@j123
For the teep, are you talking about the basic rear leg one, or the front foot teep? Or is it the same to you as a counter?
Personally, I wont recommend the rear teep. If you can pull it off, it work wonders, but usually it's very risky. Since your front planted leg is the one been attacked, if you don't make contact first, but at the same time, your strike will loose all power. And your opponent's not as much. Meaning your straightened leg will absorb a full low... that's the worst scenario.
He has to be able the read the strike, and counter first with a clear difference in timing... Hard to pull.
Now for the front teep, my opinion it's that's a lot better for countering the low.
First, it's a lot faster. But most importantly, you are moving the target out of the way. And the first part of the move is the same as a check (without the outward angle). Meaning that even if you mess the timing, you'll have raised the leg and still be able to defend the low. Even if it's not an ideal check, it's a lot better than taking the full blast on the planted leg of a rear teep...
For the OP, from a MT point of view.
3 different situation. Defense, counter, respond...
-Best defense is the check... No way around it.
-Best counter is the front teep.
-Best response it's a bit more complicated.
If you eat it raw, you should, if possible, throw immediately a low kick of your own (at least at the same intensity) to get back the point you just lost. The problem is that most experienced fighter are aware of the "mirror" strikes (the same strike you throw just after you got tagged), so they will expect it. Anyway, a good clean retaliation is necessarily, for 2 reasons. One is, like a said, for the judges. It's very important to get back immediately a point lost. Second is for the psychology of your opponent. Make him pay for every clean strike he gets... He should be worried for a retaliation for any strike he lands.
If you check it, then you should use that check to step in and to use a rear strike. A good round house, or if closer, a rear knee or elbow. If you don't step in and still in a long distance, the rear teep is now a good strike to throw.
You are probably asking for MMA, but my answer is from MT... Then again, any question worth answering in life, has a MT explanation...