Janaina Lebre

Janaina Maia de Menezes Lebre, (formerly known by her Maia surname and, currently, mostly referenced as Janaina Lebre) is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Régis Lebre (husband) and a former representative of the Gracie Humaitá team in the sport’s international circuit who later became one of the main figures of the Art Of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ) female squad. Janaina Maia Lebre is widely regarded as one of the top lightweight competitors of her generation with medals in all the major of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), she is also a part of a small number of athletes to conquer the IBJJF Grand Slam, which consists of conquering gold medals in the Big-Four tournaments of the league in one single year, namely the European, Brazilian Nationals, Pan-American, and World Championships, a feat earned in 2025.

Janaina Lebre Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Janaina Maia de Menezes Lebre

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Royler Gracie > Régis Lebre > Janaina Maia Lebre

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2024 / 2025)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Championship (2025)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2025)
• 1st Place IBJJF Grand Prix (2022)
• 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2022)
• 2nd IBJJF Place World Championship (2022 / 2023)
• 2nd IBJJF European Open (2022)
• 3rd IBJJF Place Pan Championship (2022)
• 3rd Place IBJJF American Nationals (2021*)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2019 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2018 purple, 2019 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2019 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2018 purple)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Lapel Guard & Straight Ankle Lock

Weight Division: Peso Leve (64 kg / 141.5 lbs)

Team/Association: AOJ

Janaina Lebre Biography

Janaina Maia de Menezes Lebre was born on December 14, 1995, in a small Brazilian town named Eusébio, in the northeastern state of Ceará.

During her adolescence, Janaina practiced handball, playing in the regional circuit before entering the martial arts/combat sports world.

At the age of 17, the young “Nordestina” agreed to help a girlfriend with her first jiu-jitsu class as the local grappling club had almost exclusively male students and her mate was too shy to train with them. Despite not knowing anything about the sport, Janaina felt immediately at home on the mats and decided to join the club.

By the end of 2013, with only one month of training and without knowing much about the ruleset, Janaina decided to compete. Being a lifelong sportsperson, her athleticism shone through in the tournament, earning her her first gold medal, a prize that greatly enhanced her love for grappling.

Janaina’s start in jiu-jitsu was guided by Hamilton Caminha of team HC in her native town of Eusébio, who promoted Maia to blue belt. She would later move to her state’s capital, Fortaleza, to train with a more competitive squad under the guidance of Sérgio Cardoso at SAS, where she earned her purple belt.

In 2018 Janaina visited the United States to compete in the IBJJF World Championships and sent a request for accommodation and training arrangements to coach Régis Lebre, one of the best athletes ever produced in the state of Ceará, who had since moved to the USA.

When Janaina came to the US and met Régis, the two connected well, and the relationship grew beyond the mats and into marriage.

With coach Régis Lebre, Janaina earned her brown and black belt promotions, the latter taking place in August 2019.