Tom Hardy describes being left 'humiliated' in jiu-jitsu training

Tom Hardy has confessed he was left "humiliated" while learning how to train in jiu-jitsu.

The 47-year-old British actor is among the biggest names in action films, with roles in Mad Max: Fury Road, Venom, and the recent Netflix thriller Havoc.

But while he is known as an on-screen hard man, Hardy confessed he was humbled when he began learning the traditional Japanese martial arts jiu-jitsu.

He told Esquire, "I did the posturing bit of boxing and hitting mitts, and trying to be a bloke. But ultimately I was sort of scared of blokes, because there's so many of them, and there's always one stronger than you."

He continued, "You know, somehow you're supposed to be able to look after yourself in this wicked world, but in a numbers game it's not possible to be the strongest. So eventually I was like, 'Just have a go, who cares who wins.'"

The actor went on to reveal his competitive side did inevitably shine through and he did care "who wins" before he fully understood the sport.

He explained, "You spend the first couple of years trying to forget it. You're not winning anything. It's very humiliating, in the right way."

Describing the martial art as "a submission sport", the action star added, "It's about stopping your opponent.

"They submit to defeat, or you choke them, shutting off the carotid artery so the blood doesn't go to the brain. But once you isolate a limb - an arm or a leg - and put pressure through the joint, and it's correctly applied, you needn't go any further. It's a fait accompli. It's done. You are done. Only your ego will take you any further."