Helena Crevar

Helena Crevar is an American grappler and a student of John Danaher who represents the New Wave Team in the sport’s professional circuit. Crevar broke through in the professional division as a teenager and is regarded as one of the most precocious athletes ever recorded in jiu-jitsu’s elite competitive circuit, being the youngest ever ADCC World Championship podium placer at the time of her 2024 silver medal (17) and the first athlete to successfully finish an opponent with a heel hook submission in the ADCC’s female division, which also happened in 2024.

Helena Crevar Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Helena Crevar

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Renzo Gracie > John Danaher > Helena Crevar

Main Achievements (Pro Level):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2025)
• 1st Place ADCC West Coast Trials (2024)
• 1st Place CJI 2 Grand Prix (2025)
• 2nd Place ADCC World Championship (2024)
• 2nd Place ADCC East Coast Trials (2024)
• Polaris 70 KG Title (2024)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2025 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2025 brown)
• F2W 150lb Gi Blue Belt Title (2024)
• F2W 145lb Gi purple Belt Title (2023***)

Main Achievements (Juvenile):

• F2W 145lb NOGI Teen Title (2021-2022)
• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2023**)
• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2023** / 2024)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2023** / 2024**)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship NOGI (2023)
• 1st Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2023)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute
*** Competed in a rank above hers

Favorite Position/Technique: Guard Player

Weight Division: 65kg / 143 lbs

Team/Association: New Wave

Helena Crevar Biography

Helena Crevar was born in January 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, where she grew up before moving to Austin, TX, at 16.

Martial arts entered Helena’s life at an early age. By the time she was 3, Crevar was enrolled in Kajukenbo classes, a combat style originating from Hawaii that, according to Wikipedia, mixes striking and grappling techniques in its curriculum. The young Vegas native earned her junior black belt rank in this activity when she was 8 years old.

Although an avid practitioner of Kajukenbo as a child, Helena also practiced other sports during this period, such as Ballroom Dance, Ballet, Basketball, and Swimming.

Ahead of her years concerning a sporting mindset, Helena enrolled in Strength & Conditioning Classes at a local gym when she was 8. The gym’s owner was also a jiu-jitsu fan and suggested Crevar attend BJJ classes as well, which she did, quickly making that a part of her schedule.

Helena had a few different instructors during her kids’ training and competitive career, eventually reaching coach Hector Vasquez, who had a strong kids program in the region. It was Vasquez who promoted Crevar to blue belt.

At the age of 15, then blue belt Helena Crevar moved to Austin, Texas, to work under one of the most renowned grappling coaches in the world, John Danaher. There, she quickly became recognized as a major prospect in both gi & no-gi jiu-jitsu, which later led to her black belt promotion, a ceremony led by Danaher as well as Gordon Ryan, and Garry Tonon, and which coincided with Crevar’s 10th anniversary of first stepping into a BJJ academy.

HELENA CREVAR MAIN BELT PROMOTIONS
– Blue Belt by Hector Vasquez – August 2, 2022 (15 yo)
– Purple Belt by John Danaher – September 2, 2024 (17 yo)
– Brown Belt by John Danaher – December 21, 2024 (17 yo)
– Black Belt by John Danaher – June 3, 2025 (18 yo)

NOTE REGARDING HELENA CREVAR’S RECORD

Traditionally, BJJ Heroes has only accounted for black belt records as they signify an athlete’s entry into our sport’s elite ranks. Crevar, however, is a special case as she’s been competing in the pro-grappling circuit from her teenage years. This has left BJJ Heroes with a delicate predicament of defining when to start accounting for the young prodigy’s match records.

Considering the outstanding results against the top athletes of the sport from such an early age, including many ranked in the top 5 in the world at the time, we have opted to include every match against pro-level opponents on her record. We remind the reader that Helena was a minor up until January 2025.