Dominic Martin
The average person looking at the sport of arm wrestling probably views it as something done when barbaric men get drunk at a bar or truck stop - I think we have Stallone's "Over the Top" movie to thank for this. MMA fighting, boxing, and football are all more ruthless than this!Armwrestling is indeed a sport. Discipline, training, mental and physical toughness as well as technique are all involved to be successful...just like any other sport. You don't go to the gym and bang the biceps and forearms for three hours a day and think you're going to pull arms with the best of them! You don't need to be a hulking behemoth to be successful...Evan Fritsche, Allen Fisher, and Cobra Rhodes prove this! You also don't need a manual labor job like many will think.This show pries into the sport of arm wrestling and into the lives of the people that live it! Some of the people that succeed in the sport came from nothing or have nothing. But they have the sport and the other people apart of it and that's what keeps their fire burning. Striving to become the best in the sport is what it's all about. People make sacrifices daily in an attempt to be the best...sleeping in cars, quitting jobs, walking away from families and friends. So for people completely oblivious to arm wrestling to say, "This isn't a sport" or "this TV show is dumb" is plain ignorant and disrespectful to those that have a lot invested in it. The people in this TV show all have a dream and it's no different than those individuals that jump on a Greyhound Bus and travel to California, hoping to land an acting gig or music contract. Please continue on with several more seasons and get John Brzenk and Devon Laratt on!!!
David-dubrava
Game of Arms is a unique reality show chalk full of colorful characters. The passion of these men for their sport is tremendous and inspiring! It's amazing to see a school teacher, a farmer, a mason or a chef glamorized for competing in a sport they love. The close knit ties between arm wrestlers reminds me of the same community feel I witnessed in the Pumping Iron documentary filmed in the 70's. like the sport of bodybuilding, the sport of arm wrestling has flown below the radar. I thank AMC and the producers of the show for showing the world what the sport of competitive arm wrestling is all about. The characters on Game of Arms are tremendous for a reality show. My favorite is the school teacher Mike from queens. He trains hard and seems focused on his goals. I love the fact that he works with kids and try's to instill a positive winning attitude with his team. It seems like Mike is willing to take on all competition regardless of size. He is a cross between rocky, vin diesel and mr. Cotter. Cobra is also great! His hand motion actually resembles a cobra when he arm wrestles. All in all, I have to give this show a 10 out of 10. Amc did it again! I hope to see the boys from Game of Arms form a dream team and take on the world!
fwyook
AMC's new realty show, "Game of Arms", presents the world of professional arm-wrestling. Episodes cover the lives, training regimens and backgrounds of arm-wrestlers on one of two teams. The show leads up to a competition between the two featured teams, where each of five 'pullers' face off for a cash prize of $1000 (perhaps not substantial, but realize that a lot of these guys are endorsed).The first team to win 3 out of the 5 available rounds wins the competition. During each round, two pullers 'lock up', and the first to win 3 out of the 5 available points wins the round. The entire competition is enforced and judged by a referee (who, e.g., might determine when a 'slip' occurs, which accordingly would require the pullers to 'strap up')."Arms" does a good job of conveying the 'feel' of a growing (sub-?)culture. AMC's choice to create a show like Game of Arms was perhaps inspired by the highly recommended documentary, "Pulling John" (2009). "John" accomplished for arm-wrestling what "Pumping Iron" (1977) did for body-building--just replace Schwarzenegger with Brzenk (and if you haven't seen either, watch both)."Arms" is not without its flaws. It's a scripted "realty" TV show willing to skew just enough truths to make it more interesting without making it too incredible. For instance, many of the back-stories seem embellished, if not exaggerated (indeed, Nick Zinna probably isn't the 'farm boy' the show makes him out to be). Teams are likely 'stacked' in such a way so as to produce 5 rounds every competition (coincidence?). What's more, the competitions are evidently a bit informal, and do not even accommodate considerations of weight-class (a 300+ pound puller has faced someone less than 200 lbs...).But if you can overlook the show's shortcomings - and there are only a few - you'll find that there's a lot to appreciate about 'Arms'. First, a lot of it *is* real--the dedication, the struggles, and the strategies--indeed, much of the show appears to be untainted. Second, the show is presented in an entertaining way. Though the episodes are a bit formulaic, the narration, the sound editing, and the cut sequences are well-executed. Indeed, between the slow motion shots of the roaring, sweating, rippling bulk, and even bleeding, not to mention two 'head-butting' males vying for domination, one begins to wonder if 'Arms' is really a nature show...Third, to be perfectly frank, the show also makes me want to arm-wrestle, or at least start lifting weights. This effect is likely by design. The show is kind of inspiring (think: Rocky training montages). Arm-wrestling is not only an American past-time, but also recognized and highly respected in other countries around the world (e.g., the Russian government will even award money to prevailing competitors). It's okay to engender enthusiasm for the sport because it's a fun sport. And if you need inspiration to hit the gym more, try getting through an episode without feeling compelled to hit the floor and start doing some push-ups. Lastly, and ultimately, the show features people. A lot of them have commitments and obligations outside their passion for the sport, whether family or a day-job or another hobby. Some arm-wrestle because they want to, while others, because they need to. The show feels personal. You get to know these guys on an individual, human level because the show, despite some of the fluff, includes all kinds of details: personal reflection, insight, lessons learned and motivation gained. This practice tends to make the show, to me at least, all the more enjoyable.Notwithstanding some of the creative liberties taken by the writers and producers of the show, 'Arms' is a brave choice by a successful network that will leave most viewers moderately entertained, if not totally pumped. Give it a try, and you might be surprised.B+
