How to skip gears in a manual without killing yourself

Practice (and knowledge) makes perfect

One of the most important features a manual transmission has over an automatic one is that, with the stick, you have the freedom of switching gears in whichever way you want. Oh, and the involuntary theft-proof quality, if you’re lucky.

Of course, to move freely through the gears doesn't mean you can't just do that. First, have to know a little how (and when) to operate the clutch pedal, and to know why does this clutch thing is important to the engine, and the wheels. 

Second, you have to watch Jason Fenske's video about how — and, most importantly, when — to skip gears properly. It might not seem that important until you screw up by downgrading brutal enough to lock the drive axle's wheels. I did it once, in a Mazda RX-8, and it was enough to not do it again for the rest of my life.  

Have you ever wondered how many miles can you cover on an empty tank? These guys did also.