MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine is now a brown belt in jiu-jitsu.
The 61-year-old guitarist/vocalist was promoted to the new rank almost two years after earning his blue belt. He was promoted by Reggie Almeida, who leads Gracie Barra Spring Hill BJJ & Self-Defense in Tennessee, near Mustaine’s hometown of Franklin.
Brown belt is the highest-ranking color belt below black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Progressing from a beginner white belt through to a brown belt typically requires at least five years of dedicated training.
In a 2007 interview, Mustaine said he started training taekwondo in 1999 in Arizona and then moved to California, where he lived until a few years ago. “Before taking up taekwondo, I practiced kung fu and other martial arts,” he said.
Click the link for a video of the event.