A student of the respected master Pedro Sauer, Curran gives back everything he learned at his Jiu-Jitsu academy in Illinois. His learning as an athlete and fighter has been a vital factor in the growth of his submission-only Jiu-Jitsu event, with a simple and powerful motto: “Athletes first, always.”

At 48 years old, the MMA “Big Frog” fought from 1998 to 2016, and told GRACIEMAG.com what he has learned, and taught, as the organizer of the Jeff Curran Invitational (JCI) event.

GRACIEMAG: What was the most valuable thing you learned from your master, Pedro Sauer?

JEFF CURRAN: I have had many big lessons I have learned from Pedro Sauer. But one that always comes to my mind when I am teaching or going through hard times is that things can always be worse.

When was that?

Back when I was a purple belt. I was visiting him in Salt Lake City at his academy, and I was going through some financial troubles, I was struggling with my work/business/athletic career as well as some student issues. After knowing what I was going through, Pedro asked me to train and tapped me God knows how many times and tossed me all around the mat. I was in tears because my confidence had been stripped away from me and on top all I was going through. Anyhow, in true Pedro Sauer fashion he put his arm around me as we sat tired on the mat and he said “Just remember Little Jeff: things can always get worse”.

A powerful lesson, indeed…

Yes. It was a very good moment for me after I had settled down because I thought deeply about that comment. It also made me laugh so it snapped me out of my current mental state and into a fresh one.

Jeff “Big Frog” with master Pedro Sauer.

You have around 55 MMA fights in your career, right? Did you fight big tournaments with the gi, as well?

Yes. I had many memorable moments in the Gi. Also during my purple belt days I was set to face a former teammate who was more mature than me and had been having more formal training. It was the semifinals of the 2000 Pro Ams in Raleigh North Carolina, something like that. I was so nervous yet confident. Most on the team thought I was in over my head but I locked in and was able to put him to sleep in front of his new professor and of course in front of Pedro. That was me realizing that I was capable of stealing the show no matter who it was. My confidence went way up and that fueled that next charge in my early career.

Which fight marked you the most? Maybe the one that taught you the most lessons?

This is a good question and I could choose from 50 different MMA fights that ring a bell but I had a fight against Ryan Ackerman for the Shooto America’s belt back in early 2000’s. I trained so hard, I trained with all my top guys. That hurt me because I didn’t catch those guys in triangles much in training because they knew my game. So, after I caught the first triangle at the end of round 1 and he survived, I stood up and I could barely walk. I was so fatigued from squeezing the triangle. I continued to catch him multiple triangles throughout the fight and now the chokes were weaker and weaker as the time went on. I won the Belt via unanimous decision, however the big win was to realize that I should have been sharpening my offense on lower level guys who don’t want to tap easy. It taught me to really find value in all your training partners.

And what would be the differentiating factor of your event, JCI?

There is a few things that are unique to JCI ruleset. First of all we have regulation time of 7 minutes (10 for title fights and main events) and 3 minute OT for regular bouts and 5 minute OT for title fights/main events. At the end of regulation, the referee will flip a coin to determine who gets to choose the starting position of the OT round. Top (inside closed guard), Bottom (playing closed guard), Neutral (from the feet).

At the end of regulation if there was warnings for stalling during the match, the referee has the choice to give the coin toss to your opponent. This keeps people from stalling because they don’t want to lose a 50/50 chance at picking the start position.

And what happens then?

Well, after the OT round ends, if there is no winner, the 3 mat side judges score only the OT round to determine the winner. Threatening submissions and mat dominance are key to victory for the most part. So far, we have had great success with these rules but myself and my referee staff meet regularly to discuss little nuances that could make the rules set and/or judging criteria more and more clear.

Your motto is “Athletes first, always.” How does this translate into practice in the tournament?

“Athletes first, always” means every decision we make is built around giving competitors the best possible experience. That starts with fair, meaningful matchups based on experience — not just belt rank. Our rules push action and create clear outcomes, so athletes always have a real chance to win. We also prioritize professionalism—tight scheduling, high-level referees, and a well-run event—because these athletes put in serious time to prepare. On top of that, we focus on presentation and exposure, making sure every competitor feels valued. At the end of the day, if the athletes feel respected and proud of their performance, we’ve done our job.”

Which event treated you best in your vast and successful career?

I really loved the WEC days. Although the staff was for the most part the same as UFC, the experience in WEC felt different. It was an entity of its own but powered by the Zuffa machine. I loved everyone from drivers/assistants all the way up the line to Reed Harris, Dana White, Sean Shelby, Joe Silva etc. And everyone in between. They were special days back then.

As an athlete, have you experienced any curious instances of mistreatment or organizational failure anywhere?

My whole purpose in my organization, the Jeff Curran Invitational (JCI) is to provide fair opportunity to the athletes. That isn’t the case in some organizations. I have felt used, taken for granted and at times even set-up for failure from a number or organizations. Fighting is a dirty business and attracts a lot of people without the best intentions unfortunately. So although it’s called Mixed Martial Arts, the martial arts respect is often left out of the equation. JCI is not a corporate machine, it’s a small tight team of people I believe in and trust and they all see my vision clearly. To put the Athletes First!

What can viewers on your YouTube channel expect?

So far we have had two successful events. Our livestream is clean, our event moves forward steadily and our match-ups are awesome from start to finish. Some up and comers, some local heroes and some top of the food chain competitors. We have five title fights including two women’s match-ups and three mens. If anyone wants to get a glimpse behind the scenes before May 9th, they can watch Episode 4 of Jeff Curran: Martial Life @jeffcurraninvitational YouTube channel.

