BOXING JUMP ROPE FOOTWORK

There are many different professional combat sports that are extremely entertaining to watch, and each of them offer a high intensity of competition. One of the most prolific combat sports to ever be televised and practiced all over the world, is boxing. This form of combat dates back to the dawn of men, as many early people were depicted using their fists in battle against each other. As the centuries have rolled on, so has the evolution of boxing, which has formatted this sport into a more competitive, and modernised form of combat. The popularity of boxing has been up and down for years, but more recently has sparked the interest of many fans worldwide. This is due to cult heroes like Tyson Fury, Andy Ruiz Jr, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Floyd Mayweather.

Training to become a boxing champion takes more than the run of the mill training sessions. This means that simply punching the bag, or the focus mitts a couple of times a week will not be sufficient to keep up with the higher level athletes within the sport. Serious competitors will put significant time into their strength and conditioning, their cardiovascular ability, and all other boxing skill aspects like punching form, hand and eye coordination, punching speed and power, evasive head movements, and the versatility of their footwork. Utilising different methods to bolster their skills in footwork is extremely important, and must not be overlooked by any serious boxing athletes.

What this article covers:

Why Is Footwork so Important in Boxing
The Importance of Strength and Conditioning
Incorporating Footwork Training Into Skipping
Skipping Drills
Other Benefits of Jump Rope Training

WHY IS FOOTWORK SO IMPORTANT IN BOXING

Boxing is a highly dynamic combat sport that involves two combatants going toe to toe in the middle of the ring. This highly professional art form of striking requires both athletes to throw calculated punches in order to win by knockout, or by points victory. Boxing is more than just two men throwing fists at each other, as it incorporates elements of strategy, athleticism, and skill to become highly proficient. Any athlete can be a powerful puncher, but unless they have good footwork they will be unable to get in close enough to land any significant punches, and they will also be unable to evade counter punches from their opponents. This is why athletes must work on a number of different elements, in order to build up their attributes in many of the factors they need to become more efficient, and a lethal striker.

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Using footwork in boxing is more than just stepping forwards, and backwards in order to land punches. An athlete must incorporate lateral movement, diagonal movement, and extremely agile movements so they can change direction quickly when needed. In boxing, athletes will use stutter steps, or goose steps, which is a style of footwork where the athlete will fake a movement, and then quickly slip forward in a different direction. Athletes must use lateral hops to change direction, and infiltrate the space of their opponent so they can land significant punches like hooks to the body. More importantly than all of these footwork elements that will help an athlete land punches, they must be evasive in their defensive set ups. All boxing athletes will know that a fight is all about momentum, and this means that an opponent can get on the offensive, so athletes must utilise evasive footwork, so they can slip punches or block punches, in order to land counter strikes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

The art of boxing is definitely about speed, skill, precision, and strategy, and in most cases athletes can be extremely even on paper as they line up for their fight. This is why athletes must incorporate strength and conditioning into their training systems, so they can take any advantage they possibly can to get ahead of their opponents. When two athletes face each other inside of the ring, and are extremely even with their skill sets, it will often come down to which athlete has a better conditioning. Building up a cardiovascular ability, and explosive power within their core muscles will ultimately give a boxer a few different elements. Having endurance to last for twelve rounds is crucial, so they must build up a comprehensive cardiorespiratory endurance. Explosive strength inside of an athlete's core will give them the ability to derive strength through their feet, and up into their fists, which results in more powerful punches to help them win the fight.

Strength and conditioning is also extremely important for injury prevention methods. All athletes must build themselves a strong frame, so they can withstand the rigorous training regimes, and the intensity of a real competition boxing match. There can be a wide range of injuries sustained during combat sports training, and even more so in the heat of the battle, as an athlete can sustain injuries from their opponents. This is why all athletes need to build core strength, and strengthen all of their joints, tendons, and muscles, so they can be impenetrable against any adversary they may face. This will also help them with longevity within their combat sport, which leads to a more successful career in boxing. Training in mobility exercises is crucial for any boxing athlete, because improving their overall range of motion within all of their joints is critical to reaching the maximum potential that an athlete possesses.

INCORPORATING FOOTWORK TRAINING INTO SKIPPING

There are many different ways that athletes can train their footwork skills to enhance their ability inside of the ring. Utilising skipping in boxing is one of the most fundamental exercises that boxers have been using for a long time. The act of jumping over a skipping rope multiple times is not only good for an athlete's cardiovascular ability, it will also increase their efficiency to use their footwork in a real boxing situation. This is why boxing athletes will incorporate skipping exercises into their training, this is so they can enhance their footwork ability. Engaging in a boxing jump rope workout requires athletes to focus on certain goals rather than sporadically jumping over the rope. This is why boxing athletes can incorporate one or more numerous drills, which are specifically designed to help each aspect of boxing footwork.

There are many components involved with boxing footwork, and athletes will need to work on pivoting, so they can use correct techniques, and gain power into their punch. Lateral movements are just as important so they can evade punches, or step into range, changing the angle enough to land punching combinations. Using diagonal, forward, and backward movements will also help athletes to get in and out of range of their opponent, and using stutter steps, or goose steps is how an athlete can fake their opponent, and dictate which way they will react, in order for them to change direction and land significant blows. All athletes need to focus on the goal of mastering their footwork, and this is fundamentally important for all boxing athletes.

