Calling All Arm Wrestlers, Novices Welcome
Oxford Armwrestling is inviting anyone curious about the sport to attend its free weekly training sessions.
The club was founded a few years ago after a small group of enthusiasts connected through Armbet, an app that links local arm wrestlers. As they trained together, word spread and the group steadily grew.
Membership is free, with weekly sessions held every Sunday at 5 pm. The indoor training space in Summertown is equipped with arm wrestling tables, where newcomers practise alongside experienced members who offer coaching and guidance.
‘There’s so much technique and so many little things you can take advantage of,’ says club captain Tom Gogol. ‘You could be much weaker than the next person and still beat them.’
The club welcomes people of all ages, abilities and experience levels, from children and beginners to seasoned athletes. Among its occasional visitors is world champion Tom Holland (not the actor), who drops in to train.
‘It’s a very friendly space, a very friendly community,’ Gogol says. ‘Everybody just wants you to learn and get better.’
The sport is also growing in popularity among women, a trend Gogol attributes in part to increased visibility on social media. This year’s national competition featured some of the largest female categories to date.
‘The stigma is going away from that pub-style, macho arm wrestling to just a normal activity,’ he says.
Last summer, the club set up an arm wrestling table on the streets of Abingdon, offering demonstrations and collecting donations for The Abingdon Bridge, a charity supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The club plans to repeat the event in the new year when the weather improves.
In the meantime, Gogol encourages anyone interested to give arm wrestling a try.
‘If you don’t like it, you don’t like it,’ he says. ‘But I guarantee you’ll love it.’
For inquiries, including the meeting location, Tom Gogol can be contacted via text message at +44 07934 751876. Further information about the club is available through its social media channels: