Teep Kick: How to Throw the Muay Thai Push Kick

The teep kick is Muay Thai’s push kick: you lift your knee, then drive the ball of your foot or your sole straight into the other person’s midsection and push them away. It’s used like a jab with your leg, to keep distance, break rhythm and stop someone walking forward.

I’ve trained seven martial arts over more than 20 years, Muay Thai among them, and I’m a NASM-certified trainer with corrective exercise and performance credentials. I haven’t taught Muay Thai classes, so this is the beginner-level teep a good gym would show you, with the balance and hip cues that make it safe to drill.

What Is a Teep Kick?

Teep is the Thai word for this push kick, and it’s one of the first kicks most Muay Thai gyms teach. Where the round kick swings sideways into a target, the teep travels straight forward along the centerline.

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Its job is mostly defensive and tactical. A well-timed teep stops someone stepping in, knocks them off balance or interrupts a combination before it starts. That makes it a great kick for beginners, because it teaches distance and balance at the same time.

For the bigger picture on all six beginner kicks, see my guide to Muay Thai kicks for beginners.

How to Throw a Teep Kick Step by Step

These steps describe the lead leg teep from an orthodox stance (left foot forward). Flip everything if you stand southpaw.

1. Start in your stance. Feet about hip width apart, knees soft, hands up guarding your face.
2. Lift the lead knee. Bring it up toward your chest, toes pulled back so the ball of the foot is ready.
3. Extend and push the hips forward. Straighten the leg and drive your hips through the target, as if pushing a heavy door shut with your foot.
4. Lean back slightly. A small lean keeps your head out of range and counterbalances the push.
5. Keep your guard up. Hands stay near your face the whole time.
6. Retract and land in stance. Pull the knee back and set the foot down where it started, or step forward if you want to follow up.

Most beginners feel wobbly on the standing leg at first. A little bend in that knee and a steady focus on the target usually fixes it.

Lead Teep and Rear Teep Kick

Jab Teep Kick (Lead Leg)

The lead leg teep is often called the jab teep, because it’s quick and travels a short distance. It’s the version you’ll throw most, especially to stop someone moving forward. Many coaches pair it with an actual jab so the hands and foot work together.

Rear Teep Kick

The rear teep comes from your back leg. It travels farther, so it’s slower and easier to see coming, but it carries much more force. Turn the hip slightly as the rear leg comes through and push the whole body forward into it.

Teep Variations Beginners Hear About

Low Teep Kick

A low teep aims at the hips or thighs to disrupt balance. In competition you may see teeps to the knee or lead thigh, but those carry real risk for the joint. In class drills, keep teeps at the midsection or on a pad unless your coach specifically sets up a low target.

Side Teep Kick

The side teep turns the hip over so the foot lands sideways, closer to a side kick. It can reach farther and slip past a guard, but it asks more of your hip mobility. Learn the straight teep first.

Teep to the Head

A teep to the face exists in competitive Muay Thai, but it’s an advanced technique and needs serious flexibility and control. It doesn’t belong in a beginner’s first months, and it shouldn’t be thrown at partners in drills.

Teep vs Front Kick

People often ask about the difference between the teep and a front kick. They look similar, but the intent differs.

Karate and taekwondo front kicks often snap back quickly after contact. The Muay Thai teep is more of a shove with your hips behind it, and it’s built to hold up when someone is walking into you.

Teep vs Push Kick

Teep and push kick mean the same thing in most gyms. Teep is the Thai name; push kick is the English description. Some coaches separate a stabbing teep, which snaps into the target, from a pushing teep, which shoves through it, but both are the same basic technique.

The Teep Kick in MMA and the UFC

You’ll see the teep kick in MMA and the UFC because it works in any striking range. Fighters use it to manage distance, stop forward pressure and set up punches. In MMA, a teep can be caught more easily because takedowns are allowed, so timing and retracting the leg quickly matter even more.

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Simple Teep Kick Combos

Once the teep feels steady, coaches start linking it to other strikes. These three are common beginner combinations.

1. Jab, lead teep. The jab draws attention up while the teep lands in the midsection.
2. Lead teep, cross. The teep moves the other person back, and you step in behind it with a straight punch.
3. Rear teep, reset. A strong rear teep followed by a step back to your stance, which builds the habit of resetting your balance.

Shadow these slowly before trying them on pads. My guide on how to throw a punch covers the jab and cross mechanics.

How to Block or Defend a Teep Kick

Learning the teep also means learning what happens when someone throws it at you. Beginners are usually taught to step back or off at an angle, or to parry the foot to the side with a downward sweep of the rear hand. Coaches introduce this with slow, light teeps, so nobody gets winded while learning.

Common Teep Mistakes

• Pushing with the leg only. Without the hips, the teep feels like a tap. Drive the hips forward.
• Dropping the hands. The kicking leg pulls your attention down, so many beginners lose their guard.
• Leaving the leg out. A slow retract makes it easy to catch.
• Kicking with the toes. Pull your toes back or you risk jamming them.
• Leaning too far back. A small lean helps; a big one throws you off balance.

How to Practice Teep Kicks Safely

You can practice the teep at home slowly. Hold a wall or sturdy chair for balance and rehearse knee lift, extension and retract until it feels smooth. Once it’s smooth, try it without support.

In class, pads let a partner absorb the push and call distance. On a heavy bag, start at half power, keep the bag at hip height and focus on hip drive. My heavy bag workout guide includes beginner rounds you can add teeps to.

Your This-Week Plan

1. Day 1: Practice the lead teep slowly with wall support, 10 reps per side.
2. Day 3: Practice without support, focusing on hips forward and hands up, two sets of 10 per side.
3. Day 5: Add the rear teep and combine it with a jab, then shadow three rounds of two minutes.
4. This weekend: Try a class and ask to drill teeps on pads with a partner.

Quick Questions

More from this series: start with my martial arts for beginners guide, and if you’re new to the gym, read about your first Muay Thai class.

The Bottom Line

The teep kick is simple, safe to learn and useful for a lifetime of training: knee up, hips forward, push through, retract. Learn the lead teep first, add the rear teep, and save low and high variations for later. For how kicks fit into a weekly routine, see my guide to Muay Thai for fitness.

I’m a certified personal trainer and martial artist, not a physician or physical therapist, and this article is for general education. Kicking loads the hips, knees and lower back. If you have joint problems, a past injury, or another health concern, check with your doctor or physical therapist before starting Muay Thai training.