In a recent episode of the Doghouse podcast, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete Jay Rodriguez revealed the surprising reason he was never allowed to train under renowned coach John Danaher. The story dates back to Rodriguez’s high school wrestling days and involves a misunderstanding about a skin condition.
During his senior year of high school, Rodriguez contracted impetigo, a common and treatable skin infection. At the time, Rodriguez’s brother Nick Rodriguez was training with Danaher in New York. When Danaher inquired about Jay’s wrestling performance, Nick jokingly mentioned that Jay had “herpes” on his face, referring to the impetigo.
Unfortunately, Danaher took this comment seriously, despite it being inaccurate. The misunderstanding would have significant consequences for Jay’s future training opportunities.
Some time later, Jay traveled to Puerto Rico to help Nick move and was invited to train with Danaher’s team. However, after just two days of training, Jay was abruptly told he couldn’t continue. Danaher, who was away at the time, had learned of Jay’s presence and instructed Gordon Ryan to inform the team that Jay wasn’t allowed to train with them due to the supposed “herpes” incident.
Jay attempted to clear up the misunderstanding by providing medical documentation proving he had impetigo, not herpes. However, Danaher reportedly dismissed the paperwork as “false,” leaving Jay with no recourse.
This incident effectively barred Jay Rodriguez from ever training under John Danaher, a coach widely regarded as one of the best in the sport. Rodriguez expressed frustration with the situation, noting the irony that skin infections are common in grappling sports and that Danaher’s own training environments, such as the “Blue Basement” in New York, were notorious for bacterial and fungal issues.
Despite this setback, Rodriguez has gone on to have a successful career in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, recently competing as part of the victorious B Team in a team duel competition.
