San Mateo’s Brass Wrists Arm Wrestling is one for the underdogs

“I don’t think arm wrestling can explain the world,” says Tianyi “Jack” Sun. “The world is more than just winning or losing and… elbow foul—but with people’s help, we could always feel less overwhelmed.”

Maybe the 19-year-old College of San Mateo student isn’t offering a rubric for understanding these times as the founder of Brass Wrists Arm Wrestling. But there’s a reason that his club dedicated to locking hands with a stranger and straining with all your might is striking a chord.

“We have people age from 18 all the way to 80,” says Sun. “There’s going to be someone who can understand the things you’re going through and help you out. You can lose a match and still belong. You can acknowledge a weakness and have people around you help you improve.”

He says typical gatherings amass 20 to 30 “pullers,” with larger events attracting 40 to 55 to even more contenders, that “some come to compete, some come to train, and others simply want to relax, make friends, and have somewhere they belong on a Saturday.”

Regardless of motive, they arm wrestle in the region that has given birth to the sport’s most shining moments in the contemporary era. Back in 1954, a man named Jack Homel hosted a “wristwrestling” competition in Mike Gilardi’s Petaluma bar. Originally benefits for organizations like the March of Dimes, these North Bay showdowns eventually became World’s Wristwrestling Championship, Inc.

And then, arm wrestling made it to pop culture. Charles Schulz sent Snoopy to Petaluma for a competition in a 1968 Peanuts comic strip. Sylvester Stallone character’s quest to win back his son’s love in 1987’s Over the Top comes to a climax at a bicep-bulging arm wrestling tournament.

But despite this vaunted local history, it hasn’t been an easy win for Brass Wrists.

The club was originally convened at a mall, but finding a permanent practice space for the bicep-bulging action has been quite the task.

“We were asked to leave places, and someone called the police on us once,” Sun says in an interview with 48hills. “Those setbacks hurt because I cared so much about what we were building.”

Thankfully, Brass Wrists has been able to find consistent hosts for regular gatherings in South Bay breweries. But their wrassling persecution did not end there.

“Later, our club’s Instagram account—with around 800 followers—was permanently disabled without a clear explanation,” relays Sun. “My personal account, which contained seven years of memories and approximately 1,500 followers, was also permanently disabled.”

“Meta never gave us a clear explanation or meaningful response,” he continues. “Losing those accounts still hurts deeply whenever I talk about it. But despite everything that happened, we did not give up. We kept building.”

Rest assured, Brass Wrists isn’t leaving the table. On the contrary—a local filmmaker is now documenting the club’s journey and the group shows up at public events, inviting passers-by to elbow into the joy of arm wrestling. On Super Bowl weekend, the group set up on a street corner thanks to the City of San Mateo, and were able to lock in with 100 jubilant new combatants.

On Sat/19, the club will be at the Anime Fan and Fitness Festival in Gilroy, and on October 3, at Vallejo Waterfront Weekend.

So don’t be shy if you see them posted up—plus, they offer training to newbies.

“We start with an introduction and demonstration explaining the misconception, right way to apply force, the safe positioning, and different techniques,” explains Sun of these streetside appearances. “We match people with attention to their size, experience, and comfort level, with an experienced member supervising. The goal for a first attempt is to learn what the sport feels like without pressure to go all out. Someone who isn’t ready to arm wrestle can watch, ask questions, or try our grip-strength challenge.”

One might think that arm wrestling is the domain of the big dudes. And indeed, Brass Wrists events can be full of men. But that’s not the gender-inclusive club’s whole story—in a world where the odds seem ever-more-stacked in the favor of the brutish, the arm wrestling can prove surprisingly egalitarian:

“An experienced 140-pound puller can sometimes defeat someone weighing more than 200 pounds because technique, leverage, hand control, and timing matter so much,” says Sun.

“Strength matters, but so do technique, positioning, timing, and experience,” he continues. “You need patience, consistent practice, and the ability to lose without letting your ego take over. There’s a lot of arm wrestlers who lost a bunch in matches, but they never give up.”

When asked what Brass Wrists has in common with say, Fight Club, Sun responds with more differences to the testosterone-dripping fictional fantasy.

“I can see the comparison in people coming together around a physical challenge and finding a sense of belonging,” he says. “There’s something very immediate about being across the table from another person. The difference is the culture we’re trying to build. Brass Wrists is open and welcoming, we would like to break the stereotype of arm wrestling being a sport with a bunch of men. We welcome more people with different identities and backgrounds, it’s never about losing or winning.”

Turns out, having the back of your hand hit the mat has its own value.

“Losing is part of the process,” says Sun. “It teaches you to acknowledge your weaknesses, learn from them, and adapt. I think that mindset carries over into life, too.”

BRASS WRISTS ARM WRESTLING can be found at two upcoming events: Sat/19 at the Anime Fan and Fitness Festival in Gilroy, and October 3 at Vallejo Waterfront Weekend. More info here.

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