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The teep is one of the most effective techniques in Muay Thai.

Known as a front or push kick by non-Muay Thai practitioners, teeps are an essential technique that all good Nak Muays (Thai Boxers) utilize to gain maximum advantage.

The teep is the Muay Thai equivalent of the jab in boxing. It is a versatile weapon that can be used on offense to set up your attacks, and it can be utilized as a defensive tool to interrupt your opponent.

This 5-part mini-series on the teep is going to talk about different aspects of the teep, and how you can use the teep to your full advantage.

I recommend you read all five articles so that you understand how each component can lead to the mastery of the Muay Thai teep.

Why You Should Master the Teep

If you haven’t already realized it by now, the teep is my favorite Muay Thai technique.

After reading this article, you should have a good understanding of why the teep is so useful, and why you should start focusing on improving your teep.

While some beginners like to concentrate on flashy techniques like spinning elbows and flying knees that they will never use, working on your teep is an investment into your Muay Thai fundamentals, and will pay dividends later on.

You will learn why the teep is one of the most underutilized techniques among Westerners.

Before coming to Thailand, I never understood how powerful the teep could be, until I experienced the power of the teep first hand.

The first time I sparred against a skilled Thai fighter, I couldn’t do anything. Every time I tried to attack the teep disrupted me. This was not only frustrating, but it also caused me to lose focus.

I had no idea what to do.

How can you throw anything against an opponent who has perfect timing in their teeps?

While I have improved my game drastically since those early few months in Thailand, fighters who have very good teeps still pose a lot of problems.

This article is going to break down everything you need to know about the teep. It is going to convince you that this technique is a must technique in every fighter’s arsenal. Outside of the body kick, almost every Nak Muay in Thailand has a good teep.

A Muay Thai fighter without a teep is a like a Boxer without a jab – the two go hand in hand.

The Defensive Potential of the Teep

While most people only think about their offense, one of the best uses of the teep is for defensive purposes. In fact, the teep is the perfect tool to counter most Western fighters who like to throw combinations.

A well-placed teep can disrupt the offensive flow of a fighter, just like a jab can interrupt an opponent as well. This was something that caused me a lot of problems when I encountered someone with a good teep.

The defensive potential of the teep is limitless.

The placement of the teep can cause different disruptions. For example, when your opponent goes to kick, a teep to the hip, chest or leg will disrupt their balance. Once you disrupt the balance of a fighter, they will not be able to execute the technique.

Skilled fighters understand the defensive potential of the teep and use it to maximize their advantage against different opponents.

If you ever fight an aggressive opponent who is always charging forward, the teep can end up being your best friend.

Frustrating Your Opponent

Have you ever heard of the saying that good defense leads to a better offense?

While this is a phrase often associated with other sports, the truth is that a good Muay Thai defense can lead to easier offensive opportunities.

One of the side effects of a good defence is that it can frustrate your opponent on offense.

If your opponent is having a hard time landing strikes against you, they will slowly start taking more risks on offense. By taking more risks, they will not be focused on their defence and will open themselves up to be counter attacked.

As a fighter, it is important to maintain your calm throughout the fight. You don’t want to fight frustrated because that will lead to mistakes. One mistake is all it takes to end up on the canvas unconscious.

Teeps are incredibly frustrating because they disrupt the offensive rhythm of fighters.

Imagine sparring someone who is constantly interrupting your offensive flow. After a few minutes, you will start getting annoyed when your typical go to moves don’t work anymore.

This will increase your tension and probably lead you to fight more aggressively than you want to.

Now that we understand the defensive importance of teeps, let’s look at some offensive uses of the teep.

The Offensive Potential of the Teep

Besides being a great all-purpose defensive tool, the teep is an excellent offensive weapon. Teeps can be used as a tool to set up your other strikes, or teeps can be used to cause damage on their own.

A well-placed teep to your lower abs has the same effect as a hard knee to the gut. If you time the teep right as your opponent is breathing out, you can wind them just like with a knee.

Additionally, teeping someone to their upper chest will knock them back a significant distance.

Once you establish your offense through the teep, it can also be used as an excellent fake to set up your other strikes. When you use your teep, your opponent will be forced to react to your teep every time you throw it. This can open the door for feints and counters off those fakes when your opponent bites at your feints.

While the teep is not a typical knockout technique, a well-placed teep to the chin or lower abdomens can be devastating.

Just like the jab in Boxing, the teep doesn’t have to be used with maximum force to be effective. Good timing is all it takes to be effective at the teep.

Controlling the Distance

Besides being an offensive and defensive weapon, the teep is a great tool to create space. Light teeps can off balance your opponent, while stronger teeps can knock them farther back.

Why is Distance Important in a Fight?

Every fighter has an ideal range that they like to fight in. If you fight against an evasive fighter, you will notice that they like to fight outside of your striking range. This allows them to dodge a lot of the strikes that you try to throw at them.

Conversely, heavy handed aggressive fighters want to try and step into your range and unload their punches on you.

The teep can help you dictate where the fight goes. If you face an opponent trying to press into your range, the teep will keep them at bay and help disrupt their fly. Against an evasive fighter, a good teep can be a great initiator against someone who is looking to counter off your strikes.

Skilled fighters understand how to utilize the teep effectively to stay in the right striking range.

A GIF is Worth a Thousand Words

I could continue to write about why you should master the teep, but to appreciate the effectiveness of a teep you need to watch it in action.

If you haven’t seen the power of the teep yet, maybe the following GIFs can help you understand why this technique is so important in Muay Thai.

This video showcases how a well-placed teep can completely off balance an opponent. Notice how the fighter didn’t throw much power in the teep, he just timed it as his opponent went to kick.

This is an excellent example of the jumping teep. Notice how much distance can be covered by the fighter. It is an excellent technique to use to control the range.

This is another example of the teep been used to control the distance in the fight.

Same fight as above, and the same resulting teep. A strong teep can give a fighter a distinct advantage in a fight because they can choose when they want to engage.

In this video, Panpayak throws the teep as he is retreating. This is an excellent move that scores points and showcases dominance over an opponent.

Read the Entire Series

In the next article, we are going to break down the teep and how to perform it correctly. This is an article that you don’t want to miss.

Related Teep Articles:

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