New Team, Familiar Faces: Who is a part of B Team Jiu Jitsu?

Last updated on 30.03.2022 by

Last year, the Jiu Jitsu world was rocked when the legendary Danaher Death Squad split up. From the schism, two new camps were formed, called New Wave Jiu Jitsu and B Team Jiu Jitsu (often simply called the B Team). 

Here is what you need to know about the B Team. We’ll go through how the team was formed and what their plans are for the future.

The history of the B Team Jiu Jitsu

The makings of a super team

For nearly a decade, the Danaher Death Squad dominated no-gi Jiu Jitsu. Any time you saw a member of the Danaher Death Squad competing, it was a safe bet that they were going to win.

Prior to the team moving from New York to Puerto Rico, Craig Jones joined the DDS in Renzo Gracie‘s blue basement. If the team wasn’t an unstoppable juggernaut before, they sure looked like it once Craig Jones joined them!

DDS moves to Puerto Rico

The first news that shocked the Jiu Jitsu world was when DDS announced they were leaving Renzo Gracie’s Blue Basement to set up a new gym.

The location the team would pick was on the island of Puerto Rico. Their idea was to create a super camp on a beautiful island – with the intention of attracting the world’s best grapplers to train with them in paradise. At first, the move seemed like a good idea at the time – particularly due to the extreme Covid-19 restrictions that were in place in New York at the time.

Trouble in Paradise

The move to Puerto Rico was short-lived as the plans of building a super camp were not realized.

The main difficulty was due to travel to the island being difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. As quickly as the camp in Puerto Rico opened, it closed.

This news was broken by both Gordon Ryan and John Danaher. During their announcements on Instagram posts, they laid down another bombshell that shocked the BJJ community:

The powerhouse Danaher Death Squad were splitting up and the members were going their separate ways. From what all the members have said, the decision to split up was a mutual one.

New Team, Familiar Faces: Who is a part of B Team Jiu Jitsu? 1 New Team, Familiar Faces: Who is a part of B Team Jiu Jitsu? b team jiu jitsu

There were some philosophical differences about training between some of the members and in the end, they decided the best thing to do was go their own ways and open different gyms.

The B Team is formed

From the DDS breakup, one of the gyms that formed would be called the B Team.

This crew consists of Nicky Ryan, Craig Jones, Ethan Crelinsten, and Nick Rodriguez. The B Team found a location for their new gym in Austin, Texas and opened in late 2021.

B Team rivalry with New Wave Jiu Jitsu?

To make this story crazier, the B Team school is located in the same city as Gordon Ryan’s new school. B Team’s school is actually a less than 15-minute trip from New Wave Jiu Jitsu!

As of now, the two teams are on good terms, but do not cross train with one another.

The B Team’s top competitors

Craig Jones

Of course, the most well-known member of the B Team competition team is Craig Jones. Australia’s best grappler has been a fan favorite since his breakout performance at ADCC 2016.

Since then, he has had numerous highlight reel finishes and nearly won ADCC gold in 2018. Jones will be making his third attempt at ADCC gold later this year.

Nicky Ryan

Nicky Ryan breaking away from his brother and John Danaher shocked many that watched the drama unfold. Since Nicky was a teenager, he has been beating the best grapplers in the world and winning titles.

It seems like Ryan wanted to set out on his own and carve his own path out from beneath his brother’s shadow. We’ll all be watching what he does next with great interest.

Nick Rodriguez

Nick Rodriguez was the young phenom on the DDS team. With less than a year of Jiu Jitsu training, Rod nearly won ADCC gold in 2018.

Since that performance, he has only gotten better and has been developing his Jiu Jitsu game.

Ethan Crelensten

Ethan Crelensten is a former student of both Firas Zahabi and John Danaher. While Crelensten isn’t as well known as his teammates, he played a big role in the B Team coming together.

Crelensten is an accomplished competitor in his own right and one of the team’s main coaches.

FAQs about the B Team

When was the B Team founded?

The B Team was founded in 2021.

Who are the founders of the B Team?

The four founders of the B Team include: Craig Jones, Nicky Ryan, Nick Rodriguez, and Ethan Crelinsten.

Where is the B Team headquartered?

The B Team’s gym is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

What is taught at the B Team gym? 

The B Team is a strictly no-gi Jiu Jitsu school.

Can I join the B Team?

Yes, but be warned. This BJJ school is more geared to high level no-gi competitors. They train at a fast pace and it isn’t the best place for a beginner to start learning Jiu Jitsu.

The B Team today

Since opening their gym in late 2021, the B Team’s mats have been full of new students. They’ve been getting some great feedback and look like they’ll have a bright future.

This year, three of the B Team members (Jones, Rodriguez, and Ryan) will be competing at ADCC 2022. Nicky Rods will actually be in the same division as former teammate Gordon Ryan.

The B Team crew will take their shots at ADCC gold once again and make a name for their team.