Andy Hug facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andy Hug
Born	Andreas Hug (1964-09-07)September 7, 1964 Zurich, Switzerland
Died	August 24, 2000(2000-08-24) (aged 35) Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
Other names	The Blue-Eyed Samurai Iron Man (Tetsujin in Japanese) Mr. K-1 Typhoon
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	97.7 kg (215 lb; 15.39 st)
Division	Heavyweight
Reach	1.83 m (72 in)
Style	Kyokushinkaikan, Seidokaikan
Stance	Southpaw
Fighting out of	Lucerne, Switzerland
Team	Team Andy Hug Dojo Kamakura Hiranaka Boxing School Gym
Rank	5th degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate
Years active	1977–2000
Kickboxing record
Total	47
Wins	37
By knockout	21
Losses	9
By knockout	6
Draws	1
Other information
Spouse	Ilona Hug ​ (1993⁠–⁠2000)​
Notable students	Xhavit Bajrami Björn Bregy, Petar Majstorović Michael McDonald
Medal record Representing  Switzerland Men's Kyokushin 4 Countries Team Tournament Gold 1981 British Open Bronze London 1986 Heavyweight Dutch Open Bronze Weert 1981 Middleweight European Championships Gold Barcelona 1985 Heavyweight Bronze Katowice 1987 Heavyweight Gold Budapest 1989 Heavyweight Silver Budapest 1989 Heavyweight Ibusz Oyama Cup Gold Budapest 1982 Middleweight Gold Budapest 1985 Heavyweight Sursee Cup Gold Sursee 1988 Open Swiss Championships Gold 1982 Middleweight Gold 1984 Heavyweight Gold 1985 Heavyweight Swiss Open Gold 1985 Open Swiss Oyama Cup Gold 1979 Gold 1981 World Open Silver Tokyo 1987 Open Men's Seidokaikan World Cup Gold Osaka 1992 Open Silver Osaka 1993 Open

Andy Hug (born September 7, 1964 – died August 24, 2000) was a famous Swiss karate and kickboxing champion. He was known as one of the best heavyweight kickboxers ever. Andy was famous for his amazing kicks that most fighters couldn't do.

Even though he was often smaller than his opponents, Andy was super athletic and fast. He stood about 1.80 meters (5 feet 11 inches) tall and weighed around 98 kilograms (216 pounds). He fought with a left-handed stance, called "southpaw." His special moves included the axe kick and a cool low spinning heel kick called the "Hug Tornado."

Andy Hug became very popular in Japan because of his exciting fighting style. He started as an amateur and then became a professional star. He won many titles, including the K-1 World Grand Prix in 1996. He was even one of the highest-paid kickboxers in the world!

Sadly, Andy Hug died suddenly at age 35 from a serious illness. His death shocked the martial arts world. He is still remembered as a true legend in both kickboxing and karate.

Andy's Early Life

Andy Hug was born in Zürich, Switzerland, on September 7, 1964. His father, Arthur, was a soldier who died when Andy was very young. His mother, Madelaine, had to work and couldn't take care of him.

So, Andy spent his first three years in an orphanage. Then, his grandparents, Fridy and Herrmann Baumann, took him in. They raised Andy, his brother Charly, and sister Fabienne in Wohlen.

Discovering Karate

Andy started playing association football (soccer) when he was six. He even played for the Swiss national team for kids under 16. But he was also bullied a lot.

At ten years old, he began learning Kyokushinkai karate at a school in Wohlen. His grandfather didn't like it at first, but his grandmother saw how much Andy loved it. By age thirteen, Andy was winning many karate tournaments for beginners.

His grandparents asked him to choose between soccer and karate because they couldn't pay for both. Andy chose karate. At fifteen, he won the 1979 Swiss Oyama Cup, a national karate competition. Even though he was young, he was allowed to compete because he was so talented.

Becoming a Professional

After his big win at the Oyama Cup, Andy joined the Swiss national Kyokushin team. At seventeen, he helped start a karate school in Bremgarten.

He finished his training to become a butcher in 1984. He worked in a butchery, but he often needed time off for tournaments or had injuries. So, he left that job in 1986 to focus on his fighting career.

