The Better Half, of Jeff Curran

Written by Jacob Nuesser
Oct 7 2009

Sarah Curran in Fight Chix Face Off Tee

An inside look into the family life of Jeff Curran told by his wife, Sarah.

 

Sarah, tell us a little about your background and when and where you met Jeff?

First off, thank you so much for this opportunity. It is a so nice to be able to tell you a little about Jeff  from a different vantage point.  I lived my whole life in a small town about 15 miles from where Jeff grew up in a little house with lots of love. We had a similar upbringing in that sense. I spent most of my life as a, for lack of a better word, nerd. I loved school, my trombone and badminton. Feel free to laugh. I have a Master’s Degree in Education and was a first grade teacher for 7 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. I met Jeff 12 years ago at a local diner, where I was a waitress. I remember thinking, what happened to this guy’s ears?!?!   He left me a generous tip, his phone number and a note that said, “It’s all up to you to call me” on a brochure from his first Martial Arts School, All Range Martial Arts. I suppose the phone number was so that I could call and thank him for the large tip he left me! When I didn’t call him, he called me and asked me why I didn’t call him. So much for leaving it up to me! I am so thankful every day that he took the initiative to call me. Long story short, he lured me in with his wit, charm and cute little hiney.  Before our first date, which was at the movies, he had just competed in Extreme Challenge to become a professional fighter. When he told me what he did for a living I had know idea what he was talking about. He must have had the urge to show me right then and there as he got down on the floor and showed me some jiu-jitsu moves on the lobby floor at the movies! Then, we went home and he had me sit and watch UFC 1 with him.  After watching Royce win, Jeff gave me a 2-hour speech on jiu-jitsu and the Gracie family and his passion for the art. I had no idea what hit me!! Haha!  After that, it was fights at little shows almost every single weekend for Jeff or someone on his team.  We would travel for hours to get to a fight that Jeff took on a 4-hour notice.  He was always like that….he just wanted to fight, no matter who or where. He was, and still is, an amazing fighter to watch.   Flash forward to 2009,  we have been together for 12 years now and have been married for 5 with two of the most beautiful and happy little boys in the world.

Sarah and Jeff Curran in the Cage

 
Great fighters often have great support behind the scene. As the wife to a great fighter I am sure you head up the support system for Jeff, can you tell us what kinds of things you do for him when he is getting ready for a fight?

Jeff is such a level-headed and mentally solid individual, but I like to think that I help him be the fighter that he is somewhat. Basically, I just cook him tons of fish, chicken, broccoli and asparagus and find really creative hiding places for the ice cream (I catch him searching for it late at night!) I actually have to hide our son’s gummy vitamins as he has been known to snack on those when the craving really strikes! Sleep is so important for training as well, and it seems to be dwindling more and more with each child we have!!! I let Jeff find a nice quiet place to sleep at night, far far away from any baby monitors or licking doggy tongues, so that he can get the rest he needs. Also, we just try to give Daddy space around here when he needs it. He loves playing with his little dudes, but he has mentioned that the mental switch that he has to go through close to fight time is difficult. He is training to take someone’s head off during the day and then he has to play hide-and-seek with Ty and talk baby talk to Jacob when he gets home.  I assume that switch would be difficult to make. He just needs a little transition time when he gets home. Lastly, and probably most importantly, I like to think that I am Jeff’s number one fan. Even Jeff, being the amazing fighter that he is, needs a little encouragement and support now and then. Oh, and he also models all of his fight shorts for me the week before his fight and I tell him which ones look best.  This is very important to him.

 

Jeff and the boys

When Jeff is entering the cage, what is going through your head? 

Oh, crap…followed closely by…Just don’t let him get hurt, just don’t let him get hurt, just don’t let him get hurt.

I know a fighter's schedule can be hectic---with Jeff it is probably worse since he runs one of top schools in the midwest, promotes the XFO, and is teaching, training and fighting---so when do you all have free time and what do you enjoy doing?

Jeff’s plate is not only full, it is overflowing…he needs at least 3 plates. He has been trying to trim the fat lately so that he can focus on having more time with our boys and his fight career, but he has the type of personality that thrives on keeping busy.  Since Jeff is so busy during the week, family time tends to be relaxing and carefree. We like being outside together…bike rides, walks, parks, going to see Ty’s favorite stuffed deer at a nature preserve, etc. At night, Daddy and our eldest son, Ty, usually can be found having a dance party to Ty’s favorite song, Boom Boom Pow. They have a special underwear dance and Daddy teaches Ty less-than-appropriate dance moves, namely “The Michael Jackson crotch grab.”  Mommy doesn’t understand. Boys will be boys…

Do you train in MMA or BJJ at all?