Kron Gracie opens Victor Estima’s guard at World Jiu-Jitsu Expo 2012. GRACIEMAG archive photo.

GRACIEMAG.com: The promoters of Metamoris Pro, coming up on the 14th in San Diego, California, matched you up against Otavio Sousa in one of the no-points, 20-minute bouts on the card. Have you changed the way you train at all because of the rules?

KRON GRACIE: Not at all. I’m training the same as I always do. I’m training hard with my team here at the academy. Everything’s perfect. I fight targeting the finish, without thinking about points or time, so nothing has changed. I’m just training really hard because it’ll be a tough match. I’m rotating through the students on the team. There’s Patrick, who just got his black belt not long ago, and other really tough students who are helping me out too.

You got injured at the 2012 Worlds. How’s your knee?

It’s 110%. I’m as ready for war as can be. I’m just waiting for time to come.

What guidance has your father, Rickson, offered you about the new rules?

He’s made some special recommendations, but I can’t reveal them to you, can I (laughs)? He’ll be there in my corner on the 14th. Truth is, I always have my dad helping me, whether at the academy or over the phone when he’s in Brazil or traveling.

What are your thoughts on this no-points format?

To me it’s like a dream. I’m anxious to see how things flow. I think I’ll be a lot more at ease, since I’ll have time to work. I’m certainly a bit happier that we’ll have a bit more time to see who’s the better fighter.

Are the rules good for the sport and Jiu-Jitsu fans?

I think we’ll find that out after the event. As André Galvão told you, what’s important is that the fighters don’t go in there just trying for the draw. The rules are perfect for you to go on the attack and win the fight. That’s what’s important—wanting to win the fight. If the athletes are going for victory, and not just aiming to tie or not lose, the event will be really cool. Otherwise, it could be a boring 20 minutes.

What do you think of Otavio Sousa as an opponent?

Otavio is the current world middleweight champion and I think he’s really tough. He gave me a chance to face him, so I’m honored to fight the champion. Let’s see who wins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86ELzqtbH2M

What’s your angle on the current Jiu-Jitsu-tournament panorama?

In my opinion, it’s on the decline. I feel Jiu-Jitsu is getting worse. These days we see blue and purple belts who think Jiu-Jitsu’s all about grabbing the sleeve and trying those little sweeps… I feel they lose time with all that and the sport is getting worse with that kind of game. But no one can control that—not me; I can only do my best to see that Jiu-Jitsu keeps moving forward, upward. I feel beginners these days need to get inspired by Jiu-Jitsu as a whole, not just sport Jiu-Jitsu. I want to do this match at Metamoris so fans can see the real Jiu-Jitsu.

How do you see the future of competition Jiu-Jitsu?

In the future, I hope there’ll be more events like Metamoris, events that can make the fighters comfortable to express themselves and that are more interesting for the crowd to watch. I feel that that’s how Jiu-Jitsu will make it to TV and to an Olympic level. That’s the path, and not through the stalled matches we’re seeing these days. I feel there should be more rules against stalling in Jiu-Jitsu. Look at judo—you can’t stop, can’t do certain things.

What’s it like to train hard while managing an academy?

I feel it’s like having two jobs. It’s kind of hard; you have to do everything at the academy and still train not just to fight, but to try and be at your best. I try doing what I can as best I can. When it’s possible, it’s possible. Today I’m focused on training, but soon my focus will be back on training my students and investing in the business.

André Galvão had some kind words about you here on GRACIEMAG.com, saying you stick your neck out at championships. What did you think of that?

He’s a great guy who I respect a lot. I feel that when we realize there are guys out there like us, guys who are going after the same thing you are, that naturally generates mutual respect, even if you’re opponents on the mat. He, like the others, is a warrior who is always in Jiu-Jitsu to win it. I respect him and other top guys, like Marcelo Garcia, Roger, Rodolfo and others.

Do you ever think of doing MMA?

Of course, that’s certainly on my mind. I love competing, love representing Jiu-Jitsu and my team. Just let me get to a point where I can focus on that and it’ll happen. You can count on it.

The competition-Jiu-Jitsu calendar is taking a well-deserved recess after the thrilling year of 2011.

But that doesn’t mean the IBJJF is slacking off; the sport’s governing body took it upon itself to release the spanking new Jiu-Jitsu Rule Book before the turn of the year.

Nearly two years in the making, the rules underwent a complete overhaul, gaining photos, charts and illustrations that elucidate all the more clearly the guidelines to which competitors and event promoters alike will be expected to adhere.

New additions to the rules are the Overall Competitions Regulations and a Competition Format Manual.

The new book also includes, for the first time, specific rules and regulations for No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu competitions.

Thus the IBJJF hopes to create greater standardization between competitions held the world over, even those that do not fall under the organization’s authority.

As for the competition rules, the big change comes in the penalty count for lack of combativeness, that notorious stalling.

While penalties for stalling used to count separately from the other disciplinary and technical penalties, now they shall adhere to a penalty order designated on the scoreboard.

Hence after the first, verbal, warning for lack of combativeness, the athlete will be penalized by an advantage or two point being added to his/her opponent’s score or even by disqualification, depending on the number of penalties already counted.

The first official championship to test drive the new rules will be the January European Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

You can read or download the new rules in English at the IBJJF website here.