Here are some questions that I get asked frequently.
Q. How do I find tournaments?
A. Any event I run will be posted under the events on the facebook page "Minnesota Armwrestling". Also, NBK Media Productions holds events. Look for them on facebook!!!
Q. What's the difference between "Novice" and "Pro". I'm new, can I pull pro or do I have to pull novice?
A. There are 4 divisions in armwrestling for adult males, and most tourneys only offer 2 of these divisions. There's novice, amateur, open, and pro. "Open" usually contains some of the same guys you'll find in "pro", only there's no cash prizes. Typically less elite/upper level pros will come for an open class with no cash prizes. "Amateur" is most often held at big money tourneys in place of a novice class. Amateurs can contain higher level armwrestlers than a novice class. Amateurs can be pulling for a few years and can be quite a bit too strong for a novice class. There are usually novices in amateur classes also. It is not impossible for a novice to be competitive in, or win, an amateur class.
A "novice" by definition is a new or inexperienced armwrestler. Depending on what organization you compete in, the rules for whom is allowed to compete in novice differentiates.
MN Armsports Novice Rule: A novice competitor is someone who has not:
A) Won any novice or amateur class with 10 or more competitors in it.
B) Won any novice or amateur class with at least 4 competitors in it that have competed before.
C) Won 2 novice or amateur classes with a total number of competitors equaling 10 or more between the 2 classes won, or having at least 4 competitors who have competed before between the 2 classes won.
D) Won any pro or open class at a sanctioned tournament.
E) Beat anyone that is not eligible for novice (under the conditions listed above).
If a puller is in there first 12 months competing, an exception MAY be made to let them continue to pull novice for their first 12 months. This is my decision. After 12 months they'd for sure be ineligible if they've met any of the criteria above.
Each arm is different, you can be ineligible for novice with one arm but still eligible with the other. The tournament directors are always allowed to make their own decision on whether or not you're eligible to compete in a novice class. If you have won 1 novice class, you may be asked to pull up to the next novice class next time you compete in novice at the tournament directors discretion, regardless of the number of competitors in the class you won. If you don't qualify for novice under the conditions listed above, you may be eligible to pull a novice class one higher than the class(es) you won, or you may not, it is the tournament directors discretion.
And yes, anyone can pull open/pro, even if you are still eligible to pull novice. But if you've never done this before, you're chances of winning are next to nothing. You can also compete in both novice and pro/open divisions within the same tournament.
Q. How do I train?
A. The best way to train is to get together with a group of armwrestlers that know what they're doing and pull (armwrestle) with them. Don't worry about winning, be respectful, listen, and try to learn. Once you learn basic technique and learn how to pull safely, then you can focus on getting stronger.
Of course gym exercises help too and there are a wide variety of different gym exercises you can do to improve at armwrestling. Here are some videos with some basic armwrestling exercises in them. Credit to Michael Phaup:
Here are some good articles you can read.
Armwrestling Training Book for Beginners
Q. Is there money for winning novice?
A. Never in MN. And very rarely at any tourneys. I don't think there ever should be. If you have extra money to give out, give it to the pro's. I love novices and think they're awesome, but they should have to work their way up just like everyone else, in every sport. Semi pro football players don't get any chunk of the NFL...
Q. Will you hold a tournament at my bar/fair/shop/ect.? Or the bar in my city?
A. Maybe, if it is within 3 hours of Minneapolis, I charge $500 and I purchase the awards, you promote locally, I promote within the armwrestling world. It's held on a Saturday (preferably, can be negotiated), and you must have room at your venue for at least 150-200 people. You must provide me with a sound system (microphone and speaker(s)) and preferably some sort of stage/platform to put the armwrestling table on. I provide the armwrestling table and all the armwrestling equipment. Competitors sign waivers in case they get injured.
There is a risk of injury in armwrestling, like in all sports. The referees will try to keep you safe, but there's no guarantee.