Tom Hardy is known for playing tough guys on screen, but with Venom: The Last Dance, currently in cinemas, the British box office draw has shared how he got started with brazilian jiu-jitsu.
In the interview, conducted by BJJ star Alberto Serrano Govea and re-shared by the @tomhardy.bae fan account on Instagram, the talented actor opened up on what brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has meant to himself and others. “I was 40, so seven years ago,” shares Hardy regarding where his Jiu-Jitsu origin story began. “And I’d trained to get big or small for a film, but on my own, you know, like very lonely, boring. And you just change, and it’s not good for your body and there’s no people, there’s no game you know?”
The actor was finding the lonely process of bulking up or slimming down for roles to be depressing, with short lived results that had his body transitioning to different shapes and sizes with little thought of consistency or sustainability because once a film is complete, he must then adapt to the next type of physique that he’s about to play on screen.
He explains that had always been intrigued, if somewhat intimidated by martial arts, but finally decided to take a closer look. “There’s a club at the end of my road and the guys were all Jiu-Jitsu, and they have kickboxing, and boxing, and I thought I’d try a bit but I’ve always been a bit nervous of the fighting/martial arts community because I thought this is for them. For me; I don’t think I belong.”
Hardy’s preconceptions were soon quashed however, when the guys encouraged him to simply “have a go”. He did just that, and found that the club had a supportive bunch people inside of it. “And then, I started to enjoy the community and it gave me a level of confidence… honest confidence,” shares the Peaky Blinder star. “Because I always (got) beaten, but that’s okay. But I kept turning up. It is really important.”
Hardy understood that at 40 years of age, he wasn’t necessarily going to set the BJJ world on fire, but that was never his motivation. “So, you’re never going to be the best, it’s impossible. But you can be better than you were, by coming, just coming and there’s nothing to be scared of,” explains the box office draw. “… I realised was that everybody there who I thought was scary weren’t really different (to me.)”
Studies show that BJJ has a wide range of physical and mental benefits, from rehabilitation and recovery to building a sense of purpose. “It’s more of a meditation or relaxing. I have no competitive spirit,” he says. “Because I think that, you know, with the work that I do it can be very competitive.”
Still, while Hardy takes refuge from Hollywood by grappling on the mat, he has had his fair share of BJJ success. Two years ago, he made headlines by making a surprise tournament appearance, picking up two gold medals in the process and raising awareness for his REORG charity that was set up to help those who have served in the armed forces to transition to civilian life. “… I think it’s good to start at the bottom and be sh*t at something,” asserts Hardy. “But if you keep going, you get better. Now, I don’t know if I’ve got better, but know when somebody new comes to the club, I know that I can make them feel a bit safer.”
