A tribute to Andy Hug - RIP

 

live your dreams. andy showed it to us how we should do it ... and remember, life is too (very) short to waste!

by pam.

 

*september 7th, 1964, + august 24th, 2000

i feel like I lost a friend. one of the greatest fighter ever has died on August, 24th 2000 in tokyo because of leukemia. the swiss rocky, the samurai with the blue eyes, Andy Hug.

Andy wasn't only a great fighter, he was also a great and unique person. he was the best ambassador for switzerland in asia, maybe even in the whole world. Andy Hug is next to heidi the most famous connection to switzerland in japan.

especially the japanese love him a lot because he might have been more japanese than anybody else. he had those virtues which aren't very common anymore, even in japan, the land of the samurais. his courteous and modest appearance in- and outside of the ring, his iron will and great discipline correspond perfectly with the asian martial arts philosophy. Andy's popularity in japan was so unique. they even called him samurai (with the blue eyes), which might be by far the biggest "award" a foreigner can get in japan.

although, he's a super star, he stayed with both feet on earth. he's a man of the common people. there wasn't a demand for an autograph he denied, never, he's always been there for his fans. he didn't have a star affectation at all!

 

a short biography:

 at the age of ten he started to practice karate.

he was grown up by his grandmother in wohlen, switzerland. people didn't take him for serious, especially after he saw the movie rocky with sylvester stallone and Andy said he would going to be a super star, the world champion in karate one day, people laughed about him even more. he wanted to make the rocky story come true ...

he practiced hard, he even lost his job but nothing could stop him. he couldn't earn money in switzerland with fighting. he went to japan and made his dream come true.

at the age of 23 he was runner up (2nd) in full-contact karate. in the same year, 1987, he became european champion in full-contact karate.

his biggest achievements in fighting:

in kyokushinkai-full-contact karate heavy weight:

1987: runner up world championship and european champion

1989: european champion

1991: runner up european championship and in the top eight at the world championships

1992: full-contact karate world champion

in 1992 he became a professional fighter and won the following titles:

WMTC Super Heavy Weight World Champion

UKF Super Heavy Weight World Champion

WKA-Mua-Thay Super Heavy Weight World Champion

 

he defended those titles until his sudden death in August, 2000.

his biggest success was in 1996, when he was the K1-Grand-Prix-Champion and in 1997 and 1998 he was runner up too.

the K1-Grand-Prix is held once a year in japan. the worlds best eight full-contact fighters fight against each other in quarter, semi and final at only one day. this is the greatest title a fighter ever can win. it's like the Grand Slam in tennis. k-1 is a mix among thai-boxing, full-contact karate, kickboxing etc.

his K-1 record of 39 fights: 29 wins of which are 17 KO's, 8 loses, 2 draws

Andy was famous for his own "Andy-Kick": his leg went up straight and smashed down on the opponents neck. not only great to watch but also very effective ...

the widely feared Andy kick

however, Andy wasn't only a great, fair fighter, he was also a real great person. it was said that he's the most popular foreigner in japan. japanese loved him and he loved japan as his second home country. there's a story about a handicapped japanese child who couldn't speak since it was born. his only wish was to meet Andy, his big idol, one day. Andy made his dream come true and the child said the first word ever in its life: "Andy". his parents couldn't stop crying. there was a camera too and I saw it on TV. it was so emotional, everybody there had to cry and even I in front of the TV was close to tears.

Andy was a very popular fighter among spectators because he had a very attractive style - especially using his legs very often

Andy was a super star already before he was famous in switzerland. he came back to switzerland to defend his titles against other great fighters once a year since 1995. very soon, he became as popular in switzerland as in japan. he won all fights in switzerland including his last one in june, 2000. I was there in Zurich in june 2000 and saw him fight. he said that it was his last fight in switzerland and would only keep fighting till the end of the year (some more fights in japan and the K-1-GP finale). I have to confess, I'm not crazy about fighting but Andy's different. he was like a modern william tell. a fighter with a brave and honest heart. I told myself, I'm going to meet him one day. I wanted to know him more personally. now, I still say - and I'm very sure about that - I'll meet him one day but I have to be patient.

he's my idol. he showed us that you can make your dreams come true if you keep believing in yourself and work hard. don't dream your life, live your dreams!

I set the swiss flag on half mast for Andy on the day of his death and the next following week.

 

Andy left his wife Ilona and his 5 year old son Seya in switzerland.

Andy, I know you're now next to the greatest fighter in heaven, we are with you and please stay with us. help us to go on, work hard so that our dreams will come true one day too.

Ilona and Seya, we are with you and Andy is with us too!

Andy, we see you !!!

Sayonara, Andy san.

Andy's grave is in japan. it was his great wish to be buried in japan, the country which admired him most.

 

© 2002 by pam.productions for its biggest idol: Andy.