John Danaher is undoubtedly one of the more interesting coaches in BJJ and is thought of highly by his peers. With the likes of Gordon Ryan and Georges St Pierre under his wing, his results speak for themselves. Perhaps what separates Danaher from other coaches is his philosophical approach to training. This isn’t surprising considering he has a degree in Philosophy and used to teach the subject. These days some of his quotes have taken on cult status within the BJJ community.
This is due to his articulate wording and also the philosophical insight he offers. When Danaher talks, he isn’t just mentioning BJJ – he is also talking about strategies that can apply to wider aspects of life. With this said, we have taken a selection of his best quotes and compiled a list that can be read below. Alternatively you can find more of his musings here.
1. “What can make a strong man weak, a fast man slow and a heavy man light, is the basis of our sport and can take a lifetime to study”
2. “Learning how to learn is absolutely one of the keys to success in life in general and sport Jiu Jitsu in particular”
3. “Anger just makes people inefficient. Their breathing gets shallow, they’re too muscularly tense; they gas faster”
4. “No matter how stressful the situation you find yourself to be in, realize that success will come in the form of technical solutions to problems, not appeals to our emotional side”
5. “My job is to first to make you see the things to which you are currently blind. Then to make you see all that I see, and ultimately to make you see further than I ever did”
6. “I’ve always felt that the greatest times of joy in my life always came from helping other people get to their goals, rather than any goals that I might have achieved in my own life“
7. “Fights are not won on drama. Fights are won on small, mundane details”
8. “Only when there is a danger of submissions will it be easier to work your way to better positions”
9. “In fighting and competition, the objective is victory. In training, the object is skill development – do not confuse them. As such, one of the best ways to train is to identify the strengths of your various partners, and regularly expose yourself to those strengths”
10. “Jiu Jitsu is the science and art of control that leads to submission”
11. “There is a difference between something catastrophic and something that is uncomfortable. If something is catastrophic you tap. If something is uncomfortable, you have to find a way out”
12. “The deepest benefits of Jiu Jitsu come off the mat. It encourages a world-view based upon the idea of rational problem solving. Jiu Jitsu is all about solving problems that are rapidly changing under stress”
13. “Jiu Jitsu is a sport where the prime object is to control a resisting human being and bend him against his will”
With these quotes in mind, why not learn more from one of BJJ’s brightest geniuses? Purchase his Go Further Faster series here.
