Thumb wrestling is an intense (and fun) way to flex your hand-eye coordination skills while passing the time. If you’re curious about the rules of this ancient form of combat, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll cover everything you know about winning a thumb war.

2

Point your thumbs at one another.

  1. Some players like to stick their thumb pads against one another. Start each game politely by showing respect for your opponent with this pre-combat ceremony. Yes, it's silly but it reflects the amusing nature of this bloodsport.
    • The bows traditionally follow the cadence of the verse "One, two, three, four / I declare a thumb war!" and occasionally "Five, six, seven, eight / Try to keep your thumb straight!"
3

Start grappling.

4

Play until there’s a winner.

Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I win a thumb wrestling match?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Grabbing near the base of your opponent's thumb will make it much more difficult for them to get free.
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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 25 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 126,310 times.
58 votes - 67%
Co-authors: 25
Updated: June 2, 2022
Views: 126,310
Categories: Games
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