August 2, 2005
By Ndaba Dlamini
MTHOBISI Buthelezi looks bigger and tougher than his age. At just 18 he is already the unbeaten Junior Kickboxing Champion of South Africa, and he looks set to cause a stir in the senior ranks.
Buthelezi is a product of the Diepsloot Gym, a humble affair set deep in the poverty-stricken township north of Johannesburg. Mark Hey of Ultimate Strike Fighting manages the careers of Buthelezi and other youngsters - all regular trainers at the gym - who wish to make careers out of kickboxing.
"One can never believe that these fine young men are from a township like Diepsloot. They have defied all odds to become what they are today because of sheer dedication and a will to succeed in the sport," he says.
In September 2001 Hey filled the gym with a range of weight lifting machines and free weights. The building is too small for its purpose but, sadly, there are no other suitable structures available in Diepsloot to accommodate the equipment, Hey says.
Despite the cramped space, Buthelezi is a regular at the gym. As soon as school is out for the day, he stops off for a work out.
Working out
"I train for two hours everyday except on Wednesdays, when I have to go to Cresta for kickboxing lessons. I always give time for my studies after working out."
Muay Thai
Buthelezi, still in his Iterele-Zenzele High School uniform, is in Standard 8 and says he has been kickboxing for the past five years. He has a belt in kickboxing and Muay Thai, a form of the sport.
Recently 18, Buthelezi is now a senior, and in his first senior fight he won the South African Pro Am Thai Boxing title. He plans to compete in the South African national championships in George at the end of September, where he hopes to complete his set of amateur and Pro Am honours before turning professional in October.
In addition, Hey is trying to raise sponsorship to take Buthelezi to the World Association Kickboxing Organisations (Wako) world championships in Hungary in November.
"We received a personal invitation from the Wako chairman for Africa. I am currently negotiating to take him to fight in Japan and Europe next year and to make sure that when he finishes school he will become a full time, professional fighter," Hey says proudly.
Mxolisi Justice Zazela
Other up-and-coming young kickboxers from Diepsloot Gym are 18-year-old Mxolisi Justice Zazela, 16-year-old Siboniso Twala and 14-year-old Nkosinathi "Little Tyson" Ximba.
Zazela is a professional prospect also aiming to fight overseas next year. He is a sturdy young man who helps build houses in Diepsloot to make a living. His hands and feet covered in cement, he seems a fearsome figure to face in a kickboxing ring.
"I started kickboxing in 2002. Actually, I came to play the sport accidentally since I used to frequent the gym just to keep fit. I started to enjoy the sport when Sipho Moloi, the gym manager, encouraged me to do kickboxing. It was a relief because I wasn't working and it kept me off the streets," Zazela says.
His kickboxing hero is Buakaw Por.Puramuk, the kickboxing champion from Thailand. So far Zazela has fought four fights, winning three, and he hopes to fight in the K-1 championships, the ultimate kickboxing world championships.
Winnings
"If all goes well, these young men will be filthy rich," Hey says. "Purse monies in overseas fights reach upwards of R250 000 per fight. We hope to make some new South African millionaires in the next few years.
"Through the capable hands of kickboxing coach Mladin Bobic from Serbia, we want to ensure that our guys can compete with the world's best."
Apart from kickboxing, the gym offers training in bodybuilding, Thai boxing and wrestling. Fitness classes for women were recently added.
The Martial Arts Authority of South Africa recently applied for a share of the national lottery money set aside for sports development.
"We are pleased to say that Diepsloot Gym will be given priority ... if they are successful. This will allow the funding of a new and much larger structure for training and more new equipment," Hey says.
He is also actively looking for a building in or close to Alexandra township to set up a second development academy.
For more information on Diepsloot Gym, contact Mark Hey on 073 168 3360.
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