As I was picking myself up off the canvas in Thailand at Sityodtong Boxing Camp…
Saying to myself… “This 14-year-old kid just blasted me off my feet across the ring with a teep kick to my chest…
I can’t believe he had that much power!”
As I got up from the canvas…Super Kid smiled at me and gestured to get back up to get teeped again 🙂
Right then… I knew teep’s to be the skeleton key for fighting.
Muay Thai Champions use their teep 80-90% in a fight. Why? Because it works!
The teep is one of the fundamentals of Muay Thai. Teep in Thai translates into… Push Kick, Peck Kick, Foot Jab.
Why do teep works so well? Here are some reasons:
– teep is a long range attack which you can set up with punches, kicks, knees, elbows
– teep is fast, most teeps are too quick for an opponent to block
– teeps push the opponents off tracks and it’s very hard to recover balance.
– teep is a long range weapon that’s easy to use from a distance
The teep is not only a great weapon against your opponent but also a great way to keep space in a fight.
A teep is the best way to create some distance between you and your opponent.
Great teep fighters maintain space and it goes something like this: teep, move away and teep again. This is beautiful Muay Thai!
When you use the push kick correctly, your opponent will find it very hard to attack you because they will be out of range all the time.
A teep can do a lot of damage to your opponent if you teep the right spots.
Muay Thai teep vs kick? teep doesn’t have the wind-up motion that kicks do so teeps are usually 5-10 times faster with means less time your opponent can hit you back.
Remember, teep is very low risk and high reward. You can throw teeps continually without getting hurt yourself.
The teep’s power comes from the whole body so it will give you great cardio too…
Your foot jabs should be crisp and sharp in a fight. If you teep correctly, it will feel like a gun shot.
But if you teep wrong… Beep!
Push kicks to the legs are a great target since there is more muscle and less bone so there is less chance of hurting yourself.
It’s also very easy for beginners to foot jab the legs.
Another target is the nasal bridge and eyes. These teeps will inflict damage and shut your opponent’s eyes fast.
If you teep these spots correctly, most likely you will end up with a TKO (Technical Knock Out).
If you teep wrong… Beep!
For example, teep the legs wrong and break your toe. Ouchy!
Don’t worry if your teeps don’t have power in the beginning, just keep teeping. I cannot stress this enough!
As my coach Kru Yodtong would say you can’t teep enough.
Power will come naturally with practice.
But how to get teeping power? Here are some tips:
– Your teep should start from the ground as fast as possible for maximum speed without sacrificing balance.
– Make your teep sharp and deliberate.
– Remember to use your whole body, especially the teep leg and hip, when you teep.
– Teep at different targets in a fight; this will surprise your opponent and keep them off balance while you stay on track.
Remember, you risk very little with a teep and teeps are very safe because your leg is stretched out in front of you.
Most importantly, keep practicing until it becomes a habit.
A good Muay Thai fighter teeps like teep teep move teep move teep
If you don’t teep, your opponent will!
Good luck in training and fight!
Push Kick, Peck Kick, Foot Jab your way to the TOP!
Coach David