In attempting to write about the late great Andy Hug shortly after the third anniversary of his untimely death, I decided to watch as many of his fights as possible, somewhat chronologically. At only 5'11"/180cm and 216lbs/98Kilos, Andy Hug had to overcome a considerable physical disadvantage of both height and weight over most K-1 heavyweights, who are really super-heavyweights. But this is what made Andy a living legend in Japan and around the world. It was his dedication and perseverance, which gave this "gaijin," such monumental samurai stature in the very land of the samurais. He didn't just want to be a big fish in a little Swiss pond, so instead he chose the largest body of water possible for MA, Japan. He dove straight into the heart and soul of fighting arts and sports. It was his migration to this fascinating and distant world, which makes him such an inspiration to fighters everywhere, as well as to any individual who believes in pursuing their dreams. It was also that very human quality of vulnerability, which makes him such a role model to all of us less than perfect individuals. In the end, this Swiss/German's heart is Japanese, and it was pure with discipline, earning him everyone’s respect even after it stopped beating.

Andy Hug was born in a small Swiss village named Wohlen, on September 7, 1964. But this would be the birth of a tragic hero, as his mother couldn't afford to raise him, and put him up for adoption. Andy grew up in an orphanage the first three years of his life, and was then adopted by his Grandmother. He began Karate at the age of ten when a friend turned him on to it at a local dojo. By age thirteen, he had discovered "Queen" and then became the youngest All-Switzerland Karate Open Champion. They had to bend the rules to allow this very young up and coming star to compete with adults.

Andy began participating in world wide events and eventually found a second home in Japan, where he found many opportunities to refine his dialogue, sharpen his phrasing, and fight. He already had a name for himself as the open weight "1987 World Kyokushin Karate Champion." Kyokushin is one of the world’s largest and most respected Karate institutions. Kyokushin tournaments are non-stop excitement with both women and men competing in various categories and weight divisions, as well as the open weight challenge. One of the greatest obstacles for Kyokushin fighters, who have stepped into other fight scenarios thus far, is taking punches to the face/head. In Kyokushin there is no striking to the face/head, (since no gloves are worn) except for leg kicks. In other words, you can witness devastating K.O.'s with roundhouse kicks to the head, or even knees.

In 1992 Andy won the Karate/ Kakutougi Olympic 92. He defeated Toshiyuki Yanagisawa by KO with a left legged "axe chop" to the face. It was amazing and lethal.
In the K-1 Grand Prix 93, he fought a Karate rules gi match against the then famous and now even more popular Nobuaki Kakuda. (He recently retired fighting his disciple Musashi in Vegas.) Hug punished the thicker "future referee" with continuous knees to the head, finally dismantling him with a flying knee to the face. Canvass! Osu!
In K-1 Illusion 93, (no gloves) he would finish Ryuji Murakami with a backspin axe chop to the head. Changpuek Kiaysongrit would also be disassembled with and axe chop in K-1 Illusion 93.
Also in 93 He would step into the ring with gloves and no gi against a Murakami who was hungry for revenge. Once again Andy punished him finishing by KO.
Finally in 1993 K-2 he faced the stubborn Eric Albert whom he dominated, knocking him down a few times and finally Ko-ing him as well.

When Andy stepped into the K-1 ring in 1994, K-1 was only one year old. In the 1994 Grand Prix, Andy's first K-1 encounter was against a now "mythical" in his own right, Patrick Smith (UFC runner–up/victim of Royce Gracie) the fans would be devastated. The larger Smith knocked Andy's head off only 20 seconds after the initial bell. Andy was in the process of getting up from the first knock down (still on one knee as the referee had commenced counting) when Smith finished him with a right hook to the head. The fight was over, despite Patrick changing the rules a bit. Andy took the loss stoically and didn't even utter a complaint. Hug's K-1 debut had gone up in flames in a flash; he was ousted in the first round of the fight, and in the first round of the tournament. This was to be one of the fastest K.O.'s in K-1 history, not a good a start for any hero, but this was what would make him special and even greater. Of course the real fans knew that this was a fluke; "Patrick had gotten Lucky!" Smith, one of the first kick boxers to step into the Octagon and K-1, had indeed capitalized on one of the much-criticized weaknesses of Kyokushin fighters, the "chin." Andy would learn the hard way.
Before seeking revenge, Andy defeated the only K-1 champion at the time, Croatian Branco Cikatic, in K-1 Challenge 94. You could say that Cikatic is K-1's "Real Daddy," having won the title at its conception in 1993. He demolished the elder statesman with combinations to the head. The hardheaded Croat-champ was like a rabid dog refusing to hit the canvas, but the referee very wisely called the fight. Everyone thought Andy was back in his groove. The "true believers" had all bets on the man who would become "Mr. K-1."

And indeed, Andy followed through with a convincing K.O. victory over the wild Patrick Smith. As the bell rang and resonated, awing the crowd, Smith immediately came out and swung down an axe chop kick, which Andy avoided and immediately countered with a "hug tornado" to Patrick's calf. Ouch! (A "hug tornado" is a back spinning heel kick) He followed up with a combination, a hard soccer kick to the torso, and finally he overcame his first K-1 demon with a hard left flying knee to the grin only one minute into the match. Hug left no room for speculation or judge's decisions; he had overcome his first obstacle.
Also that year he fought in K-1 legend 94 in which he took on a much taller Rob Van Esdonk. He knocked him out cold with a left hook, as Van Esdonk remained on his non-collapsing legs defying gravity, eventually slowly tipping forward like timber. Concussion!
 
