Tom Hardy Wins U.K. Jiu-Jitsu Competition
Tom Hardy just added another interesting accolade to his resume. He won an open jiu-jiitsu tournament in the U.K. Hardy seems like a really tough guy in the movies, sure. But how much of that is the roles he plays and how much is actually him? Well, it would definitely seem like he really has the goods.
There are a number of Hollywood stars who seem like incredibly skilled fighters on screen, but there are also plenty of those same fighters who probably couldn't hold their own in a street fight. Sure, he's no Bane in real life, and he's not bonded to a symbiote from space, but his grapple game must be on point.
On Saturday, September 17, Hardy took part in the UMAC Milton Jeynes Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Open. He signed up for the MALE GI / BLUE / MASTER 3 (41+) division, and ended up taking home the gold. That's the highest ranked blue belt division, which is just a step down from the highest belt.
According to The Guardian, a rep for the event talked about how humble and friendly Hardy was throughout the whole thing, which is always nice to hear. He said: “Everyone recognized him but he was very humble and was happy to take time out for people to take photographs with him… It was a real pleasure to have him compete at our event".
Hardy’s opponent was quoted saying “I was shell-shocked,” Appleby said. “[Hardy] said, ‘Just forget it’s me and do what you would normally do.’” Oh yeah, that’s really easy. No problem. You’re only fighting Venom!