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Post by tomaszwisniowski on Nov 22, 2010 16:42:21 GMT -5
Maurice (Moe) Baker's story - Part 1 PrologueMoe Baker was 13 when he asked his step-father for a set of barbells. Instead, his step-father, a Maine lumberjack, took him out in the woods and said, "Here's a pile of wood. Load it in the truck." Every weekend from that day on, Moe loaded tons of wood and when he was 16 started work fulltime for the lumberyard cutting trees by hand. For fun during breaks, the lumberjacks "took it easy" by arm wrestling to see who was strongest. read more on armwrestling24h: armwrestling24h.blogspot.com/2010/11/maurice-moe-baker-man-of-steel-and-wood.htmlwritten by Jimmy Van Orden
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Post by Cleve Dean on Nov 22, 2010 19:27:04 GMT -5
I knew this about Moe, someone tell moe that I said hello
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Post by Josh Shotgun Stark on Nov 23, 2010 4:31:05 GMT -5
I'll pass that along Cleve... Danya & I are good friends! I hope all is well with you & yours.
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Post by Jimmy Van Orden on Nov 23, 2010 12:19:45 GMT -5
Josh, please say hi to Danya. She was very helpful when it came to locating her father and provided me with the photo displayed on Tomasz' blog. Also, would you please ask her to show Moe the story as it appears on the blog. Thanks. Jimmyvan
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Post by Josh Shotgun Stark on Nov 23, 2010 21:08:54 GMT -5
I actually just texted her, & hope that is Cleve wants to pass his number to me in a private message, I'll make sure to pass that to Moe!! I hope all is well Jimmy...love the stories you write!!
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Post by Jimmy Van Orden on Nov 24, 2010 8:55:48 GMT -5
An interesting story about Moe Baker that I didn't write about had to do with John Woolsey. Woolsey, who was fairly new on the arm wrestling scene back in 1973, met Moe for the first time at a tournament in Atlantic City, NJ. Woolsey told me that there was a strongman at the contest, a fellow named "Jim The Hammer Man," who demonstrated to the audience various feats of strength with sledgehammers. After his strength act, which included lifting a variety of sledgehammers, "The Hammer Man" stepped aside and Moe walked up on the stage. He proceeded to do something that even the strongman couldn't do. Moe picked up a 12-pound sledgehammer with a 30-inch handle by the end of the handle and lifted it vertically, then held it in the vertical position. "I had never seen anyone do this," said Woolsey, "and I've never seen anyone do it since that day." Moe's 9.5-inch wrists and 18-inch forearms might have had something to do with his success...lol. Jimmyvan
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Post by Jimmy Van Orden on Nov 24, 2010 13:02:46 GMT -5
Forgive me for belaboring this story about Moe. However, John Woolsey was kind enough to send me an email after he read it and wanted to update a few facts. He pointed out that..."the difference with what Moe Baker did with the hammer and most other people (including me) was the fact that he held the hammer handle horizontal, with his arm at his side with the hammer head resting on a stage. With his wrist unbroken, he then picked the hammer up just like you or I would pick up a claw hammer. His wrist did not crack. Anyone that I have ever seen do this cannot pick the hammer up without their wrist distorting. Anyone that I have ever seen that can lift a sledge hammer with their wrist distorted has to choke up considerably to do it without distortion. Baker's wrist did not distort. That's why I was so impressed. One of the other things that he did at that event was bend 60 penny spikes. After seeing that I worked on that feat and mastered it myself."
John also mentioned another Baker legend: "One of the stories I remember told about him (that had nothing to do with arm wrestling) was that he could stand within a 55 gallon drum and in one leap jump out of the drum onto the ground (try that some time). "
Jimmyvan
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Post by Arturo Garcia on Nov 24, 2010 14:18:48 GMT -5
Jimmy, that makes more sense and yeah, sounds like a tremendous feat of strength. I've heard of a couple of guys being able to Deadlift a 12# sledgehammer grabbing it by the end, but like Mr. Woolsey says, their wrist is considerably bent if they even manage to keep the sledge parallel with the ground.
