Skipping Ropes

Every Muay Thai session in Thailand starts with skipping, and it is not a warm-up gimmick. Skipping builds exactly what the sport demands: calf and ankle endurance, rhythm, footwork on the balls of the feet, and the cardiovascular base to keep working in round five.

Ten to fifteen minutes before you touch a bag. It is the cheapest conditioning tool in the sport and the one most people skip.

Getting the length right

This is the only thing that really matters, and almost everyone gets it wrong.

Stand on the middle of the rope with one foot. Pull the handles up towards your armpits. The tops of the handles should reach roughly to your armpit or just below.

• Too long — the rope drags on the floor, slows down, and you develop a lazy, exaggerated jump to clear it.
• Too short — it catches your feet constantly and forces you to jump higher than you should.

Most ropes are adjustable. Cut or adjust to your own height rather than training around a rope that does not fit.

Which rope?

• PVC / plastic — light, fast, and the standard for most training. Turns quickly and is forgiving to learn on.
• Leather — the traditional choice. Heavier, so you feel the rotation and build more shoulder endurance. Slower.
• Weighted or beaded — noticeably harder work. Good for conditioning, poor for speed and double-unders.

Start with PVC. Move to something heavier when the rhythm is automatic.

Technique

Stay on the balls of your feet, jump barely an inch off the floor, and turn the rope from the wrists, not the shoulders. If your arms are tired before your calves are, you are turning it wrong.

And skip on a forgiving surface where you can. Concrete will punish your shins over time, which rather defeats the point.