# John Danaher

> Black Belt | United States

## Overview

**Name:** John Danaher

**Belt Rank:** Black Belt

**Nationality:** United States

**Gender:** Male

**Date of Birth:** April 02, 1967 (age 59)


## Bio

John Danaher, a New Zealand-American coach born in 1967, redefined leg-lock strategy and built the most dominant training room in modern submission grappling. Starting jiu-jitsu at 28 while working as a bouncer and finishing a Master’s in Philosophy at Columbia, he received his black belt from Renzo Gracie in 2002 alongside Shawn Williams. His obsessive, analytical approach produced the “Danaher Death Squad,” a cohort including Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, and Eddie Cummings whose efficacy with lower-body submissions attracted a fanbase unprecedented in the sport. In July 2021, Danaher dissolved that team and co-founded New Wave Jiu-Jitsu with Gordon Ryan, retaining Tonon and Oliver Taza while others formed B-Team.
## Gym Affiliations

- **Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu** (Austin, United States) — Head Instructor
## Lineage

- Carlos Gracie (Red Belt)
- Hélio Gracie (Red Belt)
- Carlos Gracie Junior (Coral Belt)
- Renzo Gracie (Black Belt)

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**Last Updated:** September 24, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/john-danaher)