John Danaher has served as the coach and mentor to Gordon Ryan for several years, however, it appears the student may have surpassed the teacher. While all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors receive coaching support, Ryan and Danaher share an especially close working relationship. Ryan has followed career guidance provided by Danaher over the years, and as he has developed into the premier figure in the sport, the approach seems to be achieving strong results.

Danaher recently participated in an interview with Derek Moneyberg to provide insight into the typical progression of the student-teacher dynamic. Specifically, Danaher acknowledged that in his assessment, Ryan has already progressed beyond the student role:

“At some point, you want to overtake your mentors. You want to get to a point where you’re better than the previous people.”

“I’m currently 55 years old, Gordon is in his mid-20s. Gordon already knows at least as much about Jiu-Jitsu as I do, plus he has his own elements in his game where he knows more than I do. So I would have no problem saying at this point, he knows more than I do about Jiu-Jitsu. He knows everything I know and he has stuff that he’s invented himself, that I don’t know.”

This outcome should not be surprising given Danaher’s consistent recognition of Ryan as an exceptional talent. Ryan has repeatedly demonstrated remarkable skill, dominating most of the top practitioners globally with little threat to his own position. The relationship appears to be coming full circle as well, as Ryan has started promoting his own students to higher ranks. Ryan discussed the evolution of his work with Danaher over time, and the adjustments made to his training process having achieved this level of mastery.