Recently the American television has started broadcasting the “Game of Arms” series. Many episodes are already available on the Internet. Let’s consider why such a project may have a negative impact on the popularity of armwrestling and the healthy way of living. First of all, let’s remember where armwrestling comes from. Every sports has entertainment at its roots. After reaching a certain level of popularity the entertainment then became something more. Armwrestling too used to be a way of settling disputes without actually getting into a fist fight. Sailors used to wrestle after a few too many drinks. Often the wrestling matches led to a fight anyway, but that’s not the point. Armwrestling, as we see it in bars and pubs, was probably born in the stone age. There is no certain data about the roots of armwrestling, but let’s not dwell on the past, let’s look at here and now.

What is armwrestling today? It’s definitely a sport, it has a science of progress, techniques, seminars and organizational structures. It’s definitely heading in the Olympic direction. But it has its hurdles to jump. One of them is the Game of Arms.

The main characters all have their bio vids on the Internet – short and exciting presentations of their profile. The beginning was very exciting. Many thought that such spectacular movies as “Over the Top” and “Pulling John” will soon have their younger brother. And then what happened? Training videos started to appear. We all know that in every discipline training is essential and unique. What is Game of Arms trying to prove? That a few expander workouts, a few pull-ups on a tree, a few sessions of jogging, and – most important – lots of beer – will help you become a champion? It would be much different to show Voevoda working out in a dark cellar, exercising and keeping sober. His motto is “You can become a champion even in the worst of conditions”.

Now let’s take a look at the Game of Arms, where some of the contestants also work out in cellars, do some exercises, drink, swear and start fights with everyone else, under the watchful eye of the audience.

This is a degradation of armwrestling. Someone who’s never heard of it and who then sees the show, will probably think that it’s a brutal macho sport. That all you need to do is get a little pumped up, drunk and disorderly and then “go play armwrestling”? Anyone connected in any way to amateur or pro armwrestling will realize that they’re watching a show that hasn’t got a grain of truth in it. But the untrained eye will only see what’s there on the screen. Game of Arms is promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. Black PR is PR too, but not in this case. This show promotes the “pub game” stereotype. It’s a step back, from the arenas back to the dive bars. Igor Mazurenko has justly stated : “I pray this doesn’t show in other countries”. I concur and pray that the “pub game” thing doesn’t make wider circles in the public mind.

Artur Grigorian