Teep

Quick Facts

About

Teep (ถีบ) is a Thai push kick delivered in a straight line, striking with the ball of the foot. A source describes it as a longer-range counterpart to a straight punch. The kicker shifts weight onto the back leg, raises the front knee, explosively steps forward driving power from the hips, and fully extends the leg on contact, while the rear hand guards the head. Teep is used to measure distance, push the opponent back, set up feints, and occasionally to score a knockdown. It works best against an opponent who is advancing or attacking, since it disrupts their balance. The traditional target is the body, while a kick to the face requires lifting the leg noticeably higher. Unlike the round kick, which strikes with the shin or instep, teep hits directly with the ball of the foot. The lead-leg teep is faster but weaker, while the rear-leg teep is slower but noticeably stronger. Lion Heart Academy lists two forms, teep dtrong (push kick) and teep khan (side kick), and groups teep together with sok and khao among the striking weapons. A defender should sweep the kicking leg aside with the hand on the same side, or else leave their hips open for a counterattack.