SKIPPING DRILLS

Practising skipping drills that help an athlete's footwork can be extremely difficult to a beginner. All athletes need to start from the basics, and slowly build up their fundamental skills, and this is a concept that is relevant to all aspects of boxing skill. Learning how to jump rope like a boxer for beginners can be half of the battle, but with the right mindset, and the right motivation even beginners can start to filter out their clumsy movement, and replace it with calculated and dynamic footwork skill. All beginners must start off by basically jumping over a skipping rope in a casual manner, so they can understand how they need to move on their feet. This may seem too basic to most people, but skipping at full intensity, even for three minutes can be quite taxing on a person's body, so it pays to start slow and build up their speed.

A good drill is to practice movements that replicate similar boxing footwork, and this can be movements like the 'Ali Shuffle' which is where an athlete changes their weight distribution from their left to their right foot on each jump. This is a good simulation of real boxing, as commonly an athlete will use the shuffle to keep their opponents guessing, before they use quick changes of direction to land more accurate, and deadly punches. This was an iconic movement used by the great Mohammad Ali, and now that it has filtered down into boxing training, many athletes worldwide are utilising similar training methods to enhance their ability to use footwork inside of the boxing ring.

Skipping can be quite a hard workout drill, especially for beginner athletes, and watching some of the professionals making it look easy, beginners will commonly ask what is a boxer skip. This is a workout technique that is fundamentally sound, and helps all boxers utilise good footwork skills. To execute the boxer skip, the athlete will jump over the rope one foot at a time, but with their second foot slightly raised, as their grounded foot jumps over the rope. This is alternated on each turn of the skipping rope, and if done properly it basically looks like the athlete is stepping over the rope at rapid speeds. This type of drill will help to simulate how a boxer should move inside of their fights, as they commonly try to stay light on their feet, and utilise fast, and dynamic directional changes.

Some boxers will utilise a criss cross footwork drill, where they will cross over their feet with each repetition of the skipping rope. Jumping over a rope, while crossing an athlete's feet takes considerable agility, and is extremely common in building up footwork skills. This type of drill requires athletes to use considerable focus, and concentration, so they can tactically clear the rope after every repetition. This drill will force the athlete to be lighter on their feet, which is a common trait among all boxing athletes. Building up flexibility, agility, and dexterity within an athlete's legs is how they will construct significant skills in footwork. Maximising drills like this is what an athlete will have to deal with in a real fight, as they will be forced to move into range to throw combination punches, and move out of range evasively to avoid being punched. Using the criss cross drill is a great way to build up strength within the legs, but more importantly gives the athlete a heightened level of footwork ability.

Another good drill is called jumping jacks, and this is an exercise that requires an athlete to start off in a lowered squat position. The athlete does not have to squat down too far, as their squat is more upright by nature. From here the athlete will start to fling the rope over their head, as they jump into the air extending outwards, while laterally extending out their legs. This is a highly complicated skipping drill, but if an athlete can master this then they will build up significant strength in their calves, hips, groins, and their hamstrings. Building core strength in an athlete's body is critical to the power ratio they need to be a formidable boxer.

OTHER BENEFITS OF JUMP ROPE TRAINING

Apart from the obvious footwork skills that jumping over a skipping rope can offer athletes, there are many other benefits that can be taken out of jump rope training. Utilising skipping techniques is a great way to boost an athlete's cardiorespiratory endurance, which is highly significant going into a boxing match. All boxing matches go for twelve rounds, which can be extremely draining on an athlete, and this is why they need to build up significant anaerobic abilities. Staying calm and maintaining resilience during a match is critical, and this is how an athlete will still remain sharp with their punching form during the whole contest. Skipping will also build an athlete's core strength, and this is due to constant repetition of jumping. In the modern form of boxing, the stronger an athlete is the better chance they have of winning their matches.

Olympic Medalist Souleymane Cissokho has joined forces with DynamicStriking.com to bring you the best in Fundamental boxing and workouts!

There are other benefits that skipping can provide athletes, and some of them revolve around their overall health, and well being. Studies have shown that the act of skipping can help to improve an athlete's hip bone mineral density, as well as improved bone density in their lower back, and their femur bones. This is also extremely valuable considering some athletes can end up with osteoporosis. Another benefit of skipping goes far beyond the muscles, and the bones, and targets strengthening the heart and the lung area. A jumping rope exercise will rapidly raise an athlete's heart rate due to multiple muscles moving in quick succession. This just proves that skipping is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise there is for any combat athlete.

Footwork is vital to a boxer, and like previously mentioned skipping can comprehensively improve an athlete's footwork skill. Building up good footwork isn't just about knowing where to step, and how to step, it is about building up muscle memory so that in the heat of the moment the athlete does not have to think. Utilising skipping exercises will fundamentally help athletes with their balance, and their coordination skills, which is extremely valuable from a boxing standpoint. It comes down to an athlete's mindset if they want to be the best, or at least become extremely proficient in boxing, they need to put in the hard yards, and this includes strenuous workouts like skipping.

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