Maynard James Keenan may be best known as the lead vocalist, but it turns out that he’s actually very legit when it comes to the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He has been training for over 20 years and is currently a brown belt. Unlike certain other celebrities, his skills are also unquestionable and it seems like he trains properly. He was also once photographed in a gi alongside the legendary MMA star Nate Diaz.
So, how do we know that Diaz can put his BJJ into use? Well, back in 1997 whilst performing on stage with Tool, a wild fan somehow got onto the stage and approached him. Defending himself, Maynard James Keenan successfully used a hip toss Judo throw on the fan that put him to the ground. It was beautifully executed. From there, he took the back of the opponent with hooks and threatened a rear-naked choke. Impressively, he still continued to sing whilst holding the fan as Tool continued to play on as if it was normal.
The video ended with the song as he had the fan in mount, proving his BJJ was very successful. Of course, the fan may have had good intentions, but too often singers get assaulted on stage by chancers, so it was only fair that he reacted in that way. In a podcast with Joe Rogan, Maynard said “It was my stage…if that happened now you’d be in trouble (with the law). I don’t know what he’s doing, I’ve got two words for you, John Lennon.”
The full video can be seen below.
