Skipping ropes
Boxers have been skipping — or jumping rope — since time immemorial, and no wonder. In a cost/benefits ratio, the rope reigns supreme.
For the price of a decent coffee you can work on:
footwork
balance
rhythm
coordination
timing
cardiovascular and muscular endurance
If you have plans to train at a boxing gym, you must learn to skip — and by that, I mean boxing skipping. Jumping two-footed like a child in the playground won't cut it. Boxers skip on the balls of their feet, distributing weight from one foot to the other.
Those marketing wizards want to wring every last penny out of you. There are different skipping rope options. Don’t get fooled — I've always got the job done with a basic, plastic speed rope. And if I can, anyone can.
Once you've got your rope, it's important to cut it to suit your height.
Stand in the middle of the rope, feet apart and pull it upwards. The handles should reach your armpits. When altering your rope, be conservative — it's better to cut too little than too much.
Try to skip on an area with some flexibility and give. Hard concrete floors can be taxing on the knees.
Using the rope
For many — myself included — learning to skip was an infuriating experience. I can still recall throwing my first rope at a wall, consumed by a seething rage. Why couldn't I master what others could do so easily, so unconsciously? “Unconsciously” is the key word. Skipping is a process that your body must learn, like riding a bike or changing the gears of a car. Once you learn how to do it, you can't unlearn it. It takes time for your brain to rationalise the process and coordinate your limbs.
So learn from my mistake and begin your skipping education with a bit of patience. Know that it takes time for everyone. Frustration only hinders the learning process. Every time your feet trip on the rope, reset, stay calm, stay relaxed and start again.
Before skipping, shake the tension out of your arms and legs. You will often see boxers do this when they trip on the rope. When you are feeling relaxed, zen out and make a start.
First, let your brain understand the rhythm of skipping.
Twirl the rope by your side with your dominant hand, isolating the movement to your wrist.
Keep your shoulders relaxed.
Make sure that the rope brushes the floor on the downward swing. Make a mental bookmark of the pattern as you hear the tap of the rope on the floor.
When you feel comfortable with this, move on to stage two.
Get up on the balls of your feet. Carry on twirling the rope by your side, and begin to jump.
Transfer the weight from one foot to the next on each swing. Try to time the jump, immediately before the rope hits the floor. Don’t jump too high. You don't need to jump 30 inches in the air to clear a 5 millimetre rope.
Carry on doing this until you don't have to think about what you are doing.
Now try to skip. Hold the rope with a relaxed grip, keeping your arms and shoulders loose. Start with the rope behind your legs then twirl it over your head. Use the motion in your wrist, and jump the rope using the patterns you memorised swinging it at your side.
Stay calm and stay at it. After a while your limbs will decode the signals from your brain, and before you know it, you will be skipping.
One of the many brilliant aspects of skipping is there is always a new skill to learn. When you have a solid base, add new varieties to your repertoire. Try crossovers (crossing your arms as you swing) and. Double-unders are trickier (turning the rope twice for each jump). The principles are the same for advanced techniques — stay relaxed and don't force it.
If you need some inspiration, check out some masters of the craft online. You’ll see lots of styles. There are the speed demons — Ray Robinson, Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather. For more aggressive, thigh busting displays — Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson and Sonny Liston.
