Maynard James Keenan Receives Purple Belt in Jiu-Jitsu, Gets Hip Surgery

2015-06-04

Story by Cat Badra

It’s been an eventful few weeks for Maynard James Keen

It’s not exactly the Tool news fans have been waiting to hear, but it’s some Maynard James Keenan news, nonetheless. The Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer frontman has earned his purple belt in jiu-jitsu and gotten hip surgery, all in just a few weeks.

Keenan, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter, started his journey towards getting his purple belt way back in 1996. He posted about his accomplishment on Instagram and explained that while vacationing in Hawaii, his old coach Luis “Limao” Heredia surprised him with the purple belt. Heredia had given Keenan his blue belt years ago, so it was a full-circle kind of experience.

“Yesterday, while on family vacation in Hawaii, I was blessed with a curveball… (Heredia) surprised me unexpectedly with a long, very kind, heart felt speech and my Purple Belt,” Keenan wrote on Instagram.

In not-so-great Keenan news, the singer also just underwent hip surgery. He posted a note about it on Puscifer’s official Facebook page, stating, “Didn’t want to freak anyone out. Wanted to wait until out of the woods. Years of foot stomping left me with no cushion in my right hip. Full replacement yesterday. Walking today.”

Of course, the Tool news fans really want to hear is word on the band’s new album. The upcoming set will mark the band’s follow-up to 2006’s “10,000 Days,” which earned the guys two Grammy nominations for the songs “Vicarious” and “The Pot.” The guys of Tool are currently working on the new album, but when those new songs will arrive remains to be seen.


Cat Badra
Posted by Cat Badra | Music, Rock, Rock News

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