[Danaher Diaries] Sparring Stamina and the Kenyan Runner

The first story John Danaher tells in “Danaher diaries, book 1” is about a Kenyan runner and what he learned about Stamina. The plot of the story explains how an athlete who was at peak human stamina could not roll through basic jujitsu positions for a few minutes without exhaustion, cramping in his legs and ultimately tapping out. How was this man an athlete? This Kenyan born man (no name given) ran the 10,000 km steeple chase at Olympic level for his home country of Kenya. This man’s job was also to run all day as a “running partner” for wealthy clients in New York. This man was without a doubt “one of the best runners I had ever seen”. According to Coach Danaher.

With the overall stamina of this man in mind, it was to Danaher’s incredible surprise when he was simply unable to spar longer than a few minutes through basic pin submissions. This taught me the importance of training your cardio with you goal in mind. Being body-to-body with an opponent as you attempt to choke each other unconscious and ensnare each other’s limbs is an entirely different physical and psychological battle than running incredibly long distance at remarkable speed. Both are unique skillsets, Danaher had one, and this Kenyan runner had the other. There is ultimately little carryover between these skillsets.

To gain stamina while sparring, you must roll and spar more.

By Chase Manhart