The 59-year-old musician was promoted to the new rank almost two years after earning the first stripe on his blue belt. He was promoted by Reggie Almeida, who leads Gracie Barra Spring Hill in Tennessee, near Mustaine's hometown of Franklin.

 

Almeida shared the good news on the gym's social media, writing last Thursday (January 14): "After 2 years as a blue belt and hard training and lots of ups and downs today I had the honor to promote Mr @davemustaine to his well deserved purple belt ! Congratulations kid !!!"

 

As the middle belt, purple is when a jiu jitsu player begins to form his or her identity within the grand scheme of the sport.

 

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 yeas ago. "Before taking up taekwondo, I practiced kung fu and other martial arts," he said.

 

Mustaine told The Quietus in 2010 that he had "a first degree in Ukidokan karate. 

Mustaine and his family moved to a suburn of Nashville in October 2014 after living in Fallbrook, California for a couple of years.