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Paul walker was a BJJ brown belt but got promoted to black belt after his death.
Hollywood lost one of its stars on Nov. 30, 2013, when Paul Walker died in fiery car crash that also took the life of his friend Roger Rodas.
Star of the "Fast & Furious" film franchise, Walker not only had a passion for acting and quick cars, but also for the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as well.
In fact, Walker was a brown belt in the discipline under Ricardo "Franjinha" Miller, owner of Paragon BJJ Academy and Ventura Program. And if you notice, although choreographed, Paul had a knack for showing off his skills during a few scenes of "Fast & Furious," including a fight scene with co-star Vin Diesel, which you can see here.
His training and passion for the discipline, however, were very real, as evidenced by this footage.
According to Miller, who sparked a friendship with Walker that transcended beyond teacher and student, Paul -- an avid mixed martial arts (MMA) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fan -- was willing to start from scratch when he walked into his gym in 2004 and was determined to work his way up to black belt, recalling a time when Paul told him he would do it even if it meant doing it in his coffin.
And during a recent memorial service for the deceased actor, Miller awarded his longtime student and friend his black belt in jiu-jitsu.
From Paragon BJJ:
"As I reflect back on his life, I remember one of our first conversations. Sitting in our gis on the mat, Paul was like many white belts; he wanted to know about becoming a black belt. I told him that at Paragon we don't give away black belts. I said that I didn't care who he was, I was not giving him a 'celebrity black belt.' He loved that! He said that he knew that he was starting late (he was 31), but he was determined to become a black belt. He said 'I will get my black belt, even if I need to get it in my coffin.' Now in the wake of his death, I would like to award Paul Walker the black belt that he wanted so much during his life."
Walker and Rodas were killed in Santa Clarita, Calif., when the Limited Edition Porsche Carrera GT they were in veered off the road, slammed into a pole and tree and exploded in flames.
Walker was in the middle of filming "Fast & the Furious 7," which is slated for a summer 2014 release. And though production has temporarily shutdown in the wake of the tragedy that took the life of one of its biggest stars, Universal Studios will proceed with its scheduled release.
"Fast & Furious 6" went on sale this week on DVD and Blu-Ray and the studio has confirmed that some of the proceeds will go to Paul's non-profit charity, Reach Out Worldwide.
Paul Walker was 40 years old.
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