Do you remember how to skip? Prove it!

My coworkers were fooling around at work last night and it turns out most of us did not remember how.

At first I was like “of course I know how to skip” but then when I tried it, I failed miserably.

I couldn’t do it. I’m surprised that I can’t even remember the movements. It was something I did without thinking about it.

Yes same here. I was sure it would be like riding a bike.

I had to try this, and I think I was successful. It’s just doing a little hop on the forward foot with each step, right? Or was I pseudo-skipping?

Yeah I think you may have it.

I found this on YT. Is this what you were doing?

I can visualize myself skipping, along with all the associated motions, so yes, I’m sure I can still remember how to skip.

Yes, though what I was doing was more the raw, untrained version in the first part of the video than the advanced, pro version later on.

I did this not long ago. My legs can’t tolerate much of it, I was clumsy, but I could make the basic moves. However, I could not sustain a regular pace of skipping, it no longer seemed natural.

There were a bunch of videos of adults trying to skip posted on TikTok. So I immediately tried. I’m here to report that I can still skip at the age of 62! Some of the videos are hilarious.

I’m afraid that won’t do sir. You have to put up or shut up. :slight_smile:

Darned straight!

A year or two back I was going to the store, walking across a large stretch of empty parking lot, when I saw a young mother with a cute little boy coming along, full of energy.
She was saying “Skip! Skip! … Skip to my Lou!” … “Come on…”

I couldn’t resist–I started skipping in front of both of them with a broad smile on my face. At the sight of this gray-beard grandfather-aged guy skipping along she laughed and said “See, he’s skipping too!”

It was a fun little moment that reminded me there are still nice things in our world.

It’s probably not ‘forgot’ so much as fell out of practice/shape.

Skipping is only a little harder than, say, standing on one foot for 10 seconds or ‘balancing’ on a line painted in the floor, about as difficult as a jumping-jack, and WAAAAY easier than riding a bike. I don’t need to get out of my chair to see whether I can do any of these.

I practiced some more with help from the video. I found that I was able to get a rhythmic hop, with head forward, arms swinging with elbows outward, forearms parallel to floor. I achieved quite a high degree of jauntiness.

Not coincidentally, all of my family members were out of the house at work or school when I practiced.

I remember how to skip just fine. The procedural memory for that skill is present in my memory system and I can recall it just find.

Can I skip? No. But motor learning is not memory.

Yes, I can. And now I need to come up with an explanation for why I just skipped in front of my employees.

Damn Skippy!
:slightly_smiling_face:

Yeah, I think.

When I first tried, I was rather surprised that I couldn’t. But a couple of minutes of practice brought it back.

Also set the young dog to Arooooo! ing. He’d never seen me doing such a thing before, and didn’t know what to make of it.

I did not find this difficult at all. Unless I’m doing it wrong?

  1. Exaggerated step
  2. Hop with the same foot
  3. Exaggerated step with other foot
  4. Hop with that foot.

There’s another way which is a little hop with one foot, and the exaggerated step with the other foot. I don’t know what that’s called, but both work fine.

Early 50s here. Don’t think I’ve skipped much since childhood.

Yes I can, no problem.

Possibly because I’m in martial arts and we do a regular exercise that is basically all of the moves of a skip but slowly and holding each movement.

I remember learning jump rope, skipping, and hopscotch from the older kids on the playground. Adults usually didn’t teach us.

It’s amazing how much energy kids have. That’s why our parents pushed us outside to play. Had to burn off that energy.