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Glossary of Skipping Terms from Vaughan Evans


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BACK DOOR- To "run into the BACK DOOR" means to approach a turning rope that is moving upwards towards the skipper.

BLUEBELLS: The turning of a rope in an arc(and incomplete circle)-back and forth

BOUNCE- a slight vertical movement resulting from either (a)the pounce of a collapsing leg or (b)the bone in a natural foot.

COLLAPSE- the downward movement of an individual leg. It could be VOLUNTARY, INVOLUNTARY, or both.
  • In Step 2 of Phase 1(in the Lift-Kick Cycle), the KICK(of the right calf)effects an INVOLUNTARY collapse-of the left leg.
  • However, in running and skipping(in conventional ways) you would extend a leg-straight ahead-and force it down-that is an INVOLUNTARY collapse(The kick of the opposite foot-in this stunt provides thrust-not gravity,
  • In ALTERNATING-FEET hopping(conventionally) you could COLLAPSE a leg in more than one way:
    1. First LIFTING a leg-then either LIFTING or KICKING the opposite leg-to collapse the first leg.
    2. Voluntarily pressing one leg down, and then the other(You do this in tournaments.)
  • Since you want to effect as many HOPS as possible (within the time-frame)you want to prevent the PAUSES-that normnally occur-between the POUNCE and the START of the RESULTING hop.
CROSSIE- a skipping stunt-whereby, when the turning rope is directly over the skipper's head, such skipper makes an X with his arms(crosses his arms)-then clears the rope.

CROSSOVER- (in LIFT-Kick) the stepping with one leg-over the descending rope-at the end of the SWING. In Phase 2, the crossover is done with the LEFT leg. DANCE AND SKIP-To combine ballroom dancing steps-with rope jumping-like this:
  1. Take a step-in any direction-then clear the rope-on the leg involved
  2. Then take a step with the other foot-and then clear the rope:

    Such step could be forward, backward, sideways, diagonal-in any combination.

    The step could be short or long(in distance)fast or slow(Many skipping and dancing stunts are applications of the rule: Distance = Rate X Time.)
EXIT A ROPE- to move away from a rope that you are clearing. It takes training-to learn WHEN to START to exit the rope-and WHERE to move(It depends whether the skipper ENTERED the rope into the BACK door-or FRONT door.

HOP- To jump on one foot. In alternating feet skipping(and running and skipping)you hop on one foot-then the other.

JUMP- In some contexts, it means two feet at once JUMP and SKIP- a MOBILE way of rope skipping whereby-you combine two-foot jumps-with forward-or backward movement

KICK- to tilt(back and up)a calf)In LIFT-KICK(Phase 2)it is done with the left-foot-to collapse the right leg.)

LIFT- to raise a knee-straight up-fairly high. In Phase 2, the right foot does the LIFT.

LIFT-KICK CYCLE- A series of 10 steps. Two phases are involved;each phase has five steps.

LIFT-KICK SKIPPING
  1. The executing of stunts-using any combination-of the 10 steps-of the Lift-Kick cycle
  2. A term used to distinguish itself from conventional skipping
  3. A type of adapted skipping-where the rope slides under a foot-during the middle of the COLLAPSE-before the POUNCE.
POUNCE- the striking of the ground by the collapsing foot-.(Conventional skipping uses collapsiong foot-although in this cause, you do not collapse a foot by tilting a calf)

RUNNING AND SKIPPING- In conventional skipping-the combining of alternating feet-hopping-with forward motion.(in LIFT-KICK, you would use the Lift, Kick, Lift, Kick(Of a particular phase)--to cause a particular foot-to collapse-spring forward, collapse again-and go forward. You can go very fast-with this method.)

RUNNING INTO THE FRONT DOOR- (of a turning rope)The skipper approaches a turning rope that is descending towards the skipper.

SKIP:
  1. to clear a turning rope
  2. (Without a rope)-to make successive forward-vertical movements(also called hippity-hop) You could also go backwards-or sideways-doing this
NOTE: The spring in a Springlite (artificial)foot produces a different pattern of movement-than does the bone in a natural foot. The latter causes a short, springy vertical hop, the former causes a small vertical hop-but a large, long(in time duration)forward hop. It is the LENGTH of time that I am aloft that allows me to do CONVENTIONAL skipping-as well as LIFT-KICK skipping.

STATIONARY SKIPPING: the opposite of Mobile or Semi-Mobile Skipping. These include (1)The stationary two foot-jump and (2)a Lift, then Kick, then Lift and Kick(of either phase-where you remain in one spot-using the same collapsing leg

SWING:
  1. Step 3 of either Phase-in Lift-Kick
  2. The ascending of the rope-over one's back-over the head,and the subsequent descending-of such rope-after which the crossover is done.
TAP- the fifth and last Step-of either Phase-in Lift-Kick. To TAP means to LIGHTLY strike the ground-with one foot. It is a weight-transfer-and a transition step-facilitate the performing of the LIFT-of the next phase.

NOTE: In some contexts;(such as dancing)TAP means to strike the foot on the floor WITHOUT a weight transfer. Suppose I do this type of TAP with my left foot. Since the weight REMAINS on the right foot, I use the left foot-do do the next step.(In most kinds of dancing-the moving of one foot-causes a weight-transfer-on that foot-to "free" the opposite foot-to do the next step.

NOTE ALSO: In some skipping and dancing steps, one foot approaches the other-with an equal distribution of weight. That is called a CLOSE. The purpose of the CLOSE is (a)to facilitate the movement-from one skipping or dancing figure-to the next figure-and for (2)flexibility. For example, if it was the right foot that approached the left (not vice versa) The next step COULD be done with the right foot.(In waltzing, Step 3 is the CLOSE. The man could-(1)Step back on his right foot (2)go forward with the right (3)Step forward with the left.

THRUST- (1)to push one foot forward-and slightly elevated (2)to cause a thrust by KICKING the opposite foot. The thrust can also be a tool-to COLLAPSE the opposite foot.

TURNING ROPE- a rope moving in successive complete circles-or in successive arcs

WALK AND SKIP- to effect a slow forward movement-by doing successive swing-crossovers-first of one Phase(in Lift-Kick);then of the other phase.

NOTE: If you would like to email me, my email address is: skippingdancers@hotmail.com


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