'Little Tiger' of Japan treads samurai path to Muay Thai fame

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.

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 the ring.