“I used to imitate techniques from a manga” – ‘Wondergirl’ says she learned a ton of fighting methods from anime and manga

In the early 2000s, some of the best martial arts and combat sports-related manga-turned-anime took over the airwaves with the likes of the boxing-centric Hajime no Ippo, Baki the Grappler and the ever-popular Dragon Ball Z leading the charge.

As such, many kids growing up in that era have taken to heart what they saw in the manga and the anime, with some of them citing that as their inspiration to be a combat sports athlete.

ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai and MMA star Nat Jaroonsak counts herself among those kids.

Born in 1999, ‘Wondergirl’ translated her hours watching anime into a successful combat sports career with notable wins including that of her first-round knockout of Brooke Farrell and stellar submission of Zeba Bano in her MMA debut.

Speaking with ONE Championship, Jaroonsak revealed just how influential her love for anime was to her ultimately becoming one of combat sports’ blue-chip prospects:

“But some information is good. When I was a kid, I used to imitate techniques from manga. By wrapping a cloth around one hand and holding the head with the other to practice punching without letting your guard drop.”

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‘Wondergirl’ returns to Muay Thai for ONE Fight Night 19 showcase

On Friday, February 16, Jaroonsak will step into the ONE Circle against the debuting Martyna Kierczynska after original opponent Dayane Cardoso pulled out due to undisclosed reasons.

The gold medal-winning Polish fighter is no less dangerous an opponent for ‘Wondergirl’ and her decision to call upon the help of Muay Thai coach Trainer Gae prior to Cardoso’s withdrawal will still greatly translate to a strong showing against Kierczynska

ONE Fight Night 19 emanates from the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.