Tom Hardy

<p>Footage has emerged of Tom Hardy taking down an opponent in a martial arts championship – before going onto win gold. </p><p>The video shows the star, dressed in blue robes, grappling with fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Gavin Marsh at an event he secretly entered in a school sports hall. </p><p>During the clip, the tough guy actor manages to hook his arm around his opponent’s neck – and within just 20 seconds, he’s declared the winner by submission.</p><p>Hardy, 45, known for his hardman roles in Mad Max, Batman and Dunkirk, took part in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship on Saturday (Sept 17). </p><p>And the action hero - who holds a high-level blue belt in the ground-fighting combat sport - was declared the champion of his section after beating all-comers. </p><p>Sean Rosborough, who sponsored the event, said the organisers knew the global mega-star would be coming to Oakgrove School, in Milton Keynes, a few weeks earlier. </p><p>But he said they kept the dashing actor's appearance “to themselves” to stop masses of people "distracting" him from taking part in the competition. </p><p>Sean, 37, said Hardy was “brilliant” with fans who approached him for photographs while adding that the mums in the audience were “all over him”. </p><p>He said: “We found out he was coming probably a couple of weeks before. </p><p>"But the organisers kept it to themselves – and didn’t want masses of people turning up distracting him from what he was doing. </p><p>“He was brilliant. A lot of people were asking for photos, and coming up to him, and he had no problem with that all. The mums were all over him. It didn’t bother him. </p><p>“And when he was fighting, he was focused on what he was doing. He’s amazing at Jiu-Jitsu.” </p><p>Hardy reportedly got into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when he trained for the film ‘Warrior’ where he played the part of a former boxer who trains to be an MMA fighter. </p><p>Those who take part in the hundred-year-old sport grapple with their opponents on a floor mat in order to achieve “non-violent” submissions. </p><p>Dad Andy Leatherland, 42, a sales manager and blue belt who lost to Tom in the championship final, said he entered the local event after realising the actor might be there. </p><p>He said: “I knew he fought in the last competition locally and won two golds, and I knew at that point that I fitted into his category - I was the same age, belt and weight as him. </p><p>“We used to joke that if he was to fight, I would be the one to fight him, but I didn’t think anything of it. </p><p>“I was contemplating the Milton Keynes tournament as it was very local. And then one morning - he goes by the name Edward Hardy – I saw that he’d actually signed up.” </p><p>Andy said he found out the day before the competition that he would only fight Tom if they came face to face in the final or bronze level match. </p><p>The dad-of-one said: “When they put the bracket out the day before, I could see that I would only meet him if it went to a bronze level match or if I saw him in the final. </p><p>“And on the day, he won his first and second match, so I ended up meeting him in the final." </p><p>And when he faced up to the beefy actor, he said Tom was entirely focused during the fight. </p><p>“Lining up, he was very focused. The intensity that he brought to his movie roles, he brought that. He didn’t say a word, he didn’t say anything. </p><p>“When it came to the match, you couldn’t help notice that it’s him, but then it just became a competition. </p><p>“I made a mistake and he capitalized on that. He absolutely nailed it, and he subbed me, and it was over relatively quickly." </p><p>Andy said that Tom was “absolutely sound" when they chatted after the fight and admitted to him that he found the martial arts competitions “nerve-wracking”. </p><p>He said: “Afterwards, he was absolutely sound. </p><p>“He said 'these things are nerve-wracking' and though he’s often on the screen, he said jiu-jitsu is real and nerve-racking to do”. </p><p>When asked if he’d fight Tom Hardy again, Andy added: “I would, absolutely.” </p><p>Sean, who watched each of Hardy’s fights, said the actor won rapid victories in all of them in order to be crowned champion of his section. </p><p>He said: “I saw his matches, and he had submissions in them all – and they were really quick. </p><p>“He did really, really well. He’s not the highest grade, but you could see he had turned up to win, and he was impressive in every fight.” </p><p>Sean said he had tried not to bother the star too much, adding that he felt the actor had a “good time” at the local event. </p><p>He said: “We tried not to bother him too much. We didn’t pap him to bits. </p><p>“We just tried to keep it as normal as possible for him. I think he had a good time.” </p><p>Hardy most recently starred as Alfie Solomons in the final season of hit series Peaky Blinders. </p><p>And he is expected to soon reprise his role as Eddie Brock in the superhero movie Venom, currently in pre-production.</p>