Danaher Death Squad

Danaher Death Squad

Also known as	DDS
Date founded	2011
Country of origin	United States
Founder	John Danaher
Current head	John Danaher
Arts taught	Grappling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Ancestor schools	Renzo Gracie Academy
Descendant schools	B Team Jiu Jitsu New Wave Jiu Jitsu

Danaher Death Squad (DDS) was an American submission grappling team founded by John Danaher which was originally part of the Renzo Gracie Academy. DDS team is known for their usage of leglocks as well as its accomplishment in major grappling competitions such as the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship.

Background

DDS was established in 2011 when John Danaher took over one of the morning classes at Renzo Gracie Academy. Around the same time he started teaching, Eddie Cummings had just started training at the school. Cummings liked Danaher's approach to Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and would attend all of his morning classes. Eventually a team was formed that would use a leglock system devised by Danaher. Further members would join the team. ^{[1] [2]}

Former DDS member Ryan Quinn was the one who came up with the name 'Danaher Death Squad'. The name caught on and everyone within the BJJ world would start using it. However Danaher himself actually despises the name. ^{[1] [2]}

In December 2020, DDS split from the Renzo Gracie Academy to become an independent gym. It opened a training facility on an island in Puerto Rico which could avoid the restrictions related to COVID-19 lockdowns.The idea was that putting the gym within a tropical paradise would help attract more athletes. However the project was scrapped after only a few months. One of the main factors was the COVID-19 pandemic which made it difficult for people to travel to the island. ^{[1] [2]}

In July 2021, Gordon Ryan announced on Instagram that he was moving to Austin, Texas to start a new gym. Danaher followed up with a post of his own announcing that DDS was parting ways. It was reported while the team was in Puerto Rico there were some conflicts between members of the team such as differences in training philosophies and the failure of the new gym. After meeting together, the team decided the best thing for everyone to do was go their own ways. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Two new teams would be formed from DDS which were both in Austin, Texas. Danaher, Ryan, and Garry Tonon would go on to form New Wave Jiu Jitsu while Craig Jones and Nick Rodriguez formed B Team Jiu Jitsu. The two schools are actually only a less than 15-minute drive from one another. ^[1]

Style

DDS are standard-bearers of offense-based, submission-oriented grappling which has gathered interest from a large audience. ^[4]

Danaher's philosophy is to be constantly on the offensive but use a progressive attacking model and not do things just for the sake of them. One should have complete control and immobilization of an opponent before going for the finish. 50% of the team's submissions derived from a bottom playing stance, 73% of those being lower limb submissions such as leglocks. ^{[2] [4]}

DDS have issued more than fifty DVD instructionals. ^[2]

Notable members

The following were members of DDS: ^{[1] [2]}

Grapplers

• Gordon Ryan
• Craig Jones
• Garry Tonon
• Nick Rodriguez

Mixed Martial Arts

• Jake Shields
• Erin Blanchfield

See also

• John Danaher
• Renzo Gracie Academy
• B Team Jiu Jitsu

References

1. Wray, David (May 7, 2022). "Danaher Death Squad - The Jiu Jitsu Story". www.lowkickmma.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
2. "Danaher Death Squad - Everything About DDS - BJJ World". September 8, 2018. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
3. Ogi (October 18, 2022). "Danaher Death Squad Split | Jiu Jitsu Legacy". Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
4. "Danaher Death Squad's Game Analysis | BJJ Heroes". Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.