Hello,

I've just started muay thai and find that in light sparring i always get hit by the foot jab or teep. How do i defend against this? I was told a few ways but still find it difficult and can't get to grips with them. Often i find i block only to get a jab in the face.

I'm just a beginner and am probably getting it wrong, but if anyone has any links etc to show how to block/avoid it it'd be really helpful and would really help me progress. I was surprised how hard it was to search for this on google.

Anyway thank you.

foot jab? like a light roundhouse?

just block it with your closest leg, if not, dont worry about it. just dont flinch massively or youll get decked.

if this is completely the wrong thing ten I apoligise haha

Teep; thrust kick. It's a straight kick done by cocking your leg up and thrusting it forward hitting with the ball of your feet.

Defense? Same technique to his other leg. This is one of those basic techniques that is really good because it is indeed like the jab. Not much you can do about them beside proper footwork.

Use circular movements around your opponent. If you notice, the most dominant thai boxers always occupy the center of the ring. Why? He's not strategically at an advantage. He's just slow. To align the teep properly, you sacrifice some co-ordination and balance. Imagine if your target was always going to your sides, never standing infront of you.

Use good footwork.

This is an orthodox technique I use, but I'm not sure it would work for you. As he is about to perform the teep, move right into his line of attack. If he hasn't been able to fully extend his leg, he will fall backwards. Sometimes, just walk into his line of attack before he manages to completely extend his leg and land a nice clean hook on him with your right hand.

Or you could just try and parry it like most good karate-kas. Never seen it work though.

Or as a judo-man (ME!) step slightly to the side, grab something, and go for the clinch. Don't worry if you get hit, we are hittable unlike those sissy Muay Thai guys. We love to get hit, and we are so good at it, we don't hit back. However, the floor wants to get to know you real badly :P

~Donnie out

The savate block against that kick is just to bring the elbow/forearm across and push it out slightly -- hard to describe, quite easy in practice. It's a small movement, done without dropping your hands from the standard boxer's style guard. It's little more than just a slight twist of the hips to move the elbow/forearm across the centre line of the body.

I can make it work fairly often in sparring, although not with 100% success.

I'm not sure how it'd work from the thai guard, though -- which seems to be higher with wider elbows than I see savateurs using.

Also, some of the techniques taison lists are also standard savate moves. Stepping in on the kick, moving sideways, etc.