TOKYO (Reuters) - When Ariel Torres was 11, he stood with a collection jar at a traffic light, day in and day out, striking karate poses as his father stood next to him holding a sign that read 'Donations for Karate Competition'.

His family, who left Cuba for the United States when Torres was four, couldn't afford the trip to the national karate championships that he wanted to compete in. But Torres's parents didn't want to disappoint their son, who never asked for much knowing that money was tight.