The Danaher Diaries: Over 100 of John Danaher's Musings on Jiu-Jitsu, Kaizen, Training, and Living (Unabridged‪)‬

Since he burst onto the scene as George St. Pierre’s grappling coach in the late 2000’s, John Danaher has risen to be recognized as one of the foremost minds in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and competitive grappling.

More than just a coach, Danaher has garnered a reputation as a philosopher of the art. His social media is read by hundreds of thousands, serving as daily inspiration for students around the world. Danaher is able to take the complex and often contradictory rules of jiu-jitsu and break them down into universal concepts. 

And it’s not just talk: Danaher’s student’s are a who’s-who of combat sports. From MMA champions like George St. Pierre, to grappling phenoms like Gary Tonon and Nikki Ryan. His work speaks for itself.

We’ve assembled John Danaher’s most timeless and thought provoking writings, over one hundred passages in short segments. At just a few minutes per passage, they make for the perfect quick listen before hitting the gym, a quiet moment during morning coffee, or a long afternoon listen. 

Included are Danaher’s famous concepts of:

Division and unity
The fundamentals of guard passing and retention  
Kaizen and the mindset of constant improvement
Building the perfect armbars, strangulations, and leg attacks
The power of asymmetry-breaking paradigms in jiu-jitsu
The value of creating systems amongst the chaos of daily training


Scattered throughout are the fascinating little stories of John’s life, from a philosophy major in college, to a bouncer in New York City. It’s an amazing glimpse into the thinking of a modern jiu-jitsu master.