Thai martial arts Muay Thai fighter Ayaka Miyauchi of Japan training at her gym in Tokyo. Ayaka Miyauchi, a former dentist’s assistant who goes by her fighting name “Little Tiger,” has captured six world titles in Muay Thai but insists the true mark of a champion is how they behave outside of the ring. AFP PHOTO
TOKYO: A pint-sized Japanese woman with a humble, Zen-like philosophy is taking kickboxing by storm, battering rivals to become a world champion in the violent Thai martial art.