Arm Wrestling

Early 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. 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.