Funny you should ask! I have received boxing gloves as a Valentine’s Day present from Jeff and two gis-one for my birthday and one for Christmas. I used the boxing gloves for about 5 years in Thaiboxing class before we had our first son, but those have been put on the shelf for now. I really enjoyed Thaiboxing and was actually becoming decent, so I hope to get back to it soon. My first gi was given away to someone who needed it at Jeff’s school and my second gi is waiting anxiously in my closet upstairs, all crisp and white. Jeff swears that he will teach me one day, but hasn’t yet. I think he enjoys having the edge on me I could be a black belt if I would have started training when I met him! As for MMA, I think I’ll let that be Jeff’s thing.

The Currans had a busy last few weeks…Jeff competed in ADCC and then came back for the ADA Walk. Can you tell us about how each event went?
Yes, Jeff was lucky enough to have been invited to ADCC, an honor that is probably one of the highlights of his life. He faced a tough competitor and did well, but unfortunately did not place. He had a wonderful experience just being in Spain and hopes to return to ADCC in 2011.  Jiu-jitsu is Jeff’s heart and sould and he hopes to focus more of his attention competing in jiu-jitsu tournaments down the road when things die down a bit. He competed in NAGA this year as well and his team placed first, so he hopes to be involved in that next year as well. The ADA walk was a definite success! Diabetes is a disease that has made a huge impact on Jeff’s family, claiming the lives of his father, grandpa and grandma. Jeff’s team raised nearly $1,000 for the ADA and he hopes to do even more next year. A lot of family and students from the school walked with Jeff and it meant so much to have everyone there with him.

Can you share with us a funny or interesting story about Jeff? 

On a funny note, I once woke up in the middle of the night in an armlock that Jeff was applying on me while he was sleeping. I tried to tap, but that didn’t work so I kicked him and he woke up. I should have put better use to those gis! Jeff fights even when he is sleeping! On a more sentimental note, I was unable to attend Jeff’s WEC fight against Stephen Ledbetter because we had recently had our son.  While I was watching him fight on TV I thought something was different about his arm.  As you know, Jeff is already covered in tattoos, but I knew something was unusual.  As I focused in, I saw that he had gotten my name and our son’s name tattooed on his arm in Vegas the day before the fight and he wanted me to see it for the first time when he was on TV.  What a guy.   And finally, I think it is important for everyone to know that Jeff is the man that you see in all of his interviews…kind, smart, talented and highly dedicated.   He is an amazing person, daddy, husband, fighter and forefather of the sport of MMA.  Thank  you!  
Jacob Nuesser is co-owner of Fight Chix Apparel

Helio Gracie Dies at 95—and leaves a lasting impression on Martial Arts forever.

Fight Chix would like to thank Helio and the Gracie family for creating the sport we love so much—and also credit Cagepotato.com with the top 10 Gracie list—awesome work guys.

Helio was a treasure and his teachings and memory will live on forever.

Roger Gracie

In 2005, 23-year-old Roger Gracie won the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship by submitting all eight opponents, something that had never been done before. The son of Reyla Gracie, Roger has racked up numerous first place finishes in jiu-jitsu tournaments around the world, and won his first MMA match in December 2006 with an unsurprising first-round armbar of Ron “H20” Waterman; he plans to fight again early this year. With his long limbs and prodigious command of BJJ, the young lion of the Gracie clan could become a major force in mixed martial arts.

9. Ralph Gracie

“The Pitbull” isn’t really built like one — he’s 5′9″ and runs a little over a buck fifty. But the nickname is justified by his aggressive approach, which deviates from the generally relaxed Gracie style. Brother to Renzo and the late Ryan, and the son of Robson, Ralph’s only loss came six seconds into a match with Takanori Gomi in 2004 when “The Fireball Kid” kneed him half to death; “The Pitbull” hasn’t fought since. He teaches and trains constantly now – and is kind of obsessive about it, as he was once quoted as saying, “It is better to die than not train.” Can we get a third option?

8. Carlos Gracie, Jr.

Son of BJJ co-creator Carlos Gracie, Carlos Jr. is a seventh-degree black belt in BJJ and founded the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), which is BJJ’s major governing body. He devoted his life to instructing and training others rather than focusing on becoming a competitive fighter, teaching at his father’s school, his brother Rolls’s school, and his own for the last few years. The fact that he has been based in Brazil for much of his teaching career has kept him out of the public eye to some extent, and he’s often overlooked in discussions of notable Gracies; still, his contributions were crucial.

