The legendary BJJ coach John Danaher recently shared insights into two of his star students – Gordon Ryan and Nicholas Meregali. In a video, Danaher highlighted the contrasting styles and approaches of these two New Wave stars.
According to Danaher, Gordon Ryan is very methodical and technical in his approach, like a mathematician. Danaher stated, “Gordon Ryan, he plays Jiu Jitsu, like, a mathematician. Everything’s step by step.” This aligns with Gordon Ryan’s reputation as a highly systematic and strategic grappler.
On the other hand, Danaher described Nicholas Meregali’s style as more artistic and intuitive, akin to a musician: “Nicholas plays Jiu Jitsu, like, a musician. There’s artistic flourish to what he does. There’s an aesthetic element to what he does.”
Danaher made clear that Meregali is still early in his development, despite his meteoric rise. He stated, “He’s still, I, I know. You’re not gonna be happy to hear this. He’s still in the early stages of his development. The potential this guy has is remarkable.”
Danaher went on to say that Meregali’s progression has been exceptionally quick, but emphasized his ceiling is still very high. Despite already being one of the top grapplers in the world, Danaher believes Meregali has a long way to go and will only get better. He praised Meregali’s intuitive grasp of jiu-jitsu and ability to rapidly incorporate new techniques. According to Danaher, fans have only seen a fraction of what the creative and gifted Meregali is capable of.
Danaher also provided a brief update on Gordon’s health. Danaher revealed, “The sad news, of course, is that Gordon’s going through a health crisis right now and is very, very sick. So we miss him immensely in the training room, obviously.”
While both are incredibly effective, Meregali incorporates creative flair and improvisation in his grappling game. Danaher noted that Meregali is more of an intuitive thinker who thrives on instinct rather than fixed game plans.
Danaher made it clear that both bring unique strengths to the table. But their differing approaches and philosophies are a key contrast between the two Danaher Death Squad standouts. Fans are eager to see how this stylistic divergence continues to evolve as Ryan and Meregali progress in their careers.
