The Broken Prodigy Who Became a World-Class Coach: Nicky Ryan's Story

Nicky Ryan — the teenage prodigy who grew up in the Danaher Death Squad (DDS) — reshaped the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. From submitting adult black belts at 13 to surviving injuries, family tragedy, and the collapse of the most feared grappling team on Earth, Nicky’s story is one of talent, strategy, and reinvention.

Trained alongside Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, and Eddie Cummings under John Danaher, Nicky mastered leg locks, heel hooks, and modern BJJ systems that changed no-gi grappling forever. His evolution from a young competitor in Polaris, EBI, and Kasai Pro to ADCC trials, ADCC World Championships, and high-stakes million-dollar tournaments shows how mental toughness and technical mastery define champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Watch the journey of Nicky Ryan as he rebuilds B-Team, rises as a coach, and outsmarts his former mentor John Danaher at CJI 2. This documentary covers BJJ history, grappling legends, leg lock revolution, professional no-gi competition, and the legacy of one of the sport’s brightest minds.
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Music:
nervous_testpilot - Deus Ex - UNATCO remix
Glue 70- The Price
'CUB !'
cat1LSD
Glue 70- Please Die
Nothingtobeseenhere - Conference Call (NO VOCALS)
hackers
Transfiguration
At Bay
End This
Extinction - Nethertown
Old Days
Rafael Krux- Video Game Blockbuster
Tempting Secrets
Rafael Krux- Lonely Mountain
Three Sheets to the Wind
Morri Tone
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Video footage used:

FloGrappling
Stuart Cooper Films
BJJ HACKS
B-Team
Lex Friedman Podcast
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Comment down below your favourite part of Nicky's story!

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Check out my other Brazillian Jiu Jitsu videos:

The "BJJ Concepts and Ideas" Playlist, it features a growing list of videos specifically based on how to learn BJJ faster and have more fun while doing it!

The "BJJ Documentaries" Playlist features the most interesting stories from the grappling world, showing all of it's amazing characters, dramatic stories and everything inbetween.
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Jiu Jitsu was made to be enjoyable, so enjoy it as much as you can!