John Danaher

John Danaher, born on 2 April 1967 in Washington, D.C., is a New Zealand martial artist and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts instructor and coach who is widely regarded as one of the best instructors and coaches in these sports. He spent his childhood in Whangaparaoa near Auckland, learned Muay Thai and some karate, earned a bachelor's and then a master's degree in philosophy at the University of Auckland, and in 1991 went to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in epistemology at Columbia University, which he did not complete. Introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu by a friend at the university, he began classes at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Manhattan, taught there while Gracie was traveling for competition, received his black belt in April 2002 and now holds a sixth-degree black belt under Renzo Gracie. He is a former instructor at the academy and has instructed several notable jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts competitors.