In a recent interview with FloGrappling, legendary jiu-jitsu coach John Danaher revealed significant changes coming to his career and the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu team.
Danaher disclosed that he will be undergoing hip replacement surgery in the coming weeks, followed by a knee replacement. These procedures may force him to step back from his coaching duties.
“After the hip replacement I also have to do a knee replacement,” Danaher explained. “That would mean that I have three implants in my body which is usually, they recommend you don’t really do hard physical work after that.”
Medical professionals have been pessimistic about his ability to continue in jiu-jitsu following these procedures.
“I don’t want to sound pessimistic but they were like ‘No you’re not going to be able to do jiu-jitsu after this,'” Danaher shared, though he remained cautiously optimistic, noting that he was able to return after his first hip replacement seven years ago.
In another major development, Danaher confirmed that Gordon Ryan, widely considered the greatest no-gi grappler of all time, is likely retiring from competition and transitioning to coaching.
“Gordon is very sick at this point so I don’t believe he’ll be competing again,” Danaher stated while discussing his team’s lineup for the upcoming CJI 2 event.
This news marks a significant shift for the New Wave team, with Ryan stepping away from competition to focus on coaching while Danaher potentially reduces his coaching responsibilities due to health concerns.
The interview also revealed that Nicholas Meregali, another key team member, is currently sidelined following a second shoulder surgery after his first procedure was “not as successful as people were hoping for.”
Despite these challenges, Danaher confirmed that New Wave will be fielding a team at the upcoming CJI 2 event.
Danaher expressed confidence in his younger athletes like Helena Crevar and Luke Griffith, who are both competing at the upcoming Who’s Number One event on April 18.
“Now the youngsters have to push their way up and there’s always that kind of athletic coming of age where you have to prove yourself against the best,” Danaher said. “Both of them have gone to extraordinary heights, both got silver medals in ADCC at a very young age and their whole careers are ahead of them.”
This period of transition represents a new chapter for one of jiu-jitsu’s most successful teams, as they navigate the challenges of their coach’s health issues and the retirement of their most dominant competitor.
