John Danaher taught Gordon Ryan everything he knows. Then Gordon took that knowledge, pressure-tested it against the best grapplers on the planet, and built his own instructional empire. Both now have 50+ titles on BJJ Fanatics. Both cover similar topics. And both charge premium prices.
So when you’re staring at two guard passing instructionals and trying to decide between teacher and student, which one actually deserves your money?
The Quick Verdict
Buy Danaher If You Want…
- To understand WHY techniques work (first principles)
- Structured progression from white to purple belt
- Escape systems (Gordon has nothing here)
- Gi-specific techniques (Go Further Faster series)
Buy Gordon Ryan If You Want…
- EVERY variation and counter-to-counter chain
- Competition-tested systems from the GOAT
- Body lock passing (the definitive resource)
- No-gi focused content with sparring footage
For most people on a budget: start with Danaher, graduate to Gordon.
I’ve watched hundreds of hours from both instructors. Here’s the honest breakdown of where each one excels, where they fall short, and exactly which instructional you should buy based on your level and goals.
Teaching Style: The Professor vs. The Practitioner
The biggest difference between Danaher and Gordon Ryan instructionals isn’t the techniques. It’s how they teach.
John Danaher’s Teaching Style
Danaher teaches like a philosophy professor who happens to know jiu-jitsu. He starts every topic with first principles: why does this position exist? What are the mechanical advantages?
He uses precise, almost academic language. You’ll hear terms like “asymmetric leverage,” “dominant wedge,” and his famous Ashi Garami taxonomy (straight, cross, reverse). He organizes BJJ into interconnected systems where every technique connects to every other technique.
The upside: you walk away understanding the underlying logic. The downside: some people find him verbose. A common community complaint is that Danaher takes 20 minutes to explain what could be shown in 5. One forum user on Sherdog put it bluntly, saying they find his style to be “Plato-wannabe BS.” Others say his conceptual depth is exactly what they want from an instructional.
- Best for: Conceptual learners, coaches, jiu-jitsu nerds
- Pacing: Slow and methodical. Builds from first principles.
- Language: Academic, precise terminology
- Format: Philosophy first, then technique, then drilling
Gordon Ryan’s Teaching Style
Gordon teaches like a competitor sharing his playbook. He establishes a framework for each position, then methodically shows every variation: what happens if they react this way, what about that way, what if they do nothing?
He uses plain language and frequently tells stories from competition. When he shows the body lock pass, he’ll explain exactly how he used it against Felipe Pena or Andre Galvao. Everything is battle-tested.
The catch: Gordon goes on tangents. Reviewer Filip Zanki (BJJ World) gave the Body Lock Study a 10/10 for technical quality but noted the instructional is “very helpful, but also quite confusing at times” because of “so many tangents along the way.” Joshua Richards (JoshRichBJJ) noted that one early instructional “lacked organization,” though he said this “wanes in comparison to everything else.”
- Best for: Competitors, visual learners, practitioners who learn by doing
- Pacing: Faster than Danaher. More tangents though.
- Language: Plain, conversational, story-driven
- Format: Framework, then every variation, then counters to counters
Danaher himself has acknowledged the shift. In a widely-shared interview, he said: “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.”
Price Comparison: The Gordon Tax Is Real
Let’s talk money, because the price gap between these two is significant.
A GrappleDB analysis of 3,393 BJJ instructional titles revealed what the community has long suspected:
| Metric | John Danaher | Gordon Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Average price per title | $268 | $346 |
| Median price | ~$197 | $349 |
| Total titles on BJJ Fanatics | 54 | 48 |
| Titles priced $200+ | ~30 | 40 |
| Full catalog cost | ~$14,500 | $16,587 |
| Typical sale discount | 60-75% off | 60-75% off |
Gordon’s pricing is 3.2x the BJJ Fanatics catalog average of $108. GrappleDB calls this “The Gordon Tax.” The community consensus on Reddit is clear: never buy either instructor at full price. Wait for BJJ Fanatics sales (they happen every few weeks) and expect to pay $57-87 for titles that normally cost $147-197.
Bottom line: Gordon is more expensive at every price point. But on sale, both become reasonable. If price is your primary concern, Danaher gives you more content per dollar.
Topic-by-Topic Comparison
Here’s where it gets practical. Both instructors cover the same major positions, but their approaches differ significantly.
Guard Passing
Danaher (Go Further Faster: Passing the Guard + New Wave series) teaches 7 primary passes: double under, over-under, knee cut, torreando, leg drag, long step, and smash pass. He introduces a “5-step formula for getting past any and all guards” and his “Negate Advantage Completion” model. BJJ World called it “Danaher’s most groundbreaking [instructional] yet.”
