Thumb Wrestling Overview
Thumb Wrestling is a common game enjoyed by both children and adults alike. It is a game in which you try to wrestle down and pin your opponent’s thumb. “One two, three, four… I declare a thumb-o-war!” is the chant usually said to initiate the Thumb War.
Thumb Wrestling is also known as Thumb War, Pea-Knuckle or Pea-Knuckle War. It is a game played in many different countries by many different people.
Thumb Wars have been happening for many years, and no one is exactly sure where the game originated. However, there are a few people who claim to have invented the game such as an author named Paul Davidson who claimed his grandfather invented the sport in the 1940s.
Another person to claim something similar is Julian Koenig who says he invented Thumb Wrestling as a boy. However, Thumb Wrestling has been taking place for many decades, if not centuries.
Thumb War is a very popular game and has even been recognised as an official sport with official Thumb Wrestling rules. There is even a world championship held yearly in a place called Suffolk in the UK.
Aim of the Game
The aim of Thumb War is to try to pin down your opponent’s thumb for as long as it takes you to say one, two, three, four, I win thumb-o-war! Thus winning you the game.
There are two 60 second rounds to try to pin down your opponent’s thumb. If no one has been pinned then there is a sudden death of rock, paper and scissors to decide the winner.
Playing Field
There is no need for a field or playing court as it is a competition of thumbs. There are no general Thumb Wrestling rules on where to place your arms or if you can hold something in the other hand. However, if you are playing an official match, you must keep your elbows on a surface at all times.
Players and Equipment
Games are played 1 on 1 usually between players of the same gender. The beauty of this game is that you need absolutely no equipment at all, just a hand.
You are allowed to decorate your thumb to your choosing however, as long as you don’t use anything performance enhancing. If you are playing an official match, then there will be a referee to govern games and ensure the rules.
Scoring
There is no points system in Thumb War as it is a win or lose game. There are two 60 second rounds in which you can defeat your opponent. If there is a draw you can play more rounds. According to the official rules, if there is a draw then a game of rock, paper and scissors is played to decide the winner.
How to Win
In order to win a contest a player must pin their opponent’s thumb down for as long as it takes to say:
One, two, three, four, I win thumb-o-war!
Thumb Wrestling Tips
- Use your dominant hand.
- Be unpredictable.
- You could try to mentally psyche out your opponent by intensely staring at them or other methods.
- You could work out your forearm, grip and hand strength to help give you an advantage.
- Lastly but most importantly, practice makes perfect.
Thumb Wrestling Rules
- Players stand facing each other and should reach out with the same hand (right or left) and hook the four fingers of their hand together so that both are clasped tightly together.
- Once the hands are clasped, both contestants should then chant the following rhyme, “One, two, three, four… I declare a thumb-o-war!”
- As soon as the chant is over, the contest begins and lasts for a total of 60 seconds as each player attempts to pin their opponent’s thumb.
- There is a total of two 60 second rounds.
- The contest is won when one player manages to pin their opponent’s thumb for the length of time it takes to say “One, two, three, four… I declare a thumb-o-war!”.
- If the referee agrees that this has been successfully done, then the player is declared the winner.
- If no winner is found in these rounds, then the game is settled by a sudden death game of rock, paper, scissors.
- Elbows must be on the surface at all times.
- Keep your fingernails to a short length.
- Thumb decoration is encouraged (although anything performance enhancing will not be permitted).
Learn More
Learn more about the official rules here and more about Thumb Wrestling here.
