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FOCUS - MAY 2015 5 He taught me the philosophy behind the sport and guided my training. And the more I learned from him the better I did in competition. Raw strength his coach taught him contributed only fractionally to success. Todd said arm wrestling was 25 strength 25 technique and 50 psychological meaning being prepared for your match. Research and be mentally ready for your opponents best then adjust to it. Its in the thinking Todd told me that the match is won or lost. And just like martial arts your reactions need to become automatic. Mike lists four basic techniques which dominate the sport all of which share a common goal to com- promise the opponents leverage while maximizing your own. With the top roll you pull your opponents arm toward you. Think of carrying a package best-case youd carry it in close to your body. So as you pull his arm away he loses power while you gain. You curl your wrist in doing a hook which allows you to essentially pull his down. The shoulder roll utilizes your body weight. We call that getting on top of your arm and that techniques difficult to defend unless you catch it quickly and react effectively. The fourth technique is to move straight sideways and hit it with everything youve got. Among the four Id say that ones the middle-of-the-road technique. In time you find out what works best for you. And as you progress you become more versatile and bet- ter able to counter your opponents moves. Arm wrestling pairs competitors of similar statures by weight category. The match officiated by two referees to ensure both equality and safety begins with a thumbs- visible grip-up between opponents. Shoulders must be squared to the table wrists kept straight. The referee must be able to pass a fist between head and shoulders to prevent crowding and raised pegs provide placement for each wrestlers free hand. The head referee com- mands readygo and the match is on The object is simple to drive your opponents hand to a pin pad. The pad is raised four inches off the table to prevent injuries which might result if the goal were to push to the tabletop. While the set up to a match is formalized to ensure a level playing field as with runners taking their marks Mike says when it begins competitors are allowed to move as they please. Your elbow has to stay in contact with a cushion on the table but other than that you can move anyway you like in search of an advantage. Most matches he says last only seconds. Thirty seconds would be called a long match and most average five. So you have to react instantly to your opponents moves or its all over. That could mean ad- justing your grip or changing your body position. Biomechanics play a key role in success. Strong super-sized tendons allow you to carry on Miss Bahamas Betty-Ann Hanna has a friendly bout with Mike Haigh organizer of the arm wrestling tournament at the 1987 Fes- tival Days in Port Perry. Miss Bahamas was a guest for the festival which chose the Bahamas as its theme for the summer celebration. Archive photos by J. Peter Hvidsten Mike seen during a competition during Port Perrys popular Festival Days in July 1986. Please turn to page 6