Gordon Ryan (Systematically Attacking the Guard 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 + Body Lock Study) goes deeper on fewer passes. The Body Lock Study alone is 9 hours covering front locks, side locks, tightwaists, and his “Golden Trilemma” for creating unstoppable pressure. His split squat concept recurs across all his passing content. BJJ World gave the Guard 1.0 a 5/5 and called it “a system as complete as Ryan is well rounded at grappling.” Filip Zanki scored the Body Lock Study 10/10 on technical quality.
Leg Locks
Danaher (Enter the System: Leg Locks) is the instructional that started the modern leg lock revolution. 9+ hours covering his three Ashi Garami subsystems (straight, cross, reverse), inside control fundamentals, heel hook mechanics, and 10 key principles. BJJ World gave it 5/5 and called it “a very untypical product designed to make practitioners think rather than simply copy techniques.”
Gordon Ryan (Systematically Attacking the Legs) runs 11 hours and covers every entanglement scenario you’ll encounter. It’s built on Danaher’s conceptual framework but expanded with Gordon’s own innovations from competition. More variations, more counters, more “what if they do X” branches.
Back Attacks
Danaher (Back Attacks: Enter the System) covers the foundational system: seat belt grip, hooks vs. body triangle, straight jacket control, and submission entries from the back.
Gordon Ryan (Systematically Attacking the Back) expands this into 8 volumes. He introduces the “Straight Jacket System 2.0,” high ball ride, overhook control, expanded grip fighting, and what BJJ World called “back retention details that even Danaher skipped over.” He also includes choke variations (mandible strangles, garrote) and two volumes of sparring breakdowns with commentary.
Guard Play (Offense from Bottom)
Danaher covers closed guard, half guard, open guard, and guard retention across both the Go Further Faster (gi) and New Wave (no-gi) series. His guard retention instructional is particularly well-regarded. BJJ World wrote: “Guard retention is one of the most important skills of jiu-jitsu and nobody explains it better than John Danaher.”
Gordon Ryan has dedicated instructionals for seated guard, supine guard, closed guard, and half guard. Each runs 6+ volumes plus rolling footage with commentary. His seated guard set includes chapters on countering the body lock pass with overhooks that BJJ World called “probably some of the best in this entire instructional.”
Escapes and Defense
Danaher (New Wave: Positional Escapes + Go Further Faster: Pin Escapes & Turtle Escapes) provides comprehensive escape coverage from mount, back, side control, knee on belly, body triangle, and turtle. His teaching philosophy emphasizes “defense as foundation” and building survival skills before offensive systems. BJJ World confirmed the techniques “work on the mats” and reviewers “were able to hit the escapes on their first few tries on various belt levels.”
Gordon Ryan has no dedicated escape instructional.
Submissions (Triangles, Armbars, Guillotines)
Danaher (Enter the System series) has dedicated instructionals for triangles, armbars, kimuras, guillotines, and front headlocks. Each is a self-contained system covering the philosophy, mechanics, entries, and finishes. These are some of his most celebrated works.
Gordon Ryan covers submissions across his position-specific sets and in dedicated titles like Submission Dilemmas and Sport of Kings. His approach focuses more on forcing reactions that create submission chains rather than isolating individual submissions.
Who Should Buy Danaher Instructionals?
Buy Danaher If You Are…
- A white or blue belt building your first complete system. Danaher’s progressive structure is specifically designed for this.
- A conceptual learner who needs to understand WHY before you can execute. If you’re the type who reads textbooks before lab work, Danaher is your instructor.
- A coach or instructor looking for frameworks to teach your students.
- Someone who needs escapes. Danaher’s escape instructionals have no equivalent in Gordon’s catalog.
- A gi practitioner. The Go Further Faster series is specifically built for gi training. Gordon’s catalog is almost entirely no-gi.
- On a tighter budget. Danaher averages $78 less per title than Gordon.
Start here: Enter the System: Leg Locks (the original that changed BJJ) or Go Further Faster: Passing the Guard (his most practical work).
For the complete breakdown, see our guide to all 38 Danaher instructionals, ranked.
Browse All Danaher InstructionalsWho Should Buy Gordon Ryan Instructionals?
Buy Gordon Ryan If You Are…
- A purple belt or above who already understands basic systems and wants competition-tested detail.
- A competitor preparing for tournaments. Everything Gordon teaches has been used against the best grapplers alive.
- A no-gi specialist. Gordon’s entire catalog is built for no-gi grappling.
- Someone who wants body lock passing. Gordon’s Body Lock Study is the definitive resource.
- A visual learner who benefits from rolling footage. Gordon includes sparring volumes with real-time commentary.
- Someone who already owns Danaher’s foundational sets and wants the “graduate level” expansion.
