Tackling Criminals

DECIDING which direction to run in, criminals fleeing the long arm of the law tend to avoid running toward Constable Khosi Mthethwa’s burly male partner, and take their chances with her instead.

They realise, only when it is too late, that underestimating Khosi’s strength is a big mistake.
The 34-year-old karateka / kick-boxer has been ranked among the top martial artists in the country, and came second in her category at the ‘Last Fighter Standing’ mixed martial arts competition, SA Championships, in Cape

Town two weeks ago. It is likely that Khosi might have won the match had she not lost points for head-butting her opponent.

“It was tough for me to adapt from doing karate and kick-boxing to competing in mixed martial arts. The rules are different and mixed martial arts is more like wrestling. You use your elbows and knees more, and I wasn’t used to that,” admits Khosi. “It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you have the camera’s facing you, the loud music blaring, and people calling your name. Even though I feel panic, I have to go in there looking like a confident warrior.”

Khosi trains as a member of the AbaQulusi Kyokushin Karate Club, and prior to joining the Crime Intelligence Unit of the SAPS four years ago, she competed in martial arts competitions as a full-time professional. “Being a police officer gives me the opportunity to use my skills to help the community,” she said.

“I started practising mixed martial arts as a teen, when a school friend of mine convinced me to take up the sport. My first real fight was in Empangeni and I was so nervous, I called my mother on the phone for encouragement.
“She was in church at the time and she said not to worry and that she would pray for me.
“I won that fight even though it was my first time in the ring. After that, I knew I had found my passion,” Khosi continued.

In Khosi’s experience, all pre-conceived notions about gender inequality are cast off while training as a karateka or kick-boxer. “In training, you can forget getting special treatment just because you are a woman. Your training regimen is exactly the same if you are a man or a woman. You become accustomed to difficult punches and manoeuvres when you need to fight a man. It makes fighting in competitions easier,” she explained.

The skills Khosi has developed through her martial arts training have helped her in other areas of her life. “As a karateka you have to be focussed, and I find that I am better able to stay focussed on my goals. Being karateka also helps boost my confidence. Others might underestimate me but I know what I am capable of.”

Khosi would like to thank her mum, Sibusisiwe Mthethwa, her girlfriend, Khululiwe Zikhali, and her trainers, AbaQulusi Kyokushion Karate and Jungle Warrior Kickboxing for their support, as well as thAbaQulusi municipalityfor sponsoring a training kit.

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