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Andy
Hug Pictures
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In
loving memory of Andy Hug
by
Oliver Sperling
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Dear Fans
I think that you
will be shocked when you will hear in what state of health
I am. When the doctor told me about it, it was an enormous
shock even for myself. But I want to inform you about my
state of health so that I can fight together with you against
this illness. This illness is the most severe opponent of
all my fights. But I will win. As if I would stand in the
ring I will get power from your cheers and beat this strong
opponent. Unfortunately I will not be able to fight at the
tournament in October. I will fight against this illness
in Japan and one day I will appear again with you. Let's
keep it up!
Greetings
Andy Hug
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Andy Hug
(1964-2000)
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Andy Hug was born
on 7th September 1964 in the small village of Wohlen in Switzerland.
Because his mother was unable to care for him, Andy was immediately
given up for adoption. Andy Hug spent the first years of his
life in an orphanage, until his grandmother took over his
care at the age of three years old. It
has been said that Andy's home situation brought on mocking
and bullying from his classmates. When a friend of Andy
introduced to him the local Karate dojo (he was only 10
years old at the time) Andy began taking karate lessons
so he could fight back. Andy quickly became so good that
the Swiss Karate Federation bent the rules to allow the
teenaged sensation to compete with adults for the All Switzerland
Karate Championship. Andy won the tournament easily!
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| Andy was only
19 years old when he fought in Japan for the first
time, at the Kyokushin 3rd World Open Tournament in 1983.
Andy was a newcomer and a young talent, and he impressed
the whole world with his unique fighting skills and technique.
Four years later, at the 4th Kyokushin World Open in 1987,
Andy made it to the finale by easily defeating big fighters
like Masuda from Japan and Ademir da Costa from Brazil -
both of whom have passed the ultimate test in Kyokushin,
the 100 men kumite.
The 4th World
Open finale was a fight against the two best technical fighters
ever in the history of Kyokushin: Matsui and Andy. It was
the first time ever that a non-Japanese fighter was in a
World Open finale, and today Kyokushin karate-ka and fight
lovers around the world still talk about the big finale,
and about the outcome and the result. But no matter the
result, Andy opened a new area for European and western
fighters, and showed the world that by hard training and
true skills, anybody can become a champion. To a lot of
people, Andy was the true winner of the finale, and should
have been the champion of the 4th World Open Tournament.
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One year later, on
17th September 1988, a special Kyokushin karate event was
held in Sursee in Switzerland. It was the 1st International
Super-Cup, which had been organized by the Swiss Karate Association.
Kyokushin competitors from Japan, Great Britain, Netherlands,
Hungary, Germany and Spain fought in the tournament. Before
the vice-world champion, Andy Hug was to fight against Kenji
Midori from Japan in the finale (Kenji Midori became the 5th
Kyokushin World Open Champion in 1991); Andy defeated Siegfried
Elson from the Netherlands in the semi-finale. The most exciting
fight of the evening was undeniably the finale between Andy
Hug and Kenji Midori. After two extension rounds, Andy Hug
was declared as the winner of the fight and the Tournament.
In 1989, Andy Hug became Kyokushin European Champion in the
Heavyweight Division for the second time. Andy was a superior
European champion, and he was so popular that he traveled
around the countries of Europe as a special guest instructor
at Kyokushin summer camps to teach the art of knock down karate.
Before Andy Hug left Kyokushin karate in 1992, to fight for
Seidokaikan Karate and in the K-1, he fought against the best
fighters and the biggest names in the history of Kyokushin,
and only losing very few fights. Even though it has been more
than 8 years since Andy Hug has left the Kyokushin karate
organization, Andy is still remembered and respected as a
superstar and idol for many Kyokushin members - as the true
champion that he was in more than a decade in Japan and around
the world. |
The same year
Andy Hug left the Kyokushin organization, he became World
Open Champion in Seido karate, by winning the finale against
Taiei Kin on 5-0 judge decision. One year later, in 1993,
Andy was again in the finale in the Seido World Cup, by wining
on TKO against the famous fighter Nobukai Kakuda in the opening
rounds. The finale was a fight against the Japanese champion
Masaaki Satake. It was a finale where Andy Hug controlled
the fight from start to finish! Andy even hit Satake in the
face with his famous axe kick so hard that Satake went down.
But fighting against the national hero and champion, Andy
was fighting against uneven odds, and he lost the fight and
the finale on tameshiwari after three extension rounds. But
he won the heart of the Japanese people, and got the nickname:
The samurai with blue eyes.
It was also in 1993 that Andy Hug started his K-1 career.
On 5th November 1993, Andy got his debut in the K-1 against
Ryuji Murakami, a fight that Andy won by TKO in the first
round, after he knocked out Ryuji three times in only 50 seconds.
Andy Hug became a superstar from Hokkaido to Okinawa. But
it was not only his famous axe-kick, super strength and his
sublime technique that made him the people choice, it was
his spirit and warmth that earned him the deep respect of
his opponents and the deep love of his fans.
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In Japan Andy Hug
received the title of "Samurai" which is a distinction of
great honor. Kancho Ishii, the promoter of the K-1 in Japan
tells: "The reason why the people in Japan like Andy so much
is because he owns something that the Japanese respects: a
big heart, generosity, strength and a will of iron."
Since Andy Hug was as a young boy, he was inspired from the
"Rocky" movie to train passionately in his quest to become
a World Champion. Andy became a champion - many times. Andy
did take on the world, working through Kyokushin and Seidokaikan
karate. In 1996, Andy Hug's determination netted him the title
of the best martial arts fighter in the world. But before
he became K-1 champion in 1996, and K-1 finalist in 1997 and
1998, Andy also won the UKF World Super Heavyweight Champion,
WMTC World Super Heavyweight Champion, WKA World & European
Muay Thai Super & Heavyweight Champion. Andy
was in Japan when he collapsed, and was taken to the Nippon
Medical School Hospital for further tests and medical examination.
Andy's personal physician found a swelling tumor on the
left side of his neck, and that was when doctors realized
he was suffering from Leukemia. Treatment began immediately,
including chemotherapy. Andy knew that he was seriously
ill, and so he contacted his wife Ilona by phone, to tell
her the scarring news about his health and his condition.
Andy told Ilona that he will not return to Switzerland,
but that he would stay in Japan. Andy said: Japan is my
home, and here I will stay and fight the illness.
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| On 21st
August at 9 a.m. Kancho Ishii visited Andy Hug at the Nippon
Medical School Hospital. According to Kancho Ishii, they talked
about the K-1 tournament in Yokohama on the 20th of August,
where Andy's friend Francisco Filho won. Andy also told Ishii
that if he should die soon, he would like to die in Japan.
Thursday on 24th
August, at 18:21 - Andy Hug dies at the age of only 35 years
old. According to Japanese TV, Andy's heart stopped three
times, but somehow the doctors managed to get his pulse
back again. But the fourth time Andy's heart stopped, the
doctors no longer tried to bring Andy back to life, and
let Andy sleep peacefully into the death - and the fight
ended when the doctors stopped.
There are precious
few heroes in this world, and we were privileged to come
to know a very special one in our beloved Andy. He was only
a few weeks short of his 36th birthday, when he suddenly
died. Shihan Andy Hug will be sorely missed by many, not
only in the martial arts community. My deepest condolence
is offered to Andy Hug's family and friends.
Osu!
Oliver Sperling. |
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