The Value of each Weapon

Consider the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIpqhu9SFb0 - entire fight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM9P0QY1vK8
- the technique at 4:22-4:25 (though this entire fight is VERY good)

I was talking to one of our fellow students the other day who said something to the effect of: "I default to using teeps (push kick), which is too bad because they aren't that damaging"

To that, I have a response I'd like to share:

Teeps done right are damaging. True, teep isn't a weapon primarily used offensively as a stand alone technique or follow up (as Kru J was discussing with us this week), but you can't under estimate its uses when executed properly. While a lot of people are under the impression that it's mostly a "push", precise and strong teeps dig into their targets (a force made stronger when an opponent walks into a timed one).

A nice direct teep can make it very hard to be touched, and can hurt a lot...they also challenge an opponents confidence.



By no means am I saying that you should rely on teeps to win fights, or that there aren't more than one way to use the technique; You can decide for yourself in time how you feel about it and use it, weighing the risks and gains in a given situation. Muay Thai is a great art and sport because of the room for personal skill and strategy (look len).

All I'm trying to do is show that each Muay Thai weapon is part of a dangerous arsenal. When each weapon is sharpened as much as possible, each weapon is devastating; even if its name has been translated into something sounding as harmless as "push kick"