‘Built Brick By Brick’ – The Evolution Of Jonathan Haggerty’s Unstoppable Teep
Few weapons in martial arts are as consistently punishing as the teep of reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty. While elite opponents have meticulously studied it, obsessively prepared for it, and stepped into the ring believing they were ready, the absolute best in the business still struggle to solve this devastating puzzle.
The 29-year-old English superstar will put his 26 pounds of gold on the line against Japanese challenger and former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza at ONE SAMURAI 1. Broadcasting live from Tokyo’s legendary Ariake Arena on Wednesday, April 29, Haggerty will undoubtedly pack his trademark tool for one of the most hotly anticipated fight cards of the year.
The push kick has served as the foundation of Haggerty’s game from day one. His spectacular ONE Championship debut against Joseph Lasiri in January 2019 was built entirely around it, utilizing straight, stiff push kicks that the Italian striker simply found no answer for across the duration of the bout.
Just months later, those exact same kicks helped him orchestrate a massive upset to dismantle the legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title, permanently breaking the Thai veteran’s rhythm before it could even build.
“The General” explained where it all began:
“My teeps were just part of my game from a very young age. I was building that technique from the very beginning. I was quite tall for my weight category growing up through the ranks in the UK, and using the teep was quite effective.
“So I just continued building it brick by brick. Why stop if it’s working, you know? I just kept building what works, really.”
Height provided the initial advantage. Standing at a towering 5-foot-7 for his early weight classes, Haggerty consistently utilized his reach to make opponents intensely uncomfortable long before they could find their striking range.
The teep ultimately gave him a way to weaponize that physical edge, doubling brilliantly as a range-finder and a damaging scoring shot simultaneously. Over time, what began as a highly practical solution evolved into something far more sophisticated and incredibly dangerous.
Across his nine wins on the global stage, the teep has factored heavily into virtually every single significant victory.
In his most recent outing against “Demon Blade” Wei Rui at ONE 171: Qatar, that front kick arrived consistently whenever the Chinese kickboxing star attempted to close the distance, violently resetting the exchange before it even began.
The pattern remains painfully familiar to anyone who has studied Haggerty closely. The exact moment an opponent tries to load up a heavy shot, “The General’s” foot is already on its way to their midsection.
When asked to identify the specific fights that crystallized just how formidable the weapon had become, the Londoner was clear.
He added:
“I think from my fights with Rodtang and Sam-A. Throughout my whole career, I’ve always had a great teep and used it effectively, but in those fights, the teeps were just working.
“From then on, it was something I’d always put focus on during training. And, yeah, I’ve just been continuously working on it to make it as dangerous as ever.”
Stepping into his next World Title defense on the inaugural edition of ONE SAMURAI — the organization’s landmark new monthly series in Japan — the teep will undoubtedly be front and center once again.
Yoza is a relentlessly forward-moving striker who is at his absolute most dangerous when he slips into the pocket and lets his rapid-fire combinations fly. However, the Knowlesy Academy and Team Underground superstar firmly believes his signature weapon will have plenty to say about that aggressive strategy.
Haggerty told ONE:
“As you guys have seen, I’ve never stopped using them. It continues to work, and against someone like Yuki, who really loves getting in range, he’ll be feeling the full force of it in Japan.
“Those teeps will be there from start to finish. On his face, the body, and maybe everywhere else I can hit him with it.”
Secrets Of The Teep, Straight From The Source
Most professional fighters can easily describe what the teep does, but far fewer can accurately articulate what makes their specific variation different. Jonathan Haggerty can, and the answer is surprisingly much less complicated than martial arts purists might expect.
The teep that has repeatedly raised unsolvable problems for elite opponents across multiple World Title fights isn’t merely a range-finder built on leg length. Instead, it operates as a primary attacking weapon, deployed in the exact same calculated, purposeful way a master boxer deploys a stiff jab.
The Englishman shared:
“Honestly, it’s just the timing. Knowing when to throw it and not just wasting it by throwing it randomly. It’s straightforward, and I guess that’s what I love about it. The simplicity of throwing it and the timing, which helps with it being accurate.”
That elite precision is the true difference-maker. While most push kicks at the World Championship level are utilized to manage distance — acting as reactive, defensive tools designed to reset the action — Haggerty’s approach is entirely offensive.
He views his front kick as a battering ram, thrown with the same venom and timing as a lead punch, crashing into the target the exact microsecond an opponent commits to entering his airspace. When asked whether any past opponent has ever come close to finding a legitimate answer for it, Haggerty remains characteristically guarded.
Knowing the footage exists and the fight is on public record, the reigning king has absolutely no intention of handing future challengers a free blueprint to his throne:
“I’m not going to give that away — if this goes out, people will go back and watch that fight and try to use it. So we’ll keep that one.”
However, for any young martial artist looking to develop a devastating teep of their own, Haggerty is an open book.
Having spent years forging his push kick into one of the most widely feared weapons in combat sports, the British icon has absolutely no hesitation sharing exactly where the mechanics begin.
While the subtle secrets of timing and anticipation only come with years of hard-earned ring experience, the technical foundation is something any practitioner can start building from day one:
“First, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got your footwork right. Don’t work on something if the basics are off. Build those leg muscles up, build the flexibility behind those push kicks.
“Also, you’ve got to have a good base on your back leg. A really good balance, and solid hip movement. The teeps will get better naturally with more hours put into it.”