7. Royler Gracie

Royler is the only person to win the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship three years in a row, and he has won it more than any other fighter in its history. Son of BJJ co-founder Helio and brother to Royce and Rickson, Royler’s also been the World Jiu Jitsu Champion four times. That said, his MMA record in sanctioned fights is 5-4-1 — not a stellar record for any fighter, let alone someone signing “Gracie” on his rent checks. He has deviated from the BJJ style a bit, which may be the reason for his lackluster MMA performances, but his ground work is excellent and getting back to the basics could place him among the sport’s elite.

6. Renzo Gracie

A grandson of Carlos, Renzo is 13-6-1 in MMA matches, with his losses coming from mostly top-tier competition (Dan Henderson, BJ Penn, and Kazushi “The Gracie Hunter” Sakuraba). He has notable wins against legends like Pat Miletich and Carlos Newton, though many of his victories were by decision, which is not a badge of honor for a Gracie – anything less than a submission is unsatisfactory. In 2007, Renzo led the IFL’s New York Pitbulls team to an undefeated season and a league championship, guiding stars like Wagnney Fabiano and Delson Helano and proving that the Gracie name was still relevant and fearsome in MMA’s modern age.

5. Rorion Gracie

Rorion is the oldest son of Helio and is one of the few fighters to hold a ninth-degree black belt in BJJ. With his speed and athleticism, he certainly could have been dominant in competitive fighting, but he realized he could make much more money (at the time) by teaching eager students in BJJ, making videos about it, and choreographing fights for major Hollywood movies like Lethal Weapon. (And he was busy having nine kids, which puts him on another list entirely.) In 1991, Rorion met entrepreneur Art Davie, and the two, along with action film director John Milius (who was a student of Rorion’s), created the concept for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which would debut two years later.

4. Carlson Gracie

A Grand Master and ninth-degree black belt in BJJ, Carlson had 18 official fights in his career, and won his first match after fighting for over an hour. The oldest son of Carlos, Carlson became famous for avenging his uncle Helio’s loss to Valdemar Santana, beating him twice and fighting to a draw two other times. He has trained some of the best fighters in the sport, founded one of the most successful fight teams of all time, and is credited with improving the foundation upon which BJJ was built. Had “his day” been today, it’s difficult to imagine an MMA fighter who could touch him.

3. Rickson Gracie

Many people would put Rickson at the top of this list just because of the legend that swirls around him. In twenty years, this son of Helio and brother of Rorion compiled a professional record of 11-0, and won the Vale Tudo Japan tournament two years in a row (1994-1995). His stamina allowed him to go on forever, back when matches seemed to actually go on forever, and all his wins were via submission. His website profile proclaims that “He is nearly undefeated with a combined record of over 400 victories in Jiu-Jitsu tournaments and freestyle wrestling, Sambo, and no holds barred challenge matches.” True or not, he’s been a ferocious presence in martial arts for years and will be a fighter to the end — why else would he be itching to fight again in 2008 at 50 years old?

2. Royce Gracie

Royce Gracie was the first MMA star — the stoic, graceful BJJ expert who introduced his father Helio’s martial art and “vale tudo” fighting to Americans. When he came onto the scene in 1993 by sweeping the eight-man tournament of UFC 1 (and then the brutal 16-man tournament of UFC 2), fight fans marveled at how he consistently beat dudes who were bigger and stronger than him by using a relaxed, precise ground technique, and how he seemed to be even more dangerous when he was on his back. Now we’re used to the sight, but back in the day we figured he was using some sort of Brazilian black magic. Not a naturally-skilled athlete or an incredibly imposing figure, Royce is living proof of the merits of BJJ. He’s always been one of the calmest fighters in the cage, as evidenced by his zen expression while refusing to tap out when Matt Hughes was practically breaking his arm off at UFC 60. Royce rebounded from that loss in his next match, when he battled Kazushi “The Gracie Hunter” Sakuraba to a unanimous decision victory at K-1 Dynamite!! USA in June 2007, avenging his entire family in the process. If that fight turns out to be his last, it would be the perfect end to an unparalleled career.

1. Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie (tie)

(Carlos Gracie)

(Helio Gracie)
How do you rank one god over another? Although many dispute which brother was the true originator of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, each man was equally responsible for arguably the most effective fighting style ever conceived. Their system could see a fighter giving up 200 pounds and twice as much strength to his opponent, and still win in impressive fashion. Decades later, fighters employing their style are still kicking ass. Their sons and grandsons have gone on to be champions and trainers of champions, rocketing the Gracie brand to a household name in the martial arts and MMA universe. Helio was highly conditioned and once fought for almost four hours straight. Carlos brought a spiritual side to his teachings of BJJ. But both taught that superior technique could overcome all other disadvantages. Though Carlos Gracie passed away 14 years ago, Helio remains active at the age of 94 – and we still wouldn’t want to mess with him.