Andy Pi

Andrew Pi
Born畢思安
1973 (age 50–51)
Taiwan
Other namesAndy
ResidenceBeijing, China
NationalityAmerican
StyleBrazilian jiu-jitsu
TeamBeijing Jiujitsu Academy
TrainerRoyce Gracie
RankBlack belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
OccupationFounder of Art of War Fighting Championship
Founder of Beijing Jiujitsu Academy
UniversityUniversity of California, Riverside
Notable relativesKonrad Pi (Brother)

Andrew Pi (nicknamed Andy; Chinese: 畢思安; born 1973) is a Chinese Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner and businessman. He is best known as a founder of Art of War Fighting Championship (AOW), the first professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in China.[1] In addition he opened the first BJJ academy in Beijing in 1998.[2][3] In 2003, he defeated Xu Xiaodong via submission in one of the earliest televised MMA bouts in China which helped popularize BJJ in the country.[4][5]

He is considered the Godfather of MMA (alongside Zhao Xuejun) and BJJ in China due to his contribution in building the MMA and BJJ scenes there.[2][5][6]

  1. ^ "Art of War Fighting Championship 17 — The Premier Mixed Martial Arts Organization in China is Back, Stronger than Ever, Offers Better Model for the Sport says CEO". PRWeb. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Art of War FC 18 Raises the Bar for MMA in China | MMAWeekly.com". 25 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Mixed Martial Arts in China: Sports Entertainment Entrepreneurs Andy & Konrad Pi (Part 2): - Cool Global Biz". 24 February 2018. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  4. ^ "他在15年前擊敗過「格鬥狂人」徐曉東，後來成為《英雄榜》創始人" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b "China's MMA Origins | FIGHTLAND". 23 October 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  6. ^ "MMA fighters in struggle for recognition in China - People's Daily Online". en.people.cn. Retrieved 16 May 2022.