According to John Danaher, veteran Danaher Death Squad member Eddie “Wolverine” Cummings and his student, Jon Calestine, left DDS because they did not want to train with people they might compete against.
Danaher wrote on Instagram:
Mr Calestine was a regular training partner and apprentice in the squad, but left with Eddie Cummings due to concerns about training next to team mates who either did, or could potentially compete against them in the same weight classes. It’s always a tricky thing to deal with this problem. Some athletes, such as Garry Tonon and Gordon Ryan, are fine with the idea of training with people they will compete against, others, such as Eddie Cummings and Jonathan Calestine feel awkward about it.
The Danaher Death Squad founder, however, harbors no ill will towards his former students for leaving “the squad.”
As a coach I respect and understand that. We still think of them as alumni from the same team and carrying the torch of our approach to the game. Mr Calestine’s strong leg locking pedigree was very much in evidence last night as he quickly heel hooked his first three opponents in regulation and then won the final against 10th planet stand out Geo Martinez in over time to take a great win. Great to see his success as a student and Mr Cummings success as a mentor. There are a bunch of other athletes emerging in the squad who can do similar things in future EBI’s in various weight categories – this should make for great shows as the seniors go in new directions in the future.
Jon Calestine became an overnight sensation in competitive Brazilian jiu-jitsu last night after he not only won the EBI Featherweight Championship, but did so despite having only days to prepare for the tournament. Calestine wowed audiences with the way he plowed through the competition and then defeated original Featherweight Champion Geo “Freakazoid” Martinez in overtime.
With or without the Danaher Death Squad, he will no doubt continue to be a force to be reckoned with.
