Danaher Death Squad

Lore & Background

DDS was established in 2011 when John Danaher took over a morning class at Renzo Gracie Academy. Eddie Cummings, a new student, attended all of Danaher's classes and helped form the core of a team that would use a leglock system devised by Danaher. Former member Ryan Quinn coined the name 'Danaher Death Squad', which became widely used in the BJJ world, though Danaher himself despised it.

In December 2020, DDS split from Renzo Gracie Academy to become an independent gym, opening a training facility on an island in Puerto Rico to avoid COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. The project was scrapped after a few months due to travel difficulties caused by the pandemic. In July 2021, Gordon Ryan announced on Instagram that he was moving to Austin, Texas to start a new gym, and Danaher confirmed DDS was parting ways. Conflicts among members—including differences in training philosophies and the failure of the Puerto Rico gym—led to the decision to go separate ways.

Two new teams formed from DDS in Austin, Texas: New Wave Jiu Jitsu (with Danaher, Ryan, and Garry Tonon) and B Team Jiu Jitsu (with Craig Jones and Nick Rodriguez). In October 2024, Ryan blamed Jones for the demise of DDS on a podcast; Jones responded that Danaher and Ryan had overworked and abused athletes, causing members to leave.

Reader's Guide

Danaher Death Squad's significance lies in its systematic, offense-based approach to submission grappling, particularly its emphasis on leglocks. The team's style—constantly on the offensive with a progressive attacking model—gathered a large audience and influenced modern no-gi jiu-jitsu. According to the article, 50% of the team's submissions came from a bottom playing stance, with 73% of those being lower limb submissions such as leglocks. DDS issued more than fifty DVD instructionals, spreading its methods widely. The team's split in 2021, amid reported conflicts and differing philosophies, led to the formation of two rival gyms in Austin, Texas—New Wave Jiu Jitsu and B Team Jiu Jitsu—which continue to shape the sport. The legacy of DDS includes both its technical innovations and the internal disputes that ultimately dissolved the team.

Did You Know?

• Former DDS member Ryan Quinn coined the name 'Danaher Death Squad', but John Danaher himself despised the name.
• DDS opened a training facility on an island in Puerto Rico in December 2020 to avoid COVID-19 lockdowns, but the project was scrapped after a few months.
• After DDS split in 2021, two new teams formed in Austin, Texas: New Wave Jiu Jitsu and B Team Jiu Jitsu, located less than a 15-minute drive apart.
• In October 2024, Gordon Ryan blamed Craig Jones for the demise of DDS; Jones responded that Danaher and Ryan overworked and abused athletes.

Origins & Formation

DDS emerged in 2011 when John Danaher began leading a morning class at the Renzo Gracie Academy. Eddie Cummings, a newcomer to the school, gravitated toward Danaher's distinctive approach to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and made a habit of attending every one of those early sessions. From that small gathering of dedicated students, a team gradually coalesced around a leglock-centric system that Danaher had developed. Additional grapplers joined over time, and the group's identity solidified. The moniker "Danaher Death Squad" was actually coined by former member Ryan Quinn, and it stuck so firmly in the broader BJJ community that it became the team's de facto label. Ironically, Danaher himself has expressed strong dislike for the name, preferring something less theatrical. Despite the branding friction, the squad quickly built a reputation for aggressive, leglock-heavy competition grappling, earning recognition at elite events such as the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship.

Grappling Philosophy & Style

At the core of DDS's identity was a commitment to offense-driven, submission-focused grappling that captivated a wide audience of practitioners and fans alike. Danaher's instructional philosophy emphasized a progressive attacking model: rather than throwing techniques randomly, a competitor should first achieve complete control and immobilization of the opponent before transitioning to a finishing submission. This methodical yet aggressive framework produced remarkable statistical results. Roughly half of the team's successful submissions came from a bottom-playing position, and of those, a striking 73 percent were lower-limb attacks, underscoring the squad's signature leglock emphasis. The team's competitive pedigree was further cemented by strong showings at the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, one of grappling's most prestigious events. Beyond the mat, DDS expanded its educational footprint by releasing more than fifty DVD instructionals, disseminating Danaher's systematic approach to a global audience of BJJ students.

The Puerto Rico Experiment & Fracture

In December 2020, DDS made a bold strategic move by severing ties with the Renzo Gracie Academy and launching an independent training facility on a Puerto Rican island. The tropical setting was intended to draw athletes from around the world, while the island's relative isolation offered a workaround to pandemic-related lockdown restrictions. However, the venture proved short-lived. The ongoing COVID-19 crisis made travel to the island impractical for most, and the gym was abandoned after only a few months. Compounding the difficulties were internal tensions among team members, including disagreements over training philosophies and the stress of the failed relocation. By July 2021, Gordon Ryan publicly announced on Instagram that he was relocating to Austin, Texas to open his own gym. Danaher followed with his own post confirming that DDS was officially dissolving. After a collective meeting, the group agreed that parting ways was the healthiest path forward for everyone involved.

Legacy & Aftermath

The dissolution of DDS did not erase its influence on the grappling world; instead, it spawned two new Austin-based teams that continued to shape the sport. Danaher, Ryan, and Garry Tonon came together to found New Wave Jiu Jitsu, while Craig Jones and Nick Rodriguez established B Team Jiu Jitsu. Remarkably, the two schools sit less than a fifteen-minute drive from each other, creating a small but intense competitive ecosystem in Texas. The post-DDS era has not been without friction. In October 2024, Ryan appeared on Jake Shields' podcast and placed significant blame for the team's collapse on Jones. Jones pushed back, arguing that both Danaher and Ryan had been overworking and mistreating athletes, which drove members away. These public exchanges highlight how the legacy of DDS remains a live, contested narrative within the BJJ community, even as the team's leglock-centric philosophy and competitive standards continue to influence a new generation of grapplers.