Day: January 8, 2013

A young Russian student Anastasia Yankova is taking the world of women’s kickboxing by storm. Many fighters have trained at the Moscow Boxing Academy, from Denis Lebedev to Batu Hasikov. And one of the latest is the Russian Thai boxing champion. The 21-year-old is a student by day and a fighter by night. Appearances can be deceptive, especially with Anastasia Yankova. Yankova studies fashion design, psychology, and loves to draw and read. But when she gets into the ring, she becomes a fierce fighter not to be reckoned with. Crowned Russian Thai boxing champion in March 2011, Anastasia came to the sport after eight years of karate and fell in love with a discipline held as one of the most aggressive martial arts — much to the horror of her mum. “My mother didn’t take it very well at first. She was relieved when I stopped fighting, that there was no more karate. And then I started all over again. But she’s fine with it now and will come to my fights.” Aside from her passion for martial arts, Yankova’s love of fine art led her to design her own tattoo — a dragon, which she believes symbolizes and inspires her as a fighter. And, so far, she has won all three of her W5 professional fights, though she also attributes her success to her interest in psychology. “There’s more to sport than just the body. It’s mostly about what’s inside you. And winning is about 50% your physical shape and 50% what’s in your head. There are many good sportsmen who, once in the ring, start feeling …