In other words, the way I've seen this done (on a video by a very strong grip enthusiast) had the guy deadlifting the hammer, which should stay horizontal the whole time, but this guy's arm was NOT perpendicular to the ground. His elbow was bent and his forearm was probably in between horizontal and vertical. If Moe did this while keeping "his arm at his side" then that's pretty freakin' insane. I'd love to see someone doing it that way on video!
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Post by Arturo Garcia on Nov 24, 2010 15:36:23 GMT -5
By the way Jimmy, this is a video that illustrates what I mean:
In here the guy does a 10# pounder. I've seen a 12# being done with similar form.... notice how the guy's forearm is also nearly parallel with the floor.... if Mr. Moe Baker did this with his arm straight down, perpendicular to the floor, and his whole arm forming a 90 degree angle with the sledge, which would be parallel to the floor, then his wrist strength must have been OFF THE CHARTS.
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Post by Arturo Garcia on Nov 24, 2010 15:51:46 GMT -5
I cannot believe I'm replying to the same thread thrice in a row (is thrice a word?). But the same user has this video:
Of him doing a 12 pounder. He used a coin on the hammer's head, I guess as evidence that the hammer didn't go below parallel at any point. Still, his forearm was far from straight down. But still that's kindof strong, isn't it? I'd love to hear what some of the stronger AW'ers could do in this lift.
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Post by Jimmy Van Orden on Nov 24, 2010 16:16:28 GMT -5
Thank you, Arturo, for your analysis and the videos. I'll see if John Woolsey, who witnessed Moe's feat, is willing to post his own observations. Jimmyvan
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Matt Silva
Bronze Member
San Jose, California
Posts: 138
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Post by Matt Silva on Nov 25, 2010 1:25:12 GMT -5
I haven't done that type of levering with known weight, just with long scrap metal bars. We used to do stuff like this all the time out back at work. That was a while ago. I can bend 60 penny nails all day, though. deck of cards ripped, and a few other think that I can't remember. I love this kind of stuff, and I love reading about true strong men like this. They are supermen.
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Post by Jimmy Van Orden on Nov 25, 2010 3:23:53 GMT -5
Arturo, I received a thoughtful response from John Woolsey regarding Moe Baker's sledgehammer feat. As I mentioned, John actually witnessed what Moe accomplished. Here is what he wrote about the man in the video you posted:
"I watched the video and as I said some people will say "Oh I can do that" NOT EVEN CLOSE!! What this guy did, although impressive, is not even close to what Baker did. If you noticed, the weight of the hammer was about to tear his wrist off. Imagine if you held a claw hammer in your hand with your arm vertical at your side with the hammer handle being horizontal. Now imagine with your elbow at your side curling the hammer with your bicep so that your forearm is now horizontal and the handle vertical (just like you swing a hammer). Baker did two rep's with that hammer. During the first rep, his wrist did not distort at all from his forearm. The second rep that he did his wrist very slightly distorted. That's why I have said to this day that this was without doubt the most impressive arm wrestling related feat of strength I have ever seen. John"
John Woolsey should know, especially since he has arm wrestled the strongest men in the sport for nearly 40 years. Jimmyvan
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Post by Arturo Garcia on Nov 25, 2010 9:56:45 GMT -5
Wow Jimmy, that is incredible. He not only lifted it, but he hammer curled it while maintaining his wrist in that neutral possition. That is one AWESOME feat of strength for sure! I hope one day I can see a feat like this, even if it's on video or something, as I probably will never meet someone that strong. And now I wonder even more what other armwrestlers could do in this feat.
I know Al Turner used to train supination and pronation of his forearm with a sledge, because I saw a picture of him doing it. But I think it was a lighter hammer, maybe 6 or 8 pounds, can't remember for sure. But I don't know if he used it to train this movement... which by the way, I googled and found out it's called "radial deviation of the wrist".
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Post by Arturo Garcia on Nov 25, 2010 10:59:38 GMT -5
By the way Mr. Van Orden, thank you for posting all of this, and Mr. Woolsey's thoughts on the subject. I should've said this in my post.
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