Renzo Gracie awards black belt to film director Guy Ritchie

A big week for film director Guy Ritchie just got bigger. The British major motion picture director releases his film adaptation of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. this week, and he'll do so as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

The director of movies like “Snatch” and “Sherlock Holmes” is a long-time BJJ student. He first trained in his native England, but has for years trained with the legendary Renzo Gracie in New York City. 

This week, Gracie surprised Ritchie at his movie premiere event by awarding him his black belt. Guy had long been a brown belt, but dedication and constant training paid off for him.

According to Renzo, Ritchie is no fly-by-night fad student who looks for easy training. "Nobody has ever worked harder than Guy to get his black belt," Renzo told FOX Sports, after sending us the above photo of he and Ritchie (out of frame, around Guy's waist is his new black belt).

"He spent eight years as a brown belt -- training every day. He is my favorite."

Check out some of the techniques Ritchie likely mastered along his way to black belt, from his teacher Renzo, below!