Steven Crawford: Founder of American Ju-Jitsu

Steven A. Crawford, Sr. is the founder of American Ju-Jitsu, a modern American martial arts system established in 1995 in Kansas City, Kansas. His martial arts background connects traditional martial arts, practical self-defense, grappling, pankration, and modern combat sports. [1]

Crawford’s importance to American Ju-Jitsu comes from the way he blended older martial arts methods with practical training. Instead of building a system around only one area, American Ju-Jitsu was designed to prepare students for different situations, including standing self-defense, clinch work, throws, takedowns, ground fighting, joint locks, submissions, and live resistance training.

Early Martial Arts Background

Crawford began training in the 1970s with Judo and Aikido. This gave him an early foundation in balance, timing, movement, throws, and control. He later trained in Shorinji Ryu JuJutsu under Grandmaster Kenneth Penland and became an important part of expanding Shorinji Ryu JuJutsu in the Midwest. [1]

Over time, Crawford continued to broaden his martial arts background. His training and teaching included Judo, Shorinji Ryu JuJutsu, IKCA Kenpo, To-Shin Do, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu self-defense instruction, pankration, and other martial arts and combat sport influences. [1]

Founding American Ju-Jitsu

In 1995, Crawford founded American Ju-Jitsu in Kansas City, Kansas. The system was built as a practical self-defense-based martial art, but it also grew to include live training, grappling, pankration, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts influence. [1]

American Ju-Jitsu was not created to be limited to one range of fighting. The system included striking, clinching, throws, takedowns, ground defense, submissions, and control techniques. This made it useful for both real-world self-defense and later competition training.

Growth of the System

American Ju-Jitsu grew from a small group into a larger organization. The ISCF biography on Steven Crawford states that student enrollment grew from 10 students to over 100 students and expanded to seven affiliated schools. It also states that in 2001, three new schools opened in Missouri, Colorado, and California. [1]

This growth helped American Ju-Jitsu reach beyond one school. It became a connected martial arts system with students, instructors, fighters, and schools representing the art in different areas.

Ranks and Martial Arts Experience

Crawford has earned advanced ranks in several martial arts systems. His background includes American Ju-Jitsu, USA Pankration, Shorinji Ryu JuJitsu, Kyu Shin Ryu Aikijujitsu, Chinese Kenpo, To-Shin Do, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. [1]

His ranks include 9th Dan in American Ju-Jitsu, 8th Dan in USA Pankration, 8th Dan in Shorinji Ryu JuJitsu, 6th Dan in Kyu Shin Ryu Aikijujitsu, 5th Dan in Chinese Kenpo, 2nd Dan in To-Shin Do under Stephen K. Hayes, and 1st Dan in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Leonardo Pecanah.

This wide background helps explain why American Ju-Jitsu became a blended system. It was not built as only traditional jujutsu, only sport grappling, or only MMA. Crawford’s experience helped shape American Ju-Jitsu into a practical martial art that connects self-defense, striking, throws, takedowns, joint locks, submissions, control techniques, and live training.

Coaching and Competition Success

Crawford’s coaching career became a major part of his legacy. His students competed in pankration, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts. The ISCF source states that his students earned more than 50 gold medals in the USA Pankration Federation. It also lists his coaching and training of athletes in pankration, submission grappling, and MMA. [1]

This competition success helped show that American Ju-Jitsu was not only a self-defense system practiced in class. It was also being tested by athletes in live competition against resisting opponents.

Connection to MMA

Crawford was also connected to the growth of mixed martial arts. The ISCF source lists him as the coach, trainer, and manager of Curtis Stout, who competed at UFC 30 and later fought again at UFC 48. [1]

Sherdog’s UFC 48 preview also connects Curtis Stout to Steve Crawford and the American Jiu-Jitsu Academy. The article describes Stout as training with Brad Jones, Travis Phippen, Steve Crawford, and others at the American Jiu-Jitsu Academy. [3]

This connection to MMA is important because it shows how American Ju-Jitsu was part of the larger shift in martial arts during the early 2000s. Traditional martial arts, grappling, kickboxing, submission wrestling, and MMA were starting to blend together, and American Ju-Jitsu was part of that movement.

Leadership in Combat Sports

Crawford’s work went beyond teaching and coaching. He also served in leadership roles in combat sports. The ISCF source lists him as Vice President of the International Sport Combat Federation, later ISCF Missouri President, and Chief Inspector of MMA for the Kansas Boxing Commission. [1]

Through these roles, Crawford helped with event organization, fighter development, official training, and the growth of regulated combat sports. This gave him influence not only as a martial arts instructor, but also as a coach, official, and combat sport leader.

Hall of Fame Recognition

Crawford has also received Hall of Fame recognition. The ISCF source lists him as being inducted into the 2000 Pankration Hall of Fame and the 2002 United States Martial Arts Association Hall of Fame. [1]

These honors reflect his long-term work in martial arts, pankration, coaching, and combat sports.

Legacy of Steven Crawford

Steven Crawford’s legacy is tied to the development of American Ju-Jitsu as a practical and adaptable martial arts system. His work connected traditional martial arts, self-defense, grappling, pankration, and mixed martial arts into one approach.

American Ju-Jitsu reflects Crawford’s belief that martial artists should be able to handle more than one situation. Students should be able to strike, clinch, throw, defend takedowns, fight from the ground, escape bad positions, apply submissions, and protect themselves in real-world situations.

Because of that, Crawford’s influence goes beyond one school or one style. His work helped shape American Ju-Jitsu into a system that connects tradition, self-defense, live training, and modern combat sports.

Source Note

Citation numbers on this page connect to the full American Ju-Jitsu Sources, References, and Image Credits page, where all research sources, references, photo credits, and notes for this section are listed.