The Most Important Muay Thai Strike... The TEEP (or Push Kick)

How To Throw A Teep / Front Kick / Push Kick (All Same Same)

By Sean Fagan

You need to learn how to throw a push kick before you step into the ring to spar or fight!

This basic Muay Thai kick technique also called ‘teep’ or front kick is important for keeping your opponent at bay, upsetting his/her tempo and even using it to hurt your opponent!

Needless to say the teep technique seems like there isn’t much to it and that it wouldn’t really hurt that much getting hit by it. Take it from a guy who has been hit with a lot of front kicks to the body… that shit hurts!

There are many reasons why you should learning how to throw a push kick. Regardless whether you use it for offense, defense or set up purposes, it’s important to know the minor details in order to get the most out of your Muay Yhai front kick technique.

Basic Muay Thai Push Kick Technique Tips:

• Push up on the balls of your post foot. This will help generate power, improve your accuracy and help push your opponent back.
• Bring your knee to your chest/shoulder. The higher you bring your knee or foot the more likely you will be able to clear their defense and you make it easier to strike to the face too.
• Extend out like you’re kicking down a door. Stay balanced and snap your kick just like you would snap your jab or cross.
• Return your foot back to its original position. Now this isn’t always true (you might use it as a set up strike for something else) but for the basic front kick technique it helps you focus on your balance and defense which is very important.
• Extend your hips and pivot post foot slightly. This is where you generate the power and the snap to your teep kick. It’s not just your leg doing the work, it’s your hips too!
• Opposite arm stays up to protect your beautiful face
• Same side arm swings down to generate leverage and power behind your muay thai front kick.

If you learn how to throw a push kick properly it’s going to help you in more ways than you think. You’ll be able to use it like a jab to frustrate your opponent, or like a cross to deal some serious damage and make your opponent think twice about coming in.

Not only is the teep front kick great for offensive and defensive purposes but it’s also great for using as a fake to land other strikes. Personally I love using my right push kick to walk through and follow up with either a hard left roundhouse or a right hook (which both have worked very well in the fights I’ve used them).

5 Uses Of The Muay Thai Teep

3 Teep Fakes For Muay Thai

It might seem like a relatively easy and basic Muay Thai kick technique but trust me there is much more to it than just trying to ‘kick down a door’. You have to use your hips to generate power and snap otherwise it won’t be nearly as effective.

Make sure to focus on the basics of the Muay Thai push kick first before messing around with set ups and fakes. Your opponent won’t fall for any of the fakes if you don’t land any hard teeps.