Mechanics / Kicks / Shadow

Lead teep / re-chamber

The push kick, from the knee lift to the re-chamber.

A low, controlled front-kick shape with no target or impact. The lead teep is how distance gets managed in this sport. It stops an opponent walking in and it makes room for everything else. Its mechanics are unusual: the knee lifts first, the hips travel forward rather than away, and the ball of the foot is what arrives, so the toes have to be pulled back before the leg extends.

The actions, phase by phase

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.

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.

Foot placement

1. Use a height and range you already control.
2. Keep the motion slow rather than snapping it out.
3. Place the foot back into your stance.

Three faults a pad holder sees

1. Leaning away from the kick. the hips travel forward through the extension; the trunk does not fall back.
2. Instep instead of the ball of the foot. the toes are pulled back at contact so the ball of the foot leads.
3. Foot dropped straight down. the knee re-chambers before the foot is placed back in the stance.

A starting prescription

3 rounds of 45 seconds with 45 seconds between them. Eight slow teeps per round, re-chambered every time. 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.

Where it sits

Stage: Mechanics. After it: Rear round kick / recover. Sessions that use it: The kick notebook. See also the glossary, the warm-up and the method and its limits.