Making the Teep work

[Xestaro]

I'm listening to the latest Muay Thai Bones Podcast right now and I thought this time I'll post questions right away before I listen to the rest (still have about 2,5 hours to go) and forget what I was gonna ask by the time I've gone through the whole of it

 

You were talking about the importance of the teep. How to use it to improve different aspects of your style or how what you're doing is perceived from the outside.

I haven't been in sparring for quite a while but I remember that when I was, I was having some problems with the teep. I do teep quite a lot. It's kind of my "standard response" to increase distance, get/keep someone off me or whatever. Especially with me having no experience in boxing (I don't trust my fists a lot yet). I'm a very tall fighter, too. I did however get my teep caught a lot or sometimes used against me in a way that redirects it so I end up more open to the following attack.

Thinking about it I think it made me a bit insecure about using it which also made me teep lower, towards the leg or maybe hip, as this is a tad quicker (less distance to cover for my foot) and generally less prone to being caught (further away from my opponents hands).

What should I do, train or focus on to improve my teep and make it more usable? Is it just a question of doing it enough to develop more trust in it? Get used to having the leg caught (also happens with kicks) and how to counter in a situation like this? Committing to it more so it makes my opponents respect it more because it's "scarier" to them?

I'm not a terribly flexible person either. Because of how tall I am I can easily kick/teep most of my opponents upper body though I do struggle with headkicks (unless, of course, if my opponent is considerably smaller than me). However, this makes it more troublesome for me if my leg gets caught. I just don't have much flex left to flick my foot out of a hold or something.

[Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu]

The first thing is probably doing 100s of teeps each day, just to get more and more comfortable with the elementary action. As you get more habituated you become both more grounded (balanced) and quicker too. The second thing is to learn to pull that teep back after contact, a little like the jab is pulled back. Your teep is like a jab, its not a power shot, and all power comes from the body weight transfer, so getting the feeling of that little "pop" will just improve over time. Pretty awesome that you are listening to the Muay Thai Bones podcast!

If you keep having trouble with your teep being caught, one thing to do to get a partner every day and have them hold your teep, and work on your balance and counters to the catch. A quick turn of your leg "in", with the knee turning to point toward the floor, should free almost any catch, if you do it quickly. You can also do a "heavy leg" counter, which is you just lean forward and just weight the leg directly downward, while it remains straight. It's surprisingly effective, most do not prepare for that weight transfer. And lastly, you might be more comfortable with more of a side on teep, like the one favored by Samart at times. A straight on teep gives your heel to the opponent, as a handle to cup from below. If you teep quickly it shouldn't be a problem, but turning the foot with a side angle removes this handle. You can see Samart using his side teep in this fight:

 

Just a few thoughts.

If anyone is wondering about the podcast in question, here is the episode, we talk about the teep in the first segment:

 

[MadelineGrace]

I recently heard (in a Muay Thai class in the US) that some are recommending higher teeps ( ? Maybe chest height) to avoid the problems you mention ( it’s harder to catch a high teep)

Note-I’m just repeating what I heard. I am hoping more knowledgeable and experienced people will weigh in. I’m am newer to Muay Thai and not experienced enough to advise.

[Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu]

4 minutes ago, MadelineGrace said:

I recently heard (in a Muay Thai class in the US) that some are recommending higher teeps ( ? Maybe chest height) to avoid the problems you mention ( it’s harder to catch a high teep)

Note-I’m just repeating what I heard. I am hoping more knowledgeable and experienced people will weigh in. I’m am newer to Muay Thai and not experienced enough to advise.

In general, I think it's pretty good practice to learn to get comfortable throwing techniques higher because it kind of moves your baseline. When you get stressed, your teep might lose elevation. If you are used to throwing higher teeps mid-teeps will feel easier. As to ideal teeping height, this is the way the Dieselnoi explained it, if I recall. If facing a puncher, teep high. If facing a kicker, teep mid (controlling the hips).

[Xestaro]

Thanks!
Your're right Kevin, I remember Dieselnoi saying that in some video! That said I should really learn to teep high as from what I'm seeing most people here are more punchers than kickers. I myself don't punch a lot though since I'm not comfortable with using my hands yet. I've practiced frontkicks, lowkicks, knees, elbows and whatnot before but never much boxing, so I tend to fall back to what I know a bit better.

I've also done the "Samart-style" side-teep a few times already (to the best of my newbie ability ) and yes, I feel pretty fine doing that as well. I just have to be very careful not to overturn when doing it because people will make me pay for that.

 

Actually one sparring-partner once advised me to not use those front kicks/teeps as much as he felt they got me into trouble. He said a good option for me would be long straight punches since I have good reach (I just can't use it (in my hands) very well yet)

Another one said that he felt it's quite hard to close in on me which I took as a compliment of sorts as he is much more experienced than I am. As far as I remember I was using mainly teeps and some kicks that day, probably with a few punches and long guard mixed in (though I have to work on that a lot more as well). Well, I try to make the best of what I can do and if that is keeping people off of me than that's a start at least.