A
jump rope,
skipping rope, or
skip rope is the primary tool used in the
gameA game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more concerned with the expression of ideas...
of skipping played by children and many
young adultYouth is the period between childhood and adulthood, described as the period of physical and psychological development from the onset of puberty to maturity and early adulthood. Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary...
s, where one or more participants jump over a
ropeA rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
swung so that it passes under their feet and over their heads. This may consist of one participant turning and
jumpJumping is to propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.Jump may refer to:* A step in a jump process or in jump diffusion.* A tool redirecting horizontal velocity into vertical, e.g...
ing the rope, or a minimum of three participants taking turns, two of whom turn the rope while one or more jumps.
A
jump rope,
skipping rope, or
skip rope is the primary tool used in the
gameA game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more concerned with the expression of ideas...
of skipping played by children and many
young adultYouth is the period between childhood and adulthood, described as the period of physical and psychological development from the onset of puberty to maturity and early adulthood. Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary...
s, where one or more participants jump over a
ropeA rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
swung so that it passes under their feet and over their heads. This may consist of one participant turning and
jumpJumping is to propel oneself rapidly upward such that momentum causes the body to become airborne.Jump may refer to:* A step in a jump process or in jump diffusion.* A tool redirecting horizontal velocity into vertical, e.g...
ing the rope, or a minimum of three participants taking turns, two of whom turn the rope while one or more jumps. Sometimes the latter is played with two turning ropes; this form of the activity is called
Double DutchDouble dutch is a game in which two long jump ropes turning in opposite directions are jumped by one or more players jumping simultaneously.While Double Dutch began in the inner cities of America, it is growing in popularity throughout the US and the world...
and is significantly more difficult.
Jump-rope rhymeA skipping rhyme , is a rhyme chanted by children while skipping. Such rhymes have been recorded in all cultures where skipping is played. Examples of English-language rhymes have been found going back to at least the 17th century...
s are often chanted beginning when the skipper jumps in and ending when the skipper is tripped up.
In contrast to running, jumping rope is unlikely to lead to
kneeThe knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the femur and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest and most complicated joint in the human body. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as well...
damage since the impact of each jump or step is absorbed by both legs. Jumping rope also helps strengthen the arms and
shouldersShoulders is drinking game that involves players competing in a fast paced game attempting to "count" to 21.-Game Play:*The game begins with a player slapping his left/right shoulder, this starts the count at 1....
. This combination of an aerobic workout and coordination-building footwork has made jumping rope a popular form of exercise for athletes, especially
boxersBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
and
wrestlersAmateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
. Individuals or groups can participate in the exercise, and learning proper jump rope technique is simple compared to many other athletic activities. The exercise is also appropriate for a wide range of ages and fitness levels. Jumping rope is particularly effective in an aerobic routine combined with other activities, such as walking, biking, or running.
Competition
Jump rope is practiced at a competitive level for young kids or adults. Athletes compete in individual and team events using single ropes or double-Dutch. In freestyle routines, jumpers have a set time limit to demonstrate a combination of skills; in many competitions these are choreographed to
musicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. During the speed events, athletes try to complete as many jumps as possible within a particular amount of time. For example, the world record for 30 second speed is 188 jumps.
The FISAC-IRSF World Jump Rope Championships is held in July every other year. In 2006 Toronto, Canada hosted the event and in 2008 it was held in South Africa. The 4th Asian Rope Skipping Championship was held on 9 February 2007 at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, India. Jump rope exhibitions are also frequently staged at events such as festivals, charity functions, and sporting half-time shows.
Though many only see jump rope as a simple, fun activity, those familiar with its development of a competitive side consider it a sport. Serious jump rope athletes train rigorously year-round. Jumping rope takes immense
strengthPhysical strength is the ability of a person to exert force on physical objects using muscles. Increasing physical strength is the goal of strength training.-Overview:...
,
enduranceEndurance is the ability for an animal to exert itself for a long period of time. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise. The definition of 'long' varies according to the type of exertion - minutes for high intensity anaerobic exercise, hours or days for low intensity...
, focus, and patience, and can be much more than a schoolyard game of chanting rhymes.
In the United States, the main jump rope organization is USA Jump Rope. USAJR is composed of hundreds of jump roping teams and hundreds of jumpers from all over the country. These teams attend workshops, training camps, perform for the public, and compete against each other throughout the year. USA Jump Rope sponsors various regional competitions and a national competition at Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports Complex in
Orlando, FloridaOrlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region...
every June. USA Jump Rope Nationals is broadcast by ESPN annually. Competing teams consist of athletes of all ages, but are most commonly graduate school to high school-aged individuals.
Historically in the United States there were two competing jump rope organizations: the International Rope Skipping Organization (IRSO), and the World Rope Skipping Federation (WRSF). IRSO focused on
stuntA stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...
-oriented and gymnastic/athletic type jump rope moves, while the WRSF appreciated the
aestheticsAesthetics is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
and form of jump roping. In 1995 these two organizations merged to form The United States Amateur Jump Rope Federation (
USAJRF), which was recently renamed USA Jump Rope to fit the trend of other Olympic and Olympic-hopeful sports.
Jumping rope techniques
Some of the techniques that can be used when jumping rope are:
Basic jump:This is where both feet are slightly apart and jump at the same time over the rope. Beginners should master this technique first before moving onto more advanced techniques.
Alternate foot jump (speed step):This style consists of using alternate feet to jump off the ground. This technique can be used to effectively double the number of skips per minute as compared to the above technique.
Criss-cross:This method is similar to the basic jump with the only difference being that while jumping, the left hand goes to the right part of the body and vice versa for the right hand.
Double under:To perform a double under, the participant needs to jump up a bit higher than usual while swinging the rope twice under his feet. It is possible to have the rope swing three times under the feet (triple under). In fact, in competitive jump rope, triples, quadruples ("quads"), and quintuples ("quins") are not uncommon.
Combination jumps:There are many more difficult jump roping tricks that combine two or more of these techniques to make a single trick. These combinations can also be used in Chinese Wheel, Double Dutch, Egg Beater, triangle and Long Rope.
Toad:The toad is a complicated trick where the jumper performs the "Cross" manoeuvre with their leg intersecting the arms.
Other:Many other variations are possible, including: "skier", a side-to-side jump keeping the feet together; "bell", a front-and-back jump keeping the feet together; "scissors", a jump putting one foot forward and the other back, then switching back-and-forth; "jumping jack", a jump putting the feet apart and then together; and "can-can" a jump with one leg up and bent, followed by a jump with both feet on ground, followed by a jump kicking the foot out.
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