Also that year he fought Duke Roufus in the Karate World Cup 94. Roufus had to get up a couple times and was finally KO'd with a left kick to the mid section.
In K-1 Hercules 95, Andy would defeat the French Muay Thai sensation, Jerome "Geronimo" LeBanner. A smaller Hug would have to take it to the judges, winning by unanimous decision. Also this year he would knock out the scary and wild Dennis Lane, who sported a great afro-mohawk. I believe the heavy shouldered barrel chested native American Lane also fought in vale tudo as well.

It was in the 1995 K-1 Grand Prix that Andy would confront a relatively unknown fighter named Mike Bernardo. This was a burly balding boxer from South Africa, a newcomer to this then still infant sport. The fans would be devastated. Once again their hero would fall due to a serious tap on that vulnerable "Kyoku-chin." Bernardo came on extremely hard and he was much more powerful. He delivered a series of combinations, catching Andy's jaw. Kakuda stopped the fight; TKO in the first round, Hug's dreams would once again be differed.

Back to the drawing board:
Like the toughest of survivors, this real and living icon always regrouped and refocused adjusting his strategies for this very different reality of a fighting sport. Andy would became greater than a "god," he was real and determined and he would eventually achieve a not so "Instant Karma," but instead a "Zen of Battle."

In K-1 Revenge 95 (Karate vs. kickboxing) he would have another chance to redeem himself against South African Mike Bernardo. In the second round, as Andy kicked high with his left to Bernardo's head, Mike caught him with a concussive right, which made Andy buckle and drop. As Andy got up on pure will, but utterly stunned, he looked to the referee with deep sad eyes as the fight was stopped. Although Andy was always moving forward and striking, Bernardo's counter was signed, sealed, and delivered.
Andy would not make an appearance in the final round of K-1 95 Grand Prix after a disappointing loss to that damned Mike Bernardo in the first round of the tournament. (Mike would get a nice French kiss and would then be chopped down by Jerome.) The only consolation for the fans would be Andy fighting in a superbout against the very tall Giacommeti like sculpted, Peter Kramer. The bald lanky surreal Dutchman got knocked out cold by a left hook to the head only 45 seconds into the fight. He folded like a beach chair and couldn't get up again. Andy talked to his fans after the victory.
" I want to thank all my fans. I'm very sorry I lose my last fight, but I come back, I never give up the spirit of Karate. I will win next year's tournament, I fight also the champion from this tournament, and I will take revenge on Mike Bernardo. Osu." Peter Aerts would go on to become k-1 champion a second year in a row, finishing LeBanner with a grueling body shot.

What Andy had told the fans would be written in stone. Andy might have yet another opportunity to encounter Mike Bernardo who was in the opposite bracket of the tournament. Mike would first take out Duke Rufous while Andy faced a goliath of an American named Bart Vale. Vale was a huge lumbering specimen with a biker moustache, long waves of hair and stars and stripes shorts.
Andy, always very focused and quiet when stepping into the ring, never cracked a smile before a fight and barely after. As he stepped out towards the ring in his sleeveless gi, literally at arms reach from the fans, Freddy Mercury would croon and the ladies would melt in awe at the presence of this "good Swiss pirate."

Everyone was nervous with great expectations for their "underdog." After the bell the fighters faced off with Hug being dwarfed by Vale who held his right glove up, bent at the elbow like a wrecking ball ready to floor something. Andy moving quickly lands a left hook to the giant’s head, making him wobble to the ground for a count. Bart then slowly backs Andy into a corner, but Hug starts chopping at the "bikers" legs. He sets up combinations, kicks, striking to the head, left hooks, dancing, bouncing like a young kangaroo. More combinations and another knock down. Vale gets up one final time, only to be finished off by another combination. Andy does a four Axe counter clockwise salute for the crowd who is reverberating in trembling excitement.

Andy would now face the charismatic dancer "Mr. Perfect," Ernesto Hoost. Ernesto had just finished off an even taller Vander Merwe with a clean left hook to the head. The Hug/Hoost encounter was a fierce battle of attrition. Whoever won would be exhausted going into the final. Both fighters were very aggressive landing combinations kicks and body shots. While Ernesto worked at chopping Andy down, Andy replied with concrete fisted combinations to rattle some gray matter. Andy won by decision.
So now that Bernardo had ousted Peter Aerts and Musashi, he must have felt that victory was at hand. He had only to decimate this "little Hug fellow" a third time. Or, would this third try be the dozy for Andy to overcome his second K-1 demon?
Andy was cool and collected throughout the fight. He simply put his gloves up and guarded against Bernardo's sudden violent forward flurries. He started chopping at the bigger Bernardo’s legs and then suddenly finished him with a "hug tornado" to the right knee and shin area. In a delayed reaction and expression of pain, Bernardo could not stand on both legs and hit the floor. This victory would be the greatest in Andy's career. Not only had he avenged himself against the mighty Mike Bernardo, but he was also the new K-1 Grand Prix 96 Champion. Andy's eyes were teary, his beautiful wife was crying, the fans were crying, tears of Japanese joy!

Part 2 >>