more impressed by the physical talents of a professional tennis player than a professional golfer. But why worry about semantics so much?

 

By your own definition, you'd have to knock Boxing, MMA and wrestling off the list. They require agility but not pure speed (unless you're a cowardly boxer or wrestler and you want to run away) .

[/dev/null]

Of course its a sport

 

Stallone made a movie about it

[nostyle126]

 

Give this a look-see. This is the best current right-handed armwrestler in the world, Devon Larratt (Canada) taking on the greatest armwrestler of all time (albeit he's past his prime), John Brzenk (USA). To the trained eye this matchup reveals the strength, speed, power, technique, dexterity, core strength, and mental aptitude (before and during the match) that IMO qualifies armwrestling as not just a competition, but a legitimate sport.

 

But I have to admit, I'm a bit biased. You guys probably have a tough time actually seeing the finer details, if you've never armwrestled professionally before. There is a lot more than meets the eye going on.

[billsfan89]

If I might ask...why? Don't get me wrong, I'm more impressed by the physical talents of a professional tennis player than a professional golfer. But why worry about semantics so much?

 

By your own definition, you'd have to knock Boxing, MMA and wrestling off the list. They require agility but not pure speed (unless you're a cowardly boxer or wrestler and you want to run away) .

 

My guess is that I hate when a guy like Tiger Woods wins athlete of the year or decade I look at what he does (Hitting a stationary ball with no interference or even a time limit or noise what so ever) to quantify such an honor and I find it insulting to those real athletes. Is it a semantical argument yes but I am very passionate about following sports so I guess I just defend what I am passionate about and hold it to a higher regard then most who toss the word around when talking about games.

 

As far as boxing, MMA, and wrestling I have to disagree with your assessment of pure speed in those sports. In boxing your pure speed in more so occupying space quickly. Its a very short burst of speed especially in Boxing but you need to be able to establish and recover your position with pure speed while quickness is more so used in grappling and such.

[billsfan89]

 

Give this a look-see. This is the best current right-handed armwrestler in the world, Devon Larratt (Canada) taking on the greatest armwrestler of all time (albeit he's past his prime), John Brzenk (USA). To the trained eye this matchup reveals the strength, speed, power, technique, dexterity, core strength, and mental aptitude (before and during the match) that IMO qualifies armwrestling as not just a competition, but a legitimate sport.

 

But I have to admit, I'm a bit biased. You guys probably have a tough time actually seeing the finer details, if you've never armwrestled professionally before. There is a lot more than meets the eye going on.

 

I can't tell how athletic those guys are by watching that video. Are they fast? Are the quick? Do they have good hand eye coordination? Sure strength and dexterity is displayed but that's about it. All I see are two guys locking arms and seeing who is stronger. They are both stationary and have their arms locked at the starting point how are they showing off speed or hand eye coordination (Their arms are locked as soon as they start), I might see an argument for quickness but I would throw that in doubt.

[CarolinaBill]

in pro golf there is no cart allowed, so its an endurance issue as well, walking 18 holes, plus playing the game itself, usually in hot and humid temp., combine it all, it is a sport