Tom Hardy’s BJJ Journey

Tom Hardy is a leading name in Hollywood. He has won an Oscar for his tremendous and mind-blowing acting. During the production of his MMA  movie “Warrior” in 2011, he came to know about BJJ. He instantly fell in love with the sport. His fighting techniques are so clean and sleek that it took him no time to win competitions once he entered the competitive circle.

He is a Blue Belt in BJJ but his knowledge of BJJ techniques is very vast. It is the reason for his successive wins. His consistency towards BJJ has increased the number of his fans all around the world.

Tom Hardy is a 4-striped BJJ Blue Belt. He is one of the most famous and accomplished Hollywood actors. His acting skills differentiate him from every other actor of his era. He is famous for his role in Batman “The Dark Knight Rises”, “Venom” and the “Peaky Blinders”.

Tom Hardy was born on 15 September 1977 in Hammersmith, London, England.

In 2011, Tom Hardy was preparing for his MMA movie “Warrior”. His role in the movie was of an MMA fighter. He had to learn some martial arts techniques. So he trained under a grappler. Then he came to know about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He trained under the ReOrg BJJ Organization. He was so influenced by the gentle art that he continued training in BJJ, even after the production of his film.

Probably If it was not for the film, Tom Hardy would never have started practicing BJJ. But when he got into BJJ, he gave his undivided attention to it. This shows how dedicated Thomas Hardy is. He gives his 100% to every single thing. His drive and focus toward BJJ are outstanding.

After Tom Hardy developed an interest in BJJ, he started training with the Royal Marines in 2011.

Tom Hardy is a trustee and an ambassador of ReOrg Jiu-Jitsu to help people in getting physical and mental aid. ReOrg Jiu-Jitsu is actually a charity organization arranged by Royal Marines.

ReOrg Jiu-Jitsu Foundation is basically a non-profitable organization that helps veterans, for example, ex-navy officers or ex-army members, to learn BJJ. To let people heal mentally as well as physically, this organization was established in 2017. Before that, it was not on such a large scale.

As Tom Hardy had himself struggled with drug abuse, he wanted to help people get out of it. So he fully supported the cause of ReOrg.

Tom Hardy was promoted to Blue Belt in December 2021, approximately after 10 years of his grappling career. By 2021, he had acquired the technical knowledge of BJJ necessary for being a Blue Belt.

In August 2022, Tom Hardy won both Gi and No-Gi ReOrg Open Champions. In the Gi Championship, he competed in 82.3 Kg, and in NoGi he competed in 85.5 Kg. He earned gold in both fights.

The ReOrg Open Championship is a championship based on a charity that raises money for army veterans. Tom Hardy supported it from the very start of his grappling career.

Mohamed Itoumaine, who was the referee at ReOrg Open Championship, was amazed when he saw a famous Hollywood actor competing in a BJJ tournament. He did not imagine Tom Hardy to be a great fighter but when Itoumaine watched Hardy compete, he became speechless.

Itoumine did not expect that being a successful and accomplished celebrity, Tom Hardy would return to BJJ after competing once. But Tom Hardy’s sheer determination toward BJJ brought him back to it and he competed in the Milton Keynes Championship.

Tom Hardy competed against Danny Appleton in the ReOrg Championship. Danny Appleton is a military veteran and just like Tom Hardy, part of the ReOrg program. They both competed in the semifinals in the BJJ Gi division. Tom Hardy won the fight by submitting Appleton via an Armbar. Danny Appleton applied Triangle Choke and Cross-Collar Choke but Hardy escaped it. Hardy is a Blue Belt in BJJ and it took 10 years to earn that belt but his proficiency is no less than a Black Belt.

Tom Hardy (secretly) competed in the Milton Keynes Brazilian Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship. This championship was organized by the Ultimate Martial Arts Championship (UMAC). As he is a famous celebrity this news could create chaos among his fans, he kept it low-key. Only the organizers knew about it and they too kept it from the public.

The fight was between Tom Hardy and the BJJ Blue Belt, Andy Leatherland. The fight was a tough one as both grapplers were skilled. Tom Hardy won the fight by submitting Andy Leatherland into a leg lock submission. Leatherland was too stunned when he saw Tom Hardy in front of him as his opponent.

In 2011, when Thomas Hardy started BJJ, he was not aware of the proficient skills that would make him an excellent grappler. As he focused on BJJ, he instantly got inspired by gentle art. Despite his busy routines, he never stopped practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As mentioned earlier, he practiced BJJ for the movie “Warrior”.

Well not only in the Warrior, but Tom Hardy also exhibited BJJ skills in “The Dark Knight Rises” as “Bane” and in “Venom” and its sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”as “Eddie Brock”.

Tom Hardy’s skills are so sharp that he can outpoint and submit his opponent within seconds. He is so advanced and fast in his moves that he can lock his opponent in an Armbar instantly.

During the Milton Keynes Brazilian Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship, his opponent, Andy Leatherland did not know that he was going to compete against Tom Hardy. The fight went really smoothly as Tom Hardy submitted Leatherland.

Tom Hardy is not only an advert grappler, but he is also a humble person despite having the top position in showbiz.

It was the rigorous training regime of Tom Hardy that being only a Blue Belt he has won 3 golds and seven wins by submission. Besides reaching the top position in his acting career, Tom Hardy did not settle for that. Rather, he struggled to become an excellent grappler and spent 10 years achieving his Blue Belt. It was rather tough for him to take two careers side by side but still, he did not leave BJJ.

Not Only Tom Hardy but Keanu Reeves, Robert Pattinson, Nicholas Cage, Scarlett Johansson, and David Bautista also practice BJJ. BJJ is not a traditional combat sport anymore. The whole world knows about BJJ.

Tom Hardy is only a BJJ Blue Belt but he has a grappling experience of 11 years. He competed in 2022 after becoming a Blue Belt in 2021.

Thomas Hardy, a famous actor, is now known for being a breathtaking grappler. He has a record of seven submission wins. He won double gold at the ReOrg Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 2022. He is a trustee of the ReOrg Foundation which aims to help military veterans.

By watching Tom Hardy compete, one can say that age is not as important a factor for achieving success in life as sheer determination and will. His performance in the Milton Keynes Brazilian Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship was exceptional.

Photo credit: @SEAN ROSBOROUGH/SWNS & People.com