Defence and recovery / Defence / Shadow

Teep / step back

A teep used to make space, then the step that keeps it.

Follow a controlled teep shape with a small exit. The teep makes space; the step keeps it. Put together they are how a fighter gets off the ropes or out of a clinch entry. The study asks for two separate things in a row: a teep that re-chambers and is replaced, then a small step back with the guard intact.

The actions, phase by phase

Lead teep / push kick

1. Stance. Balance over the supporting leg with hands ready.
2. Chamber. Lift the lead knee before extending the lower leg.
3. Extend. Push the hips forward through the extension; the ball of the foot leads.
4. Re-chamber. Draw the knee back, then replace the foot.

Watch for. Avoid dropping the kicking foot straight down from extension. How far the hips should travel depends on range and balance, which a coach has to set for you.

Muay Thai guard

1. Base. Keep a stance from which either leg can lift.
2. Hands ready. Bring the hands into your coach-taught guard.
3. Balance. Keep the torso upright enough to manage kicks and checks.
4. Reset. Re-establish the base after every action.

Watch for. This illustration does not show clinch posture or an opponent.

Step back / recover distance

1. Stance. Use the Above camera to inspect the spacing between your feet.
2. Rear foot first. For this backward step, move the rear foot first.
3. Lead foot follows. Bring the lead foot back by a similar distance.
4. Reset width. Finish with the original stagger and width.

Watch for. This is a backward step, not a universal diagram for every direction.

Distance awareness

1. Keep the kick within your balance range.
2. Separate the landing from the exit.
3. Use a small step on clear flooring.

Three faults a pad holder sees

1. Teep foot lands forward, then a long step. the foot is replaced in the stance before the step back.
2. Leaning back through the teep. the hips push forward through the kick even though the exit is backwards.
3. Rear foot follows lead on the step. the rear foot moves first for a step back.

A starting prescription

3 rounds of 45 seconds with 45 seconds between them. Eight teep-and-exit sequences per round on clear flooring. Load the study into the session builder with these numbers and change them to suit the round you are preparing for.

What this loop is, and is not

Solo rehearsal of a shape you have already been taught. No partner, no contact, no pad impact, and no coach has reviewed this loop. It shows where the joints go, not whether they should go there for you. This study draws a second figure, an opponent held at one moment of the strike the study answers. It is an illustration of position, not a partner technique to copy without a coach.

Where it sits

Stage: Defence and recovery. Before it: Check / step back. After it: Rear-leg check / replace. Sessions that use it: The kick notebook, Defensive rhythm, Teep and distance. See also the glossary, the warm-up and the method and its limits.