Tom Hardy won gold at a martial arts competition - here's how you can train like him in Chichester

Tom Hardy proved his tough-guy credentials on Saturday, winning all of his matches at the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Open in Milton Keynes and surprising his fellow competitors.

But Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jack Magee – who teaches the martial art at Mad Hatters Asylum in Chichester – said he’s watched the film star’s development for quite some time.

“Having worked with REORG, I’ve seen him on the mat for a long time. He’s been training for a while. A lot of people don’t know how much work he puts in, and how much training he’s been doing. So for me, it wasn’t much of a surprise.”

REORG is a charity which provides Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training to people living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other long term conditions. Hardy, a blue belt in the martial art, is a REORG trustee and often helps promote the organisation. In August, he won the REORG Open in Wolverhampton this August, which was aimed at raising money for armed forces and emergency services personnel.

Mr Magee added: “I was more surprised to learn he would just enter a local competition like that. I think it says something about how humbling this sport is. Tom Hardy’s a superstar, but on the mats there are no superstars. You could be training with anyone from lawyers to labourers to counsellors. There are all these different kinds of people on the mat that wouldn’t normally come together. I think that’s what Jiu Jitsu is all about.”

Jiu-Jitsu athletes focus on subduing opponents with a variety of armlocks, pins, chokes and strangles. It sounds tough, but Mr Magee said you don’t have to be Bane (who Hardy portrayed in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises) to take part.

"”I think the majority of people who stick at Jiu-Jitsu, the people who really enjoy it, are people who enjoy overcoming a physical threat by thinking about it. I think it appeals to the thinkers, rather than the big muscle-bound guys you see at the gym.”

What’s more, the martial art can offer a number of benefits beyond self-defence and fitness. Mr Magee said it’s a gateway into a new, health-conscious lifestyle that's as good for your brain as it is for your waistline:“When you're grappling, you’re in the moment. You can’t worry about work, or finances, or any of your day to day stresses. You have to be in the here and now.”

"It keeps you fit and healthy, and, because it can be so taxing, you end up making different decisions. You wind up eating a bit better, your fitness gets better, you want to exercise more so you can last longer on the mats and you spend time with like-minded, fit people that want to train hard.

To find out more about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Chichester and Jack Magee, visit www.madhattersasylum.com

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