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Helena Crevar is one of the most highly regarded young talents in the history of modern submission grappling. Rising to elite competition as a teenager, she quickly established herself as a world-class competitor through a combination of technical maturity, elite coaching, and a remarkably complete skill set.
Training under John Danaher and alongside some of the best no-gi grapplers in the world, Crevar has developed a systematic, submission-focused style that blends modern leg locks, positional control, and aggressive attacking. She became the youngest-ever ADCC World Championship podium finisher when she won silver at the 2024 ADCC World Championships at just 17 years old.
Career Highlights
- ADCC World Championship Silver Medalist (2024)
- Youngest athlete ever to reach the ADCC podium
- ADCC 2024 breakout performer
- IBJJF No-Gi World Champion (2025)
- Polaris Champion
- WNO Champion
- CJI Women’s Tournament Champion (CJI 2)
- First female athlete promoted to black belt by John Danaher
- Signed with ONE Championship for professional submission grappling competition
Grappling Style
Helena Crevar represents the next generation of no-gi grappling: highly technical, system-driven, and submission-focused.
Her game combines the structure of the Danaher system with her own athletic ability and creativity.
Leg Lock System
One of Crevar’s defining strengths is her lower-body submission game.
She is particularly dangerous with:
- Heel hooks
- Inside sankaku / 4-11 positions
- Ashi Garami entries
- Estima locks
- Leg lock transitions
At the 2024 ADCC World Championship, she became the first female competitor to finish an opponent with a heel hook in ADCC women’s division history.
Guard Game
Despite her young age, Crevar has developed an advanced guard system built around:
- K guard entries
- Butterfly guard
- Reverse De La Riva
- Leg entanglements
- Back-taking sequences
Her ability to combine modern guard systems with submission threats makes her extremely difficult to control.
Passing & Top Game
Crevar is not only a guard player. Her top game reflects the influence of the New Wave system:
- Body-lock passing
- Pinning sequences
- Back exposure attacks
- Front headlock transitions
- Patient positional advancement
Rather than relying only on speed, she uses control and pressure to create submission opportunities.
Strengths
- Elite leg lock knowledge
- Exceptional technical awareness for her age
- High-level positional control
- Submission-first mindset
- Strong defensive reactions
- Ability to compete against experienced adult black belts
Training Background
Crevar began martial arts at a young age before focusing heavily on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She moved to Austin, Texas as a teenager to train full-time under John Danaher at New Wave Jiu-Jitsu, immersing herself in one of the world’s most elite submission grappling environments.
Her training partners and influences have included elite competitors from the Danaher system, including:
- Gordon Ryan
- Nicholas Meregali
- Giancarlo Bodoni
- Nicky Ryan
Her development has been shaped by:
- Systematic positional training
- High-level no-gi rounds
- Leg lock development
- Submission chaining
- Competition-focused preparation