I developed the original principles to Ropics®, which later became a jump rope exercise program and an act in entertainment, in the late 1970's and early 1980's.  Why an invented  name like "Ropics?"  I wanted a name that didn't make any implications as to what you could do with a "jump" rope.   The ideas behind Ropics especially apply to the rope jumping as an exercise or as a performing art as I'll explain below.

>> See the Ropics Intro Video to get a better idea at what it's about. <<

Ropics Principles

	The jump rope is essentially a flexible apparatus with which one can execute many different kinds of skills - jumping over it is only one option.
	The jump rope need not be limited to turning in a vertical circular motion.  It can turn horizontally, turn in a spiral pattern, or not even turn at all.
	The rope can be held anywhere along its length by one or both hands.  It can be even held temporarily by other parts of the body.  As a corollary, it can be move while it is very short or, conversely, extended it full 9 feet or so length.
	Other disciplines like dance, gymnastics, the martial arts can be integrated in jump rope movements or routines.
	Skills from other apparatuses like nunchakus, poi balls, or boledoras can be applied to the jump rope.

The "fall-out" of these principles was the Ropics exercise program that didn't force people to jump over the rope all the time, so we avoided discouraging early exhaustion and shin splints.  In the past, we also had a demonstration jump rope team of young to middle-aged adults that performed in many shows (see below) and learned all their skills by simply participating in our classes which were led by Dr. Kathleen Hargarten (see below).  Unfortunately, changing commitments eventually caused the team to dissolve.

Kathleen Hargarten, M.D. (kneeling second from the left)  captained the "Ropics  Precision Team,"

 

Another "side effect" of these principles is that Ropics works well in artistic venues like dance concerts (see thumbnail to the left) and martial arts tournaments because not being restricted to jumping allows for greater freedom of artistic expression - see the Jump Rope Artistic page. Our Ropics Show has also been featured in countless other venues.  In fact, I met my wife, a trained dancer, when I submitted a jump rope routine for a dance concert where  she was showcasing several of her modern dance numbers. We also competed in "pop" dance competitions like the former "Dance Fever" TV show (video).

 

The jump rope can also duplicate or emulate some  martial arts weapons like "Suruchin," "Manriki" or nunchakus.  Our color brochure on the Ropics Show page shows me doing a "jumping front kick" through the rope, which is a skill from Tae Kwon Do. The thumbnail to the left shows David Fischer, "The Rope Warrior" doing a variation of a skill I first saw executed by a Kung Fu Master with a 9-section chain. We call this "butt jumping" in the sport, but I suspect it has a more dignified name in Kung Fu.

 

Finally, you can also incorporate skills from yet other  flexible apparatus like the Maori "Poi balls" from New Zealand.   As fate would have it, I was working as a stage manager at an outdoor stage show during my college summers and the show had hired Argentinian Gauchos to perform with their "boleadoras" - which is essentially a jump rope cut in half.  I had just begun to jump rope the winter before and began to learn and integrate their skills with the jump rope right away.  Deb is showing boleadoras at the left with the "glow rope" that I developed for our shows..  The main thrust of everything I am saying is to not limit yourself to what you think you can do with a jump rope.  "Boring" should be the last adjective applied to rope "jumping."