{{Short description|Chinese martial artist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Infobox martial artist | name = Andy Pi | birth_place = Taiwan | nationality = | style =Brazilian jiu-jitsu | team = Beijing Jiujitsu Academy |trainer=Royce Gracie |university=University of California, Riverside |occupation=Founder of Art of War Fighting Championship<br>Founder of Beijing Jiujitsu Academy |birth_name=畢思安 |birth_date={{Birth year and age|1973}} |rank=Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu}}
'''Andy Pi''' ({{zh|c=|s=|t=畢思安|p=}}; 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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=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|url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/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/prweb13348765.htm|access-date=21 July 2021|website=PRWeb}}</ref> In addition he opened the first BJJ academy in Beijing in 1998.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=24 February 2018|title=Mixed Martial Arts in China: Sports Entertainment Entrepreneurs Andy & Konrad Pi (Part 2): - Cool Global Biz|url=http://www.coolglobalbiz.com/2009/06/mixed-martial-arts-in-china-sports-entertainment-entrepreneurs-andy-konrad-pi-part-2.html|access-date=21 July 2021|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224113230/http://www.coolglobalbiz.com/2009/06/mixed-martial-arts-in-china-sports-entertainment-entrepreneurs-andy-konrad-pi-part-2.html|archive-date=24 February 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=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|url=https://kknews.cc/sports/j4e6eeq.html|access-date=20 January 2021|language=zh-hk}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web|date=23 October 2020|title=China's MMA Origins {{!}} FIGHTLAND|url=http://fightland.vice.com/blog/chinas-mma-origins|access-date=21 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023114810/http://fightland.vice.com/blog/chinas-mma-origins|archive-date=23 October 2020}}</ref>
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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=25 July 2016|title=Art of War FC 18 Raises the Bar for MMA in China {{!}} MMAWeekly.com|url=https://www.mmaweekly.com/art-of-war-fc-18-raises-the-bar-for-mma-in-china|access-date=21 July 2021|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=MMA fighters in struggle for recognition in China - People's Daily Online |url=http://en.people.cn/90779/8115349.html |access-date=16 May 2022 |website=en.people.cn}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Pi was born in Taiwan but moved to California at an early age and was raised there.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Preston|first=Brian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NzA51mlCToUC|title=Me, Chi, and Bruce Lee: Adventures in Martial Arts from the Shaolin Temple to the Ultimate Fighting Championship |date=3 March 2009 |publisher=Blue Snake Books| isbn=978-1-55643-853-0|language=en}}</ref> His grandfather was a general in Chiang Kai Shek's air force.<ref name=":2" />
He grew up idolizing Bruce Lee and trained in Karate and Kung Fu.<ref name=":2" />
He attended the University of California, Riverside graduating in 1995 with a degree in Psychology.<ref name=":2" />
In 1994, during his time in college, he saw a video of an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.<ref name=":2" /> He noticed how Royce Gracie would win all the fights by taking down people bigger than him and forcing them to give up without hurting them.<ref name=":2" /> This would inspire him to attend the Gracie University of Jiu-Jitsu in Torrance where he learnt BJJ.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
==Career== In 1997, Pi received his Blue belt in BJJ under Royce Gracie and in the same year moved to Beijing with his parents.<ref name=":1" /> As no one in China knew what BJJ was, Pi saw an opportunity and in 1998 opened the first BJJ academy in Beijing where he would introduce the art to students.<ref name=":0" />
In 1999, Pi met a Brazilian-Arab in a business trip where they became good friends.<ref name=":7" /> He then took some Chinese judo practitioners to compete at the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships.<ref name=":7" /> Although they were not successful, it was Pi's first hand experience of BJJ at international competitive level.<ref name=":7" />
In 2003, after his gym established its reputation, Pi was invited to attend what would be one of the earliest domestic MMA competitions in China which was also televised.<ref name=":1" /> The competition was held at an Akkido dojo. In the competition he was paired up against Xu Xiaodong, a Sanda fighter.<ref name=":1" /> During the fight, Xu broke Pi's forearm early with a kick. However Pi managed to eventually get Xu to the ground where he won via Armbar submission.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":7" />
