Athletes & Former Athletes: How do you jump rope boxer/boxing style?

I know this sounds like a really dumb question, but whenever I see people do it on TV, they do it way to fast for me to tell how their feet are moving.


Peace,

you mean. Have you ever seen film of a boxer jumping rope? It starts out basic: arms extended down, using the wrists for the motion. The idea is to lift on your toes, building your calves. Pretty soon, you try doing "double spins" on a single jump. Then you begin to move around the gym, or preferably the ring. Some guys do virtual shows, using the rope to one side then the next; high jumps with multiple spins; and a lot of beautiful foot-work. Altering the pace is desired.

Other guys are more methodical, and just keep a simple pace up for a few rounds at a time.

I relied a lot on footwork in the ring. Jumping rope was one of my favorite things to do. Great exercise for basketball, too.

... alternating side to side. But it goes to fast for me to tell exactly how they are stepping...

I think I know what you mean. One foot goes slightly forward, toe up, as the other foot lands flat, then the opposite. Is that what you mean?

That's practicing footwork. Building leg strength and agility. You will see boxers doing road work (jogging) turn and sprint backwards for the same reason. A boxer uses different muscles in their legs differently than most athletes. That may sound odd, but it's true. Years ago, the great Joe Louis began playing golf, and wanted to move his training camp from the Catskills to a place near a golf course. His trainer, Joe Blackburn, had a fit, because boxers shouldn't play golf, in his mind.

an awful lot of footwork patterns while skipping rope. It's got to be one of the most exhausting -- deceptively so -- forms of exercise out there. I was never that great at it, but I got by -- had a lot of trouble with stuff like changing tempo to do to passes of the rope for every jump and I can't recall if I ever flawlessly got through points when we were supposed to cross our arms over and keep skipping. :o

Tough stuff, but good for you. Some of the footwork patterns may be more unique to Chinese boxing, including a lot of moves similar to various fighting shuffle patterns, but some of the more basic things that leap to mind include a stationary skipping motion (like a kid skips), bouncing with feet together just high enough for the rope to barely pass beneath the shoe, doing the same thing but jumping from side to side simultaneously, doing various one-footed and foot-switching things (inactive foot held in front or tucked behind one way or another), and weird things that are kind of like alternating front ankle kicks with every skip. It got weirder and harder from there.

Good luck!

Be prepared for heinous blisters if you wear no gloves or wraps and haven't already toughened up the skin.