The Venom icon, who has a devoted following in the film industry as well as in the world of mixed martial arts, doesn’t compete in tournaments for fun; he wants to remain unbeatable every time. The 45-year-old Hollywood star’s performance in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship shocked not only his fans, but also the famed martial arts instructor, John Kavanagh.
Filled with admiration, the first Irish black belt holder, Kavanagh appraised Tom’s victory in Tweeter, “You think the Gi is your ally? You merely adopted the Gi. He was born in it, molded by it…” A second degree black belt, Itoumaine seems to be the best to appreciate Tom’s proficiency in two polar fields as he stated, “A lot of people think, ‘Oh, Tom Hardy – he’s just a superstar.’ No, you get him on the mat and he’ll smash you.”
Hardy’s victory over the competition was well received by the crowd. The audience was mostly enthusiastic throughout his matches, and their applause peaked when he ultimately took the first place. Comments like “Can’t out grapple Venom” flooded the internet, characterizing the audacity of Spiderman’s one of the archenemies.
Hardy’s participation in the BJJ tournament was not his first stealthy appearance at a martial arts competition. Tom Hardy took home two gold medals in middleweight class at the REORG Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship, held in Wolverhampton, back in August. Tom’s opponent in the contest, Danny Appleton, probably didn’t even reckon sharing the mat with Peaky Blinders’ Alfie Solomons in the semis. “”I was very surprised at his strength. He had really good technique moving from one submission to the next. Super impressive,” confessed Appleton.
Hardy’s kick-off in Jiu-Jitsu was like a passion leading towards the gateway of another passion. For perfect portrayal of Tom Conlon who is a military veteran and a mixed martial arts expert in Warriors, 2011, the ever passionate actor had to undergo rigorous training. This incidence sewed the seed of fighter’s spirit in Tom Hardy, making him the best of both worlds.
Allowing his body-mind-soul to go after combat sports is what led the super villain from The Dark Knight Rises win a blue belt and 3 gold medals!
