Renowned coach John Danaher has implemented specific bans on certain techniques in his academy to protect his students from unnecessary injuries.
According to Danaher, “around 50 to 70 percent of the worst injuries I see in this sport are entirely avoidable.”
While injuries are an inevitable part of combat sports, Danaher has identified a small subset of movements that contribute to “about 80 to 90 percent of the catastrophic avoidable injuries you see in a gym.” By prohibiting these techniques, he aims to ensure that any injuries his students sustain are unavoidable accidents rather than preventable incidents.
The Banned Techniques
1. Jumping Guard
Jumping guard stands as one of the most dangerous techniques that Danaher prohibits in his academy. Though it may appear safe when performed in a controlled environment with stationary opponents, the reality of live training presents significant risks.
“The problem starts when you’re going live and you’ve got two people moving, you’ve got a slippery floor, and you’ve got people changing angle as they get into a competitive situation,” Danaher explains.
In such dynamic conditions, practitioners may jump toward where their opponent was standing moments before, only for the opponent to move, resulting in dangerous landings on extended legs or ankles.
Danaher emphasizes that these injuries “make any heel hook look like a joke” and can potentially end careers.
Instead, Danaher instructs his students to pull guard safely by sitting with their buttocks on the mat first.
“As long as your buttocks go to the mat, you’re fine, but if your buttocks and hips go to your opponent’s body, that’s the problem.”
2. Flying Submissions
Similar to jumping guard, flying submissions like flying armbars or triangles are banned because they involve jumping onto an opponent’s body.
Danaher stresses that “the number one cause of catastrophic injury in the sport of jiu-jitsu is uncontrolled falling body weight.”
He permits sliding techniques where practitioners make contact with the floor first rather than their opponent’s body.
“You can still hit leg locks, for example. You can slide into Ashi Garami… because he went onto the floor instead of onto your opponent,” Danaher clarifies.
3. Poorly Performed Tani Otoshi
The second major culprit behind serious injuries is improperly executed Tani Otoshi takedowns. When a practitioner has a body lock with the opponent defending with a wizard, sitting down to perform the takedown can be extremely dangerous.
“You see people in the gym perform it clumsily… he’s gonna sit on his knee and he’s gonna break the knee inwards. The knee doesn’t bend that way,” Danaher warns.
The severity of these injuries is heightened because
“typically the guy’s leg gets caught underneath and it can’t move, and so you just get a human being sit on the outside of your knee.”
Danaher offers a clear guideline:
“If your head is on his back, now it’s safe. There’s no way you can hurt the guy.” However, “if your head is in front of your opponent, usually because he has a wizard, you must go to your knee. You must trip with Kosoto Gake to your knee.”
Additional Safety Measures
Beyond banning specific techniques, Danaher also emphasizes spatial awareness during training. With up to 100 students on 3,000 square feet of mat space, he insists that students be mindful of their position relative to other training groups.
“If you go into their space, you’re the invader, so you move.”
“The one with the higher rank wins” as a tiebreaker if there’s a dispute.
Finally, Danaher reminds students that when executing techniques that involve lifting opponents:
“The lifter is responsible for the safety of the other one.”
This means not dropping people on their heads or spiking them on their necks, but rather putting them down safely.
By implementing these bans and safety protocols, Danaher aims to cultivate a training environment where students can focus on improving their skills without risking unnecessary and potentially career-ending injuries.
