The Danaher Diaries

More about the book

Since his emergence as George St. Pierre’s grappling coach in the late 2000s, John Danaher has become a leading figure in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and competitive grappling. Beyond coaching, he is regarded as a philosopher of the art, inspiring hundreds of thousands through his social media. Danaher excels at distilling the complex and often contradictory rules of jiu-jitsu into universal concepts. His students include notable figures in combat sports, such as MMA champions and grappling prodigies. This collection features over one hundred of Danaher’s most insightful writings, presented in brief segments ideal for quick reading before training, during morning coffee, or for leisurely afternoons. Key concepts include Division and Unity, fundamentals of guard passing and retention, Kaizen for constant improvement, and techniques for armbars, strangulations, and leg attacks. Danaher also explores the power of asymmetry, challenges conventional paradigms, and emphasizes the importance of creating systems amid the chaos of daily training. Interspersed are captivating anecdotes from his life, from his philosophy studies to his time as a bouncer in New York City, offering a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a modern jiu-jitsu master.