Chad Hardy

Chad Hardy, also known as “Beast” is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Nick Albin (Chewy), who is also one of the top middleweight competitors of his generation as well as a well-respected member of Kentucky’s (USA) grappling community. Known throughout his career for his highly submission oriented ground game, Hardy is also respected for having overcome mental illness through the practice of sports, channeling his ailment to become one of the world’s best at jiu-jitsu.

Chad Hardy Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Chad M. G. Hardy

Nickname: Chad is often referenced as “Beast”, a name that became associated with Hardy at around 12 years of age, when he began his competition career. As Chad won most of the competitions he entered, the reception employee at Chad’s gym started calling him “Beast” every time he entered the premises. The name was quickly adopted by other members of the team and stuck to the athlete throughout his career.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Renato Tavares > Colin/Kyle Cannon > Nick Albin > Chad Hardy

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF Las Vegas Summer Open (2018)
• 1st Place IBJJF IBJJF Washington Spring Open (2018)
• 1st Place Top Roller Invitational (2017)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Atlanta Winter Open (2019)

Favorite Position/Technique: Triangle Choke

Weight Division: Peso Médio (82,30 kg / 181.5 lbs)

Team/Association: Team Shawn Hammonds

Chad Hardy Biography

Chad Hardy was born on January 24, 1995, in Bloomington, Indiana.

The early years of Chad in Bloomington were not easy. His area of residence was crime infested, and, before his 5th birthday, his mother had passed away. This unfortunate event was followed by Hardy’s father being placed in a coma for nearly 1 year after being shot in the head by a local felon. After he recovered, Hardy’s dad moved to Louisville, Kentucky, taking Chad’s grandparents and two cousins with them, in an attempt to escape what life had become in Indiana.

Hardy’s first martial art experience was prompted after he was punched in the face on his first day of school in their new town. Chad was not an aggressive child and did not react, circumstances that led his father to enroll him in taekwondo (TKD) classes.

Chad practiced TKD from the age of 7, up to 11, but was forced to abandon his training due to the closing down of his dojang. Not happy with the idea of Chad quitting, Hardy’s then coach helped the young athlete find a gym where he could continue his progression as a martial artist, finding him a home at a mixed martial arts (MMA) academy nearby, named Derby City MMA. At this new academy, Chad trained mainly striking at first, mixing in a few classes of jiu-jitsu under the guidance of Colin and Kyle Cannon, as well as Nick Albin. As time progressed, Hardy chose to place more of his efforts into grappling.

A very precocious grappler, Chad was already helping out with the kids class as an assistant instructor when he was an orange belt, going on to teach adults as soon as he received his purple. Competition wise Hardy started going against black belts from his 16th birthday (2012).

During Chad’s mid-teens, his life took another turn for the worst. Both his Grandfather and uncle passed away, two people who were big influences in his life. As a whiplash effect, Hardy’s school duties suffered tremendously, failing every class in his freshman year. This downward spiral also affected Chad’s relationship with his father, culminating in an attempt of suicide.

The failed attempt was a wake-up call for Chad and those around him. His relationship with his father greatly improved after the episode, but also, the support showed by his training partners/friends was of great importance in Chad’s recovery.

While climbing the belt system, Chad Hardy became one of the top grapplers in Kentucky, going on to earn his black belt from his longtime coach, Nick Albin (Chewy) on November 2016.

Chad Hardy vs Nisar Loynab