The fist pump is a celebratory gesture

Gesture

A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body...

 in which a fist is raised before the torso and subsequently drawn down and nearer to the body in a vigorous, swift motion. The fist pump is sometimes carried out in parts of the Western Hemisphere, Europe, and Japan (where it is known as guts pose) to denote enthusiasm, exuberance, or success and may be accompanied by a similarly energetic exclamation or vociferation. The gesture may be executed once or in a rapid series.

When dancing in a club, fist pumping should start from having the hand quivering near the ground. But when the musics beat come in, raise you arm. Rather moving your arm in the hinge joint direction, the fist pump move moves at the shoulder and powered with the fist.

Though they are notably conspicuous in sporting activities (especially upon the attainment of a goal or score), fist pumps are present in a wide range of other industries including real estate marketing, engineering, and information technology.

In sports, pumping one's fist following an error made by one's opponent can be considered unsportsmanlike.

Examples in popular culture

Several famous athletes have been observed fist pumping during live television broadcasts. Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal

Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...

  interrupts an otherwise characteristically calm style of play with fist pumps and his trademark vociferation "Vamos! (Let's go!)" upon winning crucial game, set, and match points. Top-ranked Ana Ivanović

Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanović is a former world no. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 7, 2011, she is ranked 22th on the WTA rankings. She beat Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open...

 and Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ,. is a Russian professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. A US resident since 1994, Sharapova has won 24 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open...

 are also likewise known to fist pump upon winning crucial points. During a career which spanned between 1998 and 2004, professional British tennis player Tim Henman

Tim Henman

Timothy Henry "Tim" Henman OBE is a retired English professional tennis player and former British Number One. Henman played a serve-and-volley style of tennis that suited the grass courts of Wimbledon. He was the first player from the United Kingdom since Roger Taylor in the 1970s to reach the...

 was reported to be prone to use the gesture after every winning point. On seeing him perform this action at Wimbledon, Henman's fans, dubbed "Henmaniacs" by the British press, were reported to become even more exaggerated and "Henmanic" in making the gesture.

Spanish Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso Díaz is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion, who is currently racing for Ferrari....

 is also frequently seen enthusiastically fist-pumping whenever he overtakes another car or wins a race. Professional golfer Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods

Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...

 commonly pumps his fist after a good performance at a hole. New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

 pitcher Joba Chamberlain

Joba Chamberlain

Justin Louis "Joba" Chamberlain is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early life:Chamberlain was born and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chamberlain's parents, Harlan Chamberlain and Jackie Standley, were never married and split up when Joba was 18 months old...

 has been known to use it after getting a significant strikeout.

Ciaran Brennan of Faughs and Dublin Hurling is another protagonist of the "Fist pump". From a young age, Ciaran was a regular fist pumper during hurling matches. The demonstration of both satisfaction and determination. A way to tell his opponent “Hon the Boys!!!”. Ciaran brought the "Fist Pump" to the national stage during the Leinster U21 hurling final of 2011 Vs Wexford, live on TG4. In a matter of 15 minutes, the "Fist Pump" was utilised 18 times in 6 different actions, as Ciaran was brought on to drag the Dublin team over the line. Children can now be seen from Dalkey to Balbriggan, using the Ciaran Brennan Fist Pump to celebrate a decision or a score and as an intimidation factor to get one up, on ones opponent.

The gesture is also widely observed outside of the world of sports. The Blue Man Group

Blue Man Group

Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...

 labeled the fist pump gesture Rock Concert Movement #2. Presidential candidate Howard Dean

Howard Dean

Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...

 was lampooned in the American press for fist pumping while performing his so-called Dean Scream in a post-caucus rally during the 2004 Democratic primary season. The actor Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....

 repeatedly fist pumped while genuflecting in celebration of his latest romantic relationship with Katie Holmes

Katie Holmes

Katherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...

 on the Oprah Winfrey Show

The Oprah Winfrey Show

The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....

 in May 2005. Like Dean, Cruise was similarly mocked for his exuberant behaviour during this broadcast. Cruise's Oprah Winfrey show appearance is widely regarded as the origin of the expression "jump the couch."

A parody

Parody

A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...

 of Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...

' hit song Pass the Courvoisier, Part II

Pass the Courvoisier, Part II

"Pass the Courvoisier, Part II" is a hit single by Busta Rhymes. It also features rapper P. Diddy, and R&B singer Pharrell and was the fourth and final single from Busta Rhymes's fifth studio album Genesis. The song was also featured on the soundtrack to the 2003 film, Love Don't Cost a Thing...

 by hip hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

 artists KG and Ryan

Ryan

-Places:Australia* Division of Ryan, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland*Ryan, New South WalesUnited States*Ryan, California*Ryan, former name of Lila C, California*Ryan, Iowa*Ryan, Minnesota*Ryan, Oklahoma...

 illustrates the gesture's growing popularity in entertainment, specifically on the MTV

MTV

MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

 show Jersey Shore

Jersey Shore (TV series)

Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...

. The reality show commonly uses a powerful expression "Fist pump like a champ!" Explaining the importance of the dance move in club related events. This has resulted in various songs dedicated to the fist pump gesture, including "Jersey Shore Fist Pump" by rapper Richie Branson and "Do The Jersey Shore" by DJ Mad/So Crazy.

WWE superstar Zack Ryder

Zack Ryder

Matthew Joseph Cardona, Jr. better known by his ring name Zack Ryder, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE and works on the Raw brand as a wrestler and the SmackDown brand as an assistant to SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long.Cardona wrestled mostly with his tag...

 also Fist Pumps.

The popular dance move has become such a cultural phenomenon that clothing lines such as Fist Pump Shirts have embraced it as a primary business, offering shirts with the slogan "If You Can Read This I'm Fist Pumping" under the sleeve of each shirt.

Variation

Australian Swimmer Michael Klim

Michael Klim

Michael Klim OAM is a Polish-born Australian swimmer. He was born in Gdynia. He was educated at the University High School, Melbourne and Wesley College, Melbourne where he is currently employed as the College's elite Head Coach of swimming...

 used a variation of this sign by releasing his end fingers. This would be known as the "Reverse Duck-Bill" or the "Vicht Salute". Another user of this is Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt

Lleyton Hewitt

Lleyton Glynn Hewitt born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former world no. 1.In 2000, Hewitt had won ATP titles on all three major surfaces and reached one final on carpet. By 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked no. 1 at the age of 20...

, who uses this when he screams "C'mon!" when he is excited or has won a game.

Another variation of the fist pump can be done by extending the arm upward at or above head level. This is a common dance move in nightclubs done mostly to many popular House/Techno music

Electronic dance music

Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...

.