A few weeks back, Kron Gracie took fire at coach John Danaher and his BJJ credentials. Here, he dismissed his qualities as a teacher, which drew backlash from Danaher’s two biggest BJJ students, Garry Tonon and Gordon Ryan. The pair were so angered by Gracie’s statement Ryan offered him a grappling match, while Tonon even offered to fight the former UFC fighter in an MMA bout.
Just recently, this topic led Firas Zahabi to have his say on the matter. As ever, Zahabi was diplomatic and did not directly mention Kron Gracie. However, he was also incredibly complimentary towards Danaher as he said, “John Danaher, in my opinion, I’ve worked with him directly for many years. I’m a black belt under John Danaher. He is the greatest Jiu-Jitsu coach of all time and arguably the greatest MMA coach of all time.”
Zahabi later added that Danaher also played a key role in improving the efficiency of leg locks, adding: “The man applied his mind to one endeavor and changed the whole face of Jiu-Jitsu. People started doing Kani Basami from the bottom, the inside heel hook, it became a craze, and that was all John Danaher’s fine-tuning. I won’t say he invented it, but he fine-tuned it.”
Since Kron made his statement, the situation has died down on social media. However, it definitely got tongues wagging and people defending Danaher. In the early 2000s, Firas regularly traveled from Montreal to Renzo Gracie Academy in New York to train under John Danaher. In 2011, Danaher awarded Zahabi his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
Similarly, Danaher frequently worked with Zahabi’s Tristar MMA team whilst coaching Georges St Pierre in the UFC. Here, Danaher focused particularly on the grappling side, while Zahabi integrated wrestling, striking, conditioning, and overall game planning.
A freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience covering a wide range of topics, with a focus on delivering accurate, engaging, and well-researched reporting. He studied at the University of Birmingham, where he developed a strong foundation in journalism and communications. Martin is a 10th Planet BJJ brown belt and has been training for approximately 10 years and a keen follower of submission grappling.
