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Finger Jousting is an obscure sport in which two players clasp their right hands together and attempt to poke each other with their right index finger. The competitors interlock hands as if they were arm wrestling and may use only their right arm to "joust," or poke, his or her opponent. The sport has been played all over the world. History of Finger Jousting The true origins of the sport are very unclear, however some historians speculate about certain theories. Some believe the sport was created by ancient Israelites. These Israelites referred to the sport as finger spearing. The modern form of finger jousting definitively was established during the 1970s. The official World Finger Jousting Federation was founded on August 1, 2005 by Julian R. Gluck. Four Quadrants There are four key elements which compose the elementary skills of finger jousting. The four elements, or quadrants, are: quickness, strength, technique, and tradition/practice. Like many other sports, to be skilled in the sport, a finger jouster must be well rounded and skilled in each quadrant. The WFJF still recognizes and values the four quadrants, however recently a modern version of the four quadrants has been developed—the five elements of victory. They include: quickness, strength, technique, endurance, and luck. How to play The objective of finger jousting is to poke or "lance" the opponent with the right index finger anywhere on the body except for their lancing (right) arm. When finger jousting, the two competing players start by interlocking their right hands (as if they were arm wrestling), and extend their right index finger. The players may not use their legs or left arm in an offensive manner. Games are usually played in odd sets (Ex. best out of three). Tournament play The tournaments are divided into different classes based on weight, gender, or, age. The home team is given the color green and the other is given red. In tournament finger jousting, the match is played inside either a circular arena, with a , or square arena, with a 16- to 30-foot side. There must also be a 3-foot safety area around the arena. The players begin the round in the center of the arena, three feet apart from each other. Tournament matches consist of 3 separate two-minute rounds. A round ends when a player scores, a penalty is given or an injury occurs. When a player scores, he receives one point for a lance to the legs or latent (left) arm. Two points are awarded for lancing the body (torso, back or neck) and three points are given for a lance to the head. If a player reaches six points, he or she automatically wins.
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