Robert Brizel Kickboxing Historical: Remembering Andi Hug, Blue-Eyed Samurai of K-1
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
In today’s world boxing and Mixed Martial Arts remain sky-high popular. The K-1 boxing circuit still exists. K-1 began in 1993 as a representation of karate, kickboxing, and kung fu. K-1 started in 1980 as Seidokaikan Karate by Kazuyoyoshi Ishii, and its premise was based on the old Kyokushin Kai karate knockdown rules. K-1 gradually changed its rules structure towards kickboxing as an independent organization separate from Seidokaikan.
Known as the ‘Blue-Eyed Samurai’ the late Swiss heavyweight kickboxing and martial artist Andi Hug (1964-2000) rose up from obscurity to achieve Kyokushin Kai Karate fifth degree karate master, then switched to Seidokaikan in 1993 which became K-1 where Andi eventually became the K-1 World Champion in 1996. In Kyokushin Kai Karate, Hug was not allowed to punch. Hug moved on, based on the Bruce Lee philosophy to ‘avoid the classical mess.’ He wanted to improve and develop as a fighter, and moved into K-1 where his martial arts skills would continue to rise until his untimely death. Watching Andy’s improvement from his Kyokushin Kai 1987 world open championship final match against the Korean Kyokuhin Kai martial arts grandmaster Moon Jang-gyu (Shokei Matsui), up to his victory in the K-1 1996 World Grand Prix championship under Muay Thai rules, showed the rise in Andi’s ability. Andy was runner up in the Grand Prix in 1997 and 1998.
Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Andi, his brother and sister were raised by his grandparents in Wohlen, Switzerland. Andi spoke German, Swiss-German, French and Italian. An apprentice butcher who liked football, at 5’11” and 216, Andi was small compared to modern martial artists. Andi compensated for his lack of size with spectacular athleticism, balance and speed. A kickboxing southpaw, Andi’s trademark kicks included the straight up in the air axe kick, and his legendary a low spinning heel targeting his opponents’ thighs called ‘The Hug Tornado’. Andy’s K-1 career record was 37 wins, nine losses and one draw, with 21 knockouts. Andi constantly worked to improve, as his talented opponents figured out the range of his abilities, forcing Andi to train harder and better, and to constantly bring himself to higher and higher levels of performance in the kickboxing arena. Andi Hug was the big draw in his time, the major catalyst which inspired MMA and the martial arts tournaments and competitions of today which followed his legacy.
Andi was still fighting and training fighters in 2000, and planning on going into the acting profession, when Andy suffered 39 attacks of high fever and nosebleeds in August 2000. A malignant tumor on the left side of Hug’s neck. With a diagnosis of leukemia and a treatment of chemotherapy prescribed. Under chemotherapy, Hug suffered a brain hemorrhage, and inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia), combined with extreme fever. His body showed all the signs of acute leukemia: purple spots, digestion pipe bleeding, eyeball and urinary tract bleeding, and worse. His condition worsened on August 23, 2000, at Nippon Medical School Hospital in Tokyo, Japan. Andy had difficulty breathing that morning. By afternoon, Andy had fallen into a coma, and was placed on life support. While in a coma, Andy’s heart stopped three times, but doctors were able to regain his pulse. When his heart stopped a fourth time, complicated by multiple organ failure, doctors decided against reviving him, and let him pass away. Andi Hug was pronounced dead at 4:21 P.M., on August 24, 2000, two weeks short of his thirty-sixth birthday.
Andi was cremated, and his were ashes deposited in the cemetery of the Hoshun-In Temple in Kyoto, Japan. A fighting legend in Japan, Hug’s shrine is a known pilgrimage for many top martial artists who visit Japan. Andy had divorced his wife Ilona in July 2000 only a month before his death and was survived by his son Siya Hug, a professional actor today, who also holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Andi’s wife, Swiss sculptor and art-designer Ilona Hug, wrote a book about her experiences with Andi, entitled ‘Andi Hug-Der Taifun’, which was never translated into English.
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