Step Teep (Patreon)

• LMA Curriculum

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A useful variation of the lead teep is the step teep. There's a general rule that when you move forward, you lead with the front foot, when you move backward, you lead with the back foot. However in kicking situations, that won't always make sense.

Unlike punching, you'll be on one leg when kicking (or checking). That means sometimes the foot on the ground has to do all the moving.

If my opponent is too far away (or moving away) and I can't land my teep, I can take a step forward with the rear foot and then teep. I can also do this to add more power to my teep. (I'll be able to chamber my kick more, and my opponent will be closer to me so I can drive into them further with my teep.)

Before practicing this teep or any teep, stomp the ground with the ball of your foot. That's the part of your foot you'll be hitting with. The same way you're stomping through the ground is how you'll stomp through your opponent. (Thrusting kicks are stomps.) When it makes contact, it should feel just like that stomp.

Only slightly lean back for balance. Leaning too far back can give you more reach, but it also makes you more likely to fall backward. You can also lose some power in your kick as you won't have enough weight bearing down to brace. (You might even knock yourself backward instead of your opponent.)

The more you lean back, the more you'll have to swing your kicking arm to counterbalance against your upper body weight leaning backward.

– Sam