Andy's Fighting Career

Kyokushin Karate (1977–1991)

Andy Hug started his karate career by winning many beginner competitions. In 1977, he joined the National Team Championships. His big moment came in 1979 when he won the Swiss Oyama Cup at just fifteen. He beat many older fighters.

In 1981, Andy helped the Swiss team win the 4 Countries Team Tournament. He also won a bronze medal at the Dutch Kyokushin Championships. He won the Swiss Oyama Cup again in 1981 and the Swiss Championships in 1982.

In 1983, he won the Ibusz Oyama Cup in Hungary. In 1984, he moved up to the heavyweight class and won the Swiss nationals. He also competed in the Kyokushin World Open, a very important karate event. He made it to the final sixteen.

In 1985, Andy won the Ibusz Oyama Cup and the Swiss nationals again. He also won his first major title, the European Championships in Spain.

In 1987, Andy made history at the Kyokushin World Open. He became the first non-Japanese fighter to reach the final. He won the Sursee Cup in 1988 and became a two-time European champion in 1989.

Switching to Seidokaikan and K-1 (1992–1993)

Andy Hug was very popular in Japan because of his exciting fighting style. In 1992, he switched from Kyokushinkaikan to Seidokaikan karate. This was his step to becoming a professional fighter.

He won the 1992 Seidokaikan Karate World Cup. In 1993, he was runner-up in the same event. After this, Andy started moving into K-1 kickboxing.

He made his professional kickboxing debut in November 1993, winning by knockout. In March 1994, he had a big win against Branko Cikatić, a K-1 champion. This showed everyone he was a serious kickboxer.

Becoming a K-1 Champion (1994–1996)

Andy Hug joined his first K-1 World Grand Prix in 1994. He faced some tough challenges but kept improving. In December 1994, he won the UKF World Super Heavyweight Championship.

In 1995, he started a rivalry with Mike Bernardo, losing to him twice. But Andy didn't give up. He worked hard and came back stronger.

The year 1996 was his most successful. Andy won the K-1 World Grand Prix Championship! He beat Mike Bernardo in the final with his famous "Hug Tornado" kick. This was a huge victory for him.

He also won two more world titles that year: the WMTC and WKA World Super Heavyweight Championships. He ended 1996 with a perfect record of 8 wins and no losses.

Later Career and Coaching (1997–2000)

Andy Hug continued to be a top fighter in K-1. He reached the K-1 World Grand Prix finals two more times, in 1997 and 1998, but finished as runner-up. He also defended his WKA world title multiple times.

Around 1999, Andy started training other fighters in Switzerland. He helped new talents like Xhavit Bajrami and Michael McDonald.

In 2000, the year he passed away, Andy won all four of his fights. His last fight was a quick knockout win in Japan in July 2000. He was planning to retire from fighting and try acting.

Andy's Personal Life

Andy met his wife, Ilona, in 1987. They got married in 1993. Their son, Seya, was born in 1994.

Because Andy spent so much time fighting in Japan, it was hard for him to see his family often. He supported Ilona's dream to study art and design. She and Seya lived in the United States for two years while she studied, then returned to Switzerland.

Andy's Passing

In early August 2000, Andy Hug started feeling very unwell in Switzerland. He had a high fever and nosebleeds. Doctors couldn't find anything wrong at first.

Even though he was sick, Andy traveled to Japan on August 14 to train. On August 17, doctors found a serious tumor and diagnosed him with acute leukemia, a type of cancer. He started treatment right away.

Sadly, Andy's condition worsened quickly. He had bleeding in his brain and lung problems. On August 23, he fell into a coma. His heart stopped several times.

On August 24, 2000, Andy Hug passed away at 4:21 pm in Tokyo, Japan. He was just 35 years old, two weeks before his 36th birthday.

His sudden death shocked everyone in the martial arts world. News of his passing was broadcast live in Japan. Many fighters and fans were very sad.

Andy's funeral was held on August 27 in Tokyo. Thousands of people, including famous fighters and the Swiss President, came to say goodbye. His ashes were placed in a temple in Kyoto.

Championships and Awards

Images for kids

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  Gold Medal

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  Bronze Medal

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  Silver Medal

See also

In Spanish: Andy Hug para niños