John Danaher: ADCC 2026, Confidence, Coaching & Toe Holds

Two weeks after ADCC 2026, John Danaher explains how his team won the most medals in Poland with Gordon Ryan, Nicholas Meregali and Giancarlo Bodoni sitting out. The whole camp was built on one idea: small gains in bad positions.In this episode:- Why about 30% of every sparring session at New Wave is spent getting hammered in bad positions- The final that looked lost for ten minutes, and the one thing that turned it- Why John thinks confidence is built with results on the mat, not with affirmations- How he coaches professionals without telling them how often to train- Bernardo's theory on the most tiring thing in jiu-jitsu: the "almost"- The toe hold as the knight on the chessboard of leg locksJohn Danaher coaches the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu team in Austin, Texas, the team behind Gordon Ryan, Nicholas Meregali and Giancarlo Bodoni. His new instructional, Master the Move: Toe Hold, is coming to BJJ Fanatics.Chapters00:00 ADCC 2026 in Poland: most medals, youngest champions ever04:23 The final that was lost for 10 minutes and then won07:54 Why 30% of sparring is spent in bad positions10:00 The most tiring thing in jiu-jitsu: the "almost"10:34 Confidence is physical, not psychological13:57 How John coaches: build the environment, don't control the athlete17:26 The dream of a female champion, finally fulfilled18:31 Breakout stars of ADCC 2026 and the Dagestani wave19:42 Master the Move: Toe Hold, the knight on the chessboardConnect with John DanaherInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/danaherjohnInstructionals: https://bjjfanatics.comConnect with Bernardo FariaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernardofariabjjYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXtqlLdZYZm3060qVExXkABJJ Fanatics, the largest online jiu-jitsu library: https://bjjfanatics.comKojo Fightwear, Bernardo's gear brand: https://kojofightwear.com/?rfsn=9277274.6e01c5New episodes every week. If this one helped you, follow the show and leave a rating: it is the best way to help the podcast reach more people.