Mzansi fighters to rumble in Japan!

KARATEKAS are set to fly Mzansi's flag high in Japan.

Three karate legends Shihan Peter "Poison" Thage, Shihan Zamile Hector Sinuka and Jonathan Johnson will head to Japan on Wednesday, 19 February, to participate in a karate tournament.

The tournament will be held from Friday, 21 to Sunday, 23 February at various venues in Japan.

Sinuka from Eastern Cape, graded fifth Dan in 2019, and will once again look to showcase his karate skills within the Tezuka Karate Organisation.

Sinuka, affectionally known as Tallman of Kyokushinkai Karate Tezuka Group, said the trip to Japan marks a major event in his development.

"This time I'll be grading for a sixth Dan black belt. It's a great evaluation that demands fitness and accuracy in techniques.

"I'll also take part in the veterans' fighting and Kat's competition. The world tournament will be different from the previous ones that I attended in 2012 and 2019," said Sinuka.

Sensei Johnson from Bloemfontein, known as Crying Warrior, is ranked fourth Dan black belt and will be going for his fifth Dan gradings.

Johnson said it's an honour to travel to Japan and represent Mzansi.

"It'll be great to showcase South African talent, reminding people that karate is a lifelong journey and not limited by age. Karate is not a sport but a lifestyle.

"This opportunity is also a chance to prove the strength of full contact karate because not many people experience the true power of karate," said Johnson.

He shared his memories of one of his fights and how he got overwhelmed when he knocked an opponent out, not knowing if the person would recover.

"I had a bad experience in Italy in 2010, where my opponent never woke up in a Mauy Thai fight. Since then, it's painful to see a guy go down," said Johnson.

Thage said he will be among the top referees at the tournament.

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"I'm grateful to be selected to serve karate international. This is not the first time I'll be a referee in such a prestigious tournament.

"I was bestowed with the same honour in 2019 to be an official in one of the tournaments in Japan. I thank God for the talent he gave me to promote karate in Mzansi and be recognised internationally," said Thage.