After the fight, Pi noted how the competition lacked any real formal supervision such as doctors, judges etc leading to concern MMA and BJJ might get banned in China due to insufficient fighter protection.<ref name=":7" /> As a result he and his younger brother Konrad, an Investment Manager came up with an idea to create an MMA promotion in China.<ref name=":3" /> They noted the difficulty in execution due to the restrictions formed by the Chinese government as well as the difficulty of raising money for a big promotion.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=20 August 2014|title=The Art Of War|url=http://www.fightmagazine.com/mma-magazine/the-art-of-war-481/|url-status=live|access-date=21 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820231715/http://www.fightmagazine.com/mma-magazine/the-art-of-war-481/|archive-date=20 August 2014}}</ref>
Using their father's business executive with ties to China as well as relentless sales approach, they successfully made contact with the Chinese government and obtained the proper permits for hosting a sporting event.<ref name=":3" /> They eventually found a few potential sponsors, including football star Rashaan Salaam.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":7" /> The promotion was called Art of War Fighting Championship and was owned by the Pi's privately held sports management company, the Adoria Entertainment Group.<ref name=":3" />
When setting up the promotion, Pi sought out grapplers to compete in it. He met Zhao Xuejun, a renowned Sanda coach who convinced Pi that he didn't need to seek out pure grapplers and that Sanda fighters were just as capable of competing in MMA.<ref name=":5" /> Since then Zhao has moved his focus from Sanda to MMA and has worked to develop fighters to compete in the sport at Xi'an Sports University.<ref name=":5" />
On 6 November 2005, AOW conducted its first event at the Beijing Sport University.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title=AOW 1 - Art of War 1|url=https://www.sherdog.com/events/AOW-1-Art-of-War-1-12291|access-date=21 July 2021|website=Sherdog}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|date=27 February 2021|title=Zhang Tiequan and the day China made its UFC debut|url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3123400/zhang-tiequan-and-day-china-made-its-ufc|access-date=21 July 2021|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref> The event was so packed there were people lined up outside every window trying to get a look inside.<ref name=":6"/> This made it the first regulated professional MMA event held in China.<ref name=":3" />
To date, AOW has held 15 events in mainland China. Its largest event was Art of War 12 - Invincible, held at the National Olympic Sports Center Auditorium in Beijing on 23 May 2009 to an audience of around 6,000 fans.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sherdog.com|title=AOW 12 - Invincible|url=https://www.sherdog.com/events/AOW-12-Invincible-10096|access-date=21 July 2021|website=Sherdog}}</ref> The event attracted many international guests, including former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia, renowned ring announcer Michael Buffer, and experienced referee "Big" John McCarthy.<ref name=":4" />
In terms of the China MMA scene, AOW has produced Zhang Tiequan who fought on its inaugural event.<ref name=":6"/> He would go on to be the first fighter from China to not only fight in the UFC but also win a fight in the promotion where he defeated Jason Reinhardt at UFC 127 via guillotine choke.<ref name=":6" /> Since then Zhang has founded China Top Team gym and acted as coach to ranked UFC fighters such as Li Jingliang and Yan Xiaonan.<ref name=":6" />
On 2015, Vice Media did a documentary on the growth of MMA in China which featured Pi as well as former UFC fighter, Andy Wang.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Awakening Martial Arts In Modern China|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/awakening-martial-arts-in-modern-china/|access-date=14 November 2021|website=Vice.com|date=15 August 2015 |language=en}}</ref>
==Fight record== {{Kickboxing record start|noevent=y|noround=y|title=Fight record|record='''1 win''' (1 Submission)}} |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2003 || Win ||align=left|{{flagicon|CHN}} Xu Xiaodong ||Beijing, China || Submission (Armbar) || || |- | colspan=7 | '''''Legend''''': {{legend2|#CCFFCC|Win |border=1px solid #CCFFCC}} {{legend2|#FFBBBB|Loss |border=1px solid #FFBBBB}} {{legend2|#c5d2ea|Draw/No contest |border=1px solid #c5d2ea}} {{legend2|#F7F6A8|Exhibition |border=1px solid #F7F6A8}} {{legend2|White|Notes |border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{end}}
==Personal== Pi currently lives in Beijing with his wife and three children. He still continues to run Beijing Jiujitsu Academy.<ref name=":7" /> In addition he is also a coach in China's national jiu-jitsu team.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pi, Andrew}} Category:Living people Category:Chinese company founders Category:American company founders Category:Chinese sports executives and administrators Category:American sports executives and administrators Category:Chinese wushu practitioners Category:American wushu practitioners Category:Chinese male karateka Category:American male karateka Category:Chinese male mixed martial artists Category:American male mixed martial artists Category:Mixed martial artists utilizing wushu Category:Mixed martial artists utilizing karate Category:Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Category:Mixed martial arts executives Category:Chinese practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Category:American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Category:1973 births Category:20th-century American sportsmen