John Danaher, one of the most influential figures in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has come under fire for his recent appearance on Jake Shields’ podcast. The controversy erupted after BJJ black belt Stephan Kesting took to Reddit to criticize Danaher for associating with Shields, who has been accused of promoting extremist views.
Kesting expressed his concerns in a strongly worded post:
“Jake Shields is Pretty Much an Open N*zi – Since When is it OK to Enable N*zis and Associate with Them Publicly?? Something is very, very deeply wrong in our sport for N*ziism to be this normalized.”
Kesting argued that, regardless of the topic discussed, appearing on a platform hosted by someone with such associations amounts to implicit endorsement:
“And it doesn’t matter if they talk only BJJ, and not politics. If I post selfies golfing with David Duke then I am promoting this motherf$$$r and his reprehensible views.”
The post quickly gained traction, sparking debate within the BJJ community. One user questioned the accusations and asked for specific evidence linking Shields to N*zi ideology:
“Please link specific evidence as to why he’s a N*zi. I haven’t looked into this before so I am genuinely curious as this is a strong accusation to make.”
After further research, the same user updated their stance:
“It appears that he has some strong opinions that align with right-wing ideology, but he is not a N*zi. Calling him a N*zi is slanderous and makes it look like you are trying to intentionally do so to deplatform him for saying things you disagree with.”
However, the debate escalated when it was revealed that Shields had scheduled an interview with former KKK leader David Duke—an interview he later postponed. Shields has also hosted controversial figures, including H*locaust denier Germar Rudolf, which led to deplatforming actions from Spotify and YouTube. Shields responded to the censorship by stating:
“Spotify isn’t a free speech platform.”
Even among far-right figures, Shields’ fixation on certain topics appears to be wearing thin. Alex Jones, no stranger to controversy himself, remarked:
“It’s like, dude, you’re obsessed with Jews. I’m obsessed with freedom and my family and liberty and technology and ideas and engineering and art and literature and music and culture. … I’ve seen it so much, it’s like I’m walking through the park and I see a big steaming pile of dog s—t.”
Danaher’s Silence and Stance on Morality
While Shields has been losing mainstream platforms, John Danaher’s appearance on his podcast has put the BJJ mastermind under scrutiny. However, Danaher has long been vocal about his stance on morality—or rather, his reluctance to impose it on his students.
In an interview on the Lex Fridman Podcast, Danaher explained:
“You can see that you couldn’t find two more polar opposites psychologically than Georges St-Pierre and Gordon Ryan.”
“I’ve never said to my athletes ‘Hey, I think this is the sort of demeanor you should carry yourself with.'”
“I myself am a very flawed character. And I’m the last person on earth who should be delving out moral advice to other people.”
“Of course, I believe some things are off-limits. But as long as it’s done in the context of sport where no one is physically attacking people or doing anything crazy where it goes completely over the top, I give almost zero moral advice to my athletes. I’m a Jiu-Jitsu coach, not a preacher.”
Danaher’s hands-off approach to morality might explain why he sees no issue with appearing on Shields’ podcast, but it doesn’t shield him from criticism. Given the highly publicized nature of Shields’ recent guests and controversies, many in the BJJ world are questioning whether silence is truly a neutral stance—or a tacit endorsement.
The Divide in the BJJ Community
This situation has once again highlighted the growing ideological divides within the BJJ community. On one side, figures like Kesting are calling for accountability, arguing that associating with extremists normalizes their views. On the other, some argue that Danaher’s appearance is simply about Jiu-Jitsu and that he shouldn’t be held responsible for Shields’ political controversies.
Meanwhile, Gordon Ryan—Danaher’s star pupil—has also appeared on Shields’ podcast with little controversy, suggesting that the backlash may be specifically tied to Danaher’s stature and influence in the sport.
