Jump Rope Skills Tutorials for Beginners: Intro to the boxer step

Once you get the basic bounce under your belt, this is the second skill in our skills/trick checklist. Like all jump rope skills, don’t be frustrated if you don’t pick it up quickly. Just keep trying. If you could do all the tricks on the first day where would the fun in that be?

Why You Should Learn the Boxer Step

The boxer step is a fundamental skill that everyone who learns to skip rope should learn and here are the reasons why.

• Transition skill – The boxer step is a great skill to do in between other skills. And to give your legs a rest.
• Recovery – If you are out of breath, but you don’t want to stop, use the boxer step to cool down.
• Warm Up – The boxer step is a great one to use when you first pick up your jump rope. You can warm up at an easy pace.
• Low Impact – The boxer step is the lightest skill in terms of impact on your knees and ankles.

Facts About The Boxer Step

Skill level: This skill rates a 2 on a scale of 1 to 5. It’s the first thing to learn after the basic bounce.

Best Rope: This skill can be done with any rope, but the easiest one to learn with is a PVC rope. Getting it down is a lot more about the timing and less about endurance or the rope.

Prerequisite – Basic Bounce

Drills For Learning The Boxer Step

Before you try it with a jump rope, try to get comfortable with the motion without the rope. The step is a very subtle shift in your weight from one foot to the other. You can get this with just a slight bend in one knee and then the other each time you jump.

You can see the slow motion view here.

• 

• 

Jump from one foot to the other and tap the opposite foot. It’s a very slight switch from one foot to the other.

Be sure to stay on the balls of your feet. Don’t lift the alternating foot very far off the ground. Keep your arms tucked in at your side.

When you are first learning, do 4 double bounce jumps (assuming that is your best skill) and then move to four boxer steps.

If you have questions about mastering the boxer step please leave a comment below and I’m happy to answer it. Once you master this one you are ready for the next skill on the trick list.