On Saturday, October 8, thrash metal icon and Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine posted a photo of his promotion to brown belt on his Instagram account. The caption reads, âBehind every mountain is more mountains.â
A longtime martial arts aficionado, Mustaine, now 61 years old, reportedly got his start in kung fu and taekwondo, before eventually taking an interest in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Mustaine was promoted by Reginaldo Almeida, head professor at Gracie Barra Spring Hill, a Gracie Barra affiliate located in Tennessee. Almeida also took to Instagram to announce Mustaineâs promotion, publishing a video of himself wrapping a brown belt around Mustaineâs waist. He congratulates Mustaine in the videoâs accompanying caption, writing, âAll of us know how hard [it] is to stay focus[ed] and work towards our goals. But with small and steady paces we will get there! One step closer!â
Mustaine numbers among a growing group of celebrity jiu-jitsu practitioners, including blue belt competitors Mario Lopez and Tom Hardy.