Start here: Systematically Attacking the Guard 1.0 (his most popular) or Body Lock Study (his most unique offering).
For the complete breakdown, see our ranked review of all Gordon Ryan instructionals.
Browse All Gordon Ryan InstructionalsBeginners vs. Advanced: A Practical Guide
Your belt level matters more than personal preference here. Here’s a blunt assessment:
White Belts
Buy Danaher. Full stop. Gordon’s content assumes you already know what an Ashi Garami is, what a knee shield does, and how guard retention works. Without those reference points, you’ll be lost. Danaher builds from the ground up.
Blue Belts
Mostly Danaher, with one exception. If you compete no-gi and already have a solid foundation, Gordon’s Systematically Attacking the Guard 1.0 is accessible enough. But for most blue belts, Danaher’s Go Further Faster or New Wave series will be more useful.
Purple Belts
This is where Gordon becomes the better investment for most people. You have enough context to follow his tangents, enough mat time to appreciate his competition details, and enough skill to actually implement his systems.
Brown and Black Belts
Gordon, almost exclusively. At this level, you don’t need someone to explain why the over-under pass works. You need someone to show you the 15 variations and which one to use when your opponent does X vs. Y vs. Z. That’s Gordon’s entire teaching model.
The Best Approach: Build a Combined Library
The truth is, Danaher and Gordon aren’t really competitors. They’re complementary. Danaher builds the foundation; Gordon adds the details. Here’s the ideal progression:
- Start with Danaher’s conceptual foundations: Enter the System: Leg Locks + Go Further Faster: Passing + New Wave: Positional Escapes
- Add Gordon’s competition-tested systems: Systematically Attacking the Guard + Body Lock Study
- Fill in gaps based on your game: Danaher for escapes and gi work. Gordon for back attacks, submission chains, and no-gi guard.
Wait for sales. Both instructors get 60-75% discounts during BJJ Fanatics promotions, which happen every few weeks. A $197 title during a sale drops to $57-87. Build your library over time rather than buying everything at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gordon Ryan better than Danaher at teaching?
Not better, different. Danaher excels at conceptual frameworks and building understanding from first principles. Gordon excels at exhaustive technical coverage and real-world application. Danaher himself has said Gordon “knows more than I do about Jiu-Jitsu,” but knowing more doesn’t necessarily mean teaching better. Most practitioners benefit from both approaches at different stages.
Are Gordon Ryan instructionals worth the price?
At full price ($200-350+), they’re hard to justify unless you’re a serious competitor. At sale prices ($57-87), they’re excellent value. Joshua Richards (JoshRichBJJ on YouTube) spent over $1,000 on Gordon’s catalog and concluded it was “worth the money,” noting that specific techniques like the Shoulder Crunch Sweep immediately worked against higher-ranked training partners. The community consensus: never buy at full price, always wait for BJJ Fanatics sales.
Which Danaher series should I start with?
For no-gi: Enter the System: Leg Locks or the New Wave series (Positional Escapes is the best starting point). For gi: Go Further Faster: Passing the Guard. Avoid starting with his more niche titles like Feet to Floor unless takedowns are your specific priority. See our complete Danaher instructionals guide for the full ranking.
Which Gordon Ryan instructional should I start with?
Systematically Attacking the Guard 1.0 is his most popular for a reason: guard passing is universally useful and it’s one of his better-organized early works. If you’re already decent at passing, the Body Lock Study is his most unique and focused offering. For a complete breakdown, see our Gordon Ryan instructionals ranked review.
Can I learn leg locks from Gordon Ryan without watching Danaher first?
Yes, but it’s not ideal. Gordon’s Systematically Attacking the Legs is built on Danaher’s Ashi Garami framework. If you already understand straight Ashi, cross Ashi, and reverse Ashi from training, you’ll be fine going straight to Gordon. If those terms mean nothing to you, start with Danaher’s Enter the System: Leg Locks to build the conceptual foundation first.
Do Danaher and Gordon Ryan instructionals overlap?
Yes, significantly. Gordon learned from Danaher, so the underlying systems are similar. The difference is depth and detail. Danaher gives you the framework and principles. Gordon gives you every variation, every counter, and every counter-to-counter. Think of it as textbook vs. lab manual. You don’t need both for the same topic unless you want maximum depth.
Are there topics where one is clearly better than the other?
Danaher is clearly better for: Escapes (Gordon has nothing here), gi-specific techniques, conceptual foundations for beginners, and coaching frameworks.
Gordon is clearly better for: Body lock passing (the definitive resource), back attacks (his system expands significantly on Danaher’s), no-gi guard play, and competition-tested finishing sequences.
For guard passing, leg locks, and submissions, both are excellent and the right choice depends on your level and learning style.
