# John Danaher

> Renzo Gracie black belt, architect of the Danaher Death Squad, and systems-based coach behind New Wave and Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu.

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- **Last updated:** 2026-07-18

## Identity

- **Name:** John Danaher
- **Full name:** John Danaher
- **Belt:** black belt
- **Team:** Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu
- **Nationality:** New Zealand / United States
- **Born:** 1967-04-02
- **Birthplace:** Washington, D.C., United States
- **Weight class:** N/A (coach; no professional competition record)

## Biography

John Danaher is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Renzo Gracie and one of the defining coaches of modern no-gi grappling. He was born on April 2, 1967, in Washington, D.C., while his New Zealand parents were temporarily in the United States through his father's military posting, then grew up in Whangaparaoa, north of Auckland. Before jiu-jitsu became his profession he studied philosophy at the University of Auckland, moved to New York in 1991 for graduate work at Columbia University, and worked as a Manhattan nightclub bouncer while training.

Danaher started Brazilian jiu-jitsu unusually late, around age 28, after seeing grapplers handle violent situations at work more safely than strikers. A friend brought him to Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan, where he trained under Renzo alongside figures such as Rodrigo Gracie, Matt Serra, Ricardo Almeida, and Shawn Williams. When Serra and Almeida were away from the academy, Danaher began teaching as a purple belt and turned instruction into his central pursuit. Renzo promoted Danaher and Williams to black belt on April 2, 2002.

Unlike most athlete profiles, Danaher's competition history is defined by absence rather than podiums. BJJ Heroes lists no main competitive achievements, and Wikipedia notes that lifelong knee and hip problems kept him from a professional competition career. Danaher instead built his reputation through coaching, private lessons, and technical study, eventually becoming a full-time instructor at Renzo Gracie Academy. During the academy's MMA-heavy period he worked with Georges St-Pierre, Chris Weidman, Jake Shields, and other fighters, helping translate jiu-jitsu control, takedowns, and submission defense into mixed martial arts.

His most visible grappling legacy began in the Renzo Gracie Academy basement with the group later known as the Danaher Death Squad. Eddie Cummings, Garry Tonon, Gordon Ryan, Nicky Ryan, Oliver Taza, Craig Jones, Nick Rodriguez, and others became associated with Danaher's systematic approach to leg entanglements, back attacks, front headlocks, kimuras, armbars, and submission chaining. The team's results at EBI, ADCC, Polaris, and other professional no-gi events made heel hooks and lower-body offense part of the mainstream competitive vocabulary, while Danaher's BJJ Fanatics series such as Enter the System and Go Further Faster spread the methodology to a global audience.

The original DDS split in July 2021, with Danaher, Gordon Ryan, and Garry Tonon forming New Wave Jiu-Jitsu in Austin, Texas, while former teammates created the B-Team. New Wave later evolved into Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu, a public Austin academy led by Gordon Ryan, John Danaher, and Garry Tonon. The Kingsway era continued Danaher's influence through athletes such as Gordon Ryan, Giancarlo Bodoni, Nicholas Meregali, Luke Griffith, Dan Manasoiu, and Helena Crevar, connecting his Renzo Gracie lineage to the current top tier of professional no-gi competition.

## Lineage

Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Renzo Gracie > John Danaher

## Instructors

- Renzo Gracie

## Signature techniques / game

- Heel hook
- Ashi garami / leg entanglements
- Back attacks and rear strangles
- Front headlock / guillotine systems
- Kimura systems
- Juji gatame armbar
- Triangle systems
- Standing-to-ground transitions

## Major achievements

- 6th-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Renzo Gracie
- Black belt awarded by Renzo Gracie on April 2, 2002, alongside Shawn Williams
- Founder / head coach of the Danaher Death Squad, one of the most influential no-gi teams of the 2010s
- Co-founder / head coach of New Wave Jiu-Jitsu in Austin, Texas after the 2021 DDS split
- Coach at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu, the public Austin academy succeeding the New Wave team structure
- Coach to elite grapplers including Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, Eddie Cummings, Nicky Ryan, Oliver Taza, Craig Jones, Nick Rodriguez, Giancarlo Bodoni, Nicholas Meregali, Luke Griffith, Dan Manasoiu, and Helena Crevar
- Grappling coach for MMA champions and contenders including Georges St-Pierre, Chris Weidman, and Jake Shields
- Coach behind athletes who won major titles and medals across ADCC, EBI, IBJJF, Polaris, WNO, and other professional grappling events
- Co-author of Mastering Jujitsu with Renzo Gracie (Human Kinetics, 2003)
- BJJ Fanatics instructor for Enter the System, Go Further Faster, Feet to Floor, New Wave Jiu Jitsu, and Standing to Ground instructional series
- New Wave Jiu-Jitsu named Gym of the Year at the 2022 Jitsmagazine BJJ Awards

## Official / social links

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danaherjohn/
- BJJ Fanatics: https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/john-danaher

## Sources

- [BJJ Heroes — John Danaher](https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/john-danaher)
- [Wikipedia — John Danaher (martial artist)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Danaher_(martial_artist))
- [FloGrappling — John Danaher](https://www.flograppling.com/people/5950107-john-danaher)
- [Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu — About Us](https://kingswayjiujitsu.com/about-us/)
- [Instagram — John Danaher](https://www.instagram.com/danaherjohn/)
- [BJJ Fanatics — John Danaher](https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/john-danaher)

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