- Black Belt Magazine
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
At just 18 years old, Helena Crevar has already made history as the youngest pound-for-pound female Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player in the world. The Las Vegas native also represents the latest evolution of the martial art and is setting a new standard for the prototypical competitor in a combat sport that is gaining steam in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world.
On Friday, January 23, Crevar, who is also the first female martial artist in history to earn a black belt under world renowned trainer John Danaher, will revisit a previous matchup with fellow decorated grappler Teshya Noelani Alo.
This time, though, the two won’t battle it out on Jiu-Jitsu mats. They’ll be facing off in the ONE Championship ring placed under the bright lights of the most famous Muay Thai arena in the world – Lumpinee Stadium.
How did your journey in martial arts begin for you at such a young age?
I’ve been training sports since I was 3 years old, and it was my parents wanting to put me in activities to have something to do as a physical activity and to also make friends and gain experience and discipline. So, I tried many things, and I found Jiu-Jitsu at age 8, and it was something I really enjoyed and knew I wanted to do right away.
What did you initially like about martial arts training?
It was just something that I found to be fun because I could constantly learn. Jiu-Jitsu felt like the perfect thing because it was a puzzle to solve and something that I could do that wasn’t as rough as boxing or Muay Thai. It’s also an activity that lets you experiment with different things.
Who are some of the individuals who inspired you along the way?When I was young, I didn’t follow professional Jiu-Jitsu. It was my parents supporting me and my coaches at that time who were great for my growth. Before I moved to Texas to train with New Wave (Jiu-Jitsu), I was watching Gordon Ryan’s competitions and John Danaher’s instructional videos.
I understand you progressed from a purple belt to a black belt in just 9 months, and were the first woman awarded a black belt by John Danaher. What was your secret to such an incredible trajectory?
It’s amazing to have been promoted that quickly by John Danaher, and it was really because I had won a no-gi rules purple belt (that allowed me) to be promoted to brown (belt). Six months later I won gi rules at brown belt, which allowed me to be promoted to black (belt).
My professor had wanted to promote me even before that, but it was just not possible because of the time limits. It was also my hard work, staying focused and looking to improve as much as I can.
What was the feeling like when you got your black belt?
It was amazing. It had been a goal of mine ever since I started, to become a Jiu-Jitsu black belt. It was even better to earn it from the best instructor in the world, John Danaher.
A lot of fighters move to Las Vegas from other geographic locations, but you did the reverse, moving from Las Vegas to Texas. How did your family come to that decision?
My parents and I were looking to move to Texas because there’s more nature and (we wanted) to have better living standards.
(At the same time), New Wave had just moved from Puerto Rico to Texas, so it was ideal for us to move at that time because I had gotten the opportunity to train with the team. So, (in Texas) I could train with the best and we could make the move that we were already planning.
How was it acclimating to a new environment like Texas and how did your martial arts training help you adapt to the new environment?
It was the first time that I had moved, and I was like 15 (years old). Before that I had only lived in Vegas. It was very different in terms of the climate. Vegas is very dry – it’s a desert - and Texas is humid and has a lot more greenery.
All my friends were in Vegas too, and the only people I knew in Texas were the people that trained at Team New Wave. It was different, but I really enjoyed it, and I love Texas now so much more than Vegas.
You are a Jiu-Jitsu world figure who is helping define new baseline for women in the sport. How do you see the world of BJJ evolving from here, and