John Danaher, one of the most respected coaches in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, believes that modern BJJ practitioners are considerably more well-rounded than previous generations, despite some criticism from older practitioners about the current state of the art.
In a recent appearance on Jake Shields podcast, Danaher addressed criticisms that modern jiu-jitsu has become too sport-focused and wouldn’t work in real situations. He strongly disagrees with this assessment, stating that today’s athletes are actually more complete in their skill sets than previous generations.
“In terms of just pure Jiu-Jitsu, I truly think that the modern generation of Jiu-Jitsu was significantly better than say for example my generation,” Danaher explained. “And in a Jiu-Jitsu match they would annihilate them.”
He specifically highlighted that modern practitioners have much better takedown abilities compared to previous generations, who often had very limited standing skills.
“Most modern Jiu-Jitsu athletes especially of the last five years are significantly better in takedown and standing position than the athletes of my generation where we did almost no standing training,”
noted Danaher.
While acknowledging that modern sport jiu-jitsu has evolved in certain directions, Danaher dismisses concerns that today’s practitioners wouldn’t be able to adapt their skills for self-defense scenarios. He argues that BJJ athletes are intelligent enough to modify their approach based on the situation, stating they
“wouldn’t be so naive”
as to attempt sport-specific techniques in a real situation.
Danaher points to the evolution of his student Gordon Ryan as an example of how modern practitioners develop well-rounded games.
“When he first arrived he was a leg lock guy from bottom, then he was a leg lock guy from bottom who also had good back attacks, and then he switched completely mid-career to a top pressure player who did most of his best work from mounted position,”
he explained.
According to Danaher, most young athletes today demonstrate proficiency across multiple areas – they are
“very strong in leg locks, very competent in bottom position, but they also have a good pressure passing game, they’re very good in these top positions and they can put people down.”
This perspective comes amid ongoing debate within the BJJ community about the evolution of the sport. Several years ago, prominent black belt Keenan Cornelius sparked controversy by suggesting that early pioneers like Helio Gracie and Rickson Gracie might only match up to “tough purple belt” level by today’s standards. Cornelius attributed this evolution to the natural progression seen in all sports, where techniques are continuously developed and refined.
The discussion highlights a growing willingness among modern practitioners to critically examine jiu-jitsu’s development, even as it challenges traditional narratives. Danaher’s assessment, backed by his extensive coaching experience and analytical approach, lends significant weight to the argument that the technical sophistication of BJJ has advanced considerably over time.
This comprehensive skill development, in Danaher’s view, makes modern practitioners more capable and adaptable than their predecessors, despite criticisms from some traditional practitioners about the current direction of the art.
