This Is Quite Possibly The Most Controversial Technique In Armwrestling
I promise you, the King’s Move is not a competition to see who can get their whole body under the table. However, it is one of the most controversial and hated techniques ever used in an armwrestling match.
What Is The King’s Move?
The King’s Move is a defensive, open grip and outside armwrestling technique, where opponents use the combined strength of their back muscles and bicep pronation to quasi-hang under the table. It creates a stalemate-esque position where the defensive user will not win using it, but offensive moves don’t work against it. The hope is that the offensive user will tire out, and then the defensive user implementing the King’s Move can readjust his grip to move into a press.
The notion that it creates a “bone lock” is a fallacy and a myth. In this position, it is easy to hyperextend arm joints and tear biceps. The strength of the move comes from using your entire body weight and positioning to counter any offensive move entirely.
I would equate the King’s Move level of danger to back-of-the-head punches in boxing.
How Is The Technique Implemented?
To use it, you keep your competing arm’s elbow on the pad, one hand on the peg, and drop both shoulders below the table. It is an extremely dangerous armwrestling technique and is only used by a handful of armwrestlers (mainly, Michael Todd). Unfortunately, Michael Todd uses this move because he is not adept enough to use a hook, high hook, or toproll against the top 5 competitors.
What Do Armwrestlers Think About The King’s Move?
John Brzenk thinks it should be outlawed. Devon Larratt thinks that the move has merit. I think his opinion stems from how insane you have to be to use it. Overall, if you use the King’s Move, be prepared to get roasted by the competition and the armwrestling community. If being roasted for using this frowned-upon technique is not enough, be prepared to lose all cartilage in your elbow/wrist/shoulder and possibly tear your bicep clean off the bone.
If you try to use the King’s Move against Levan, I guarantee your arm is getting dislocated. Please do not use this technique.
WAF’s Final Thoughts
The World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) implemented a great rule that indirectly prohibits any variation of the King’s Move: The competing shoulder must remain above the table. This rule shows that at the top level, this move is not liked.
If the WAF doesn’t want you to use this move, don’t use it. You will become a much stronger armwrestler by training in legitimate open and closed armwrestling techniques , i.e., the toproll or hook.
The King’s Move is not kingly.