Mayor Karen Bass unleashes tough talk with Nithya Raman ‘bow before you kill’

Apparently Mayor Karen Bass has some fighting skills.

Bass held an event for her reeclection kickoff in Lemiert Park over the weekend and was quizzed about her thoughts on Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s surprise entry into the Mayor’s race.

Bass touted her two brown belts in karate, which really impressed the crowd, and stated she sometimes gets a bad rap for being “too nice.” Bass added her training has made her ready to fight … and said one valuable lesson stuck with her through her karate years, “bow before you kill.”

The line drew applause at the event — and immediate attention online as clips from her statement spread far beyond the immediate crowd.

Bass and Raman have a long political alliance, working closely since Raman arrived at City Hall.

The mayor also threw her political weight behind Raman in the past, helping elevate the councilmember’s profile and legitimacy within Democratic power circles.

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Bass acknowledged at the kickoff that Raman’s late entry into the race surprised her, noting the councilwoman “had been one of my strong allies.” Now the two are locked in a high-stakes contest that could fracture the city’s progressive base and force labor groups, donors and activists to pick sides.

Both candidates enter the race with more similarities than not. Bass, a former U.S. congresswoman and state Assembly speaker, retains deep institutional support and name recognition. Raman, who built her reputation as a grassroots organizer before toppling an incumbent in 2020, commands a loyal activist network and national progressive backing.

Their overlap in ideology — combined with differing approaches to homelessness, policing and development — sets the stage for a campaign likely to be fought less on party lines than on competing visions of how to govern Los Angeles.

The California Post reached out to the mayor’s office for additional context on the remarks but had not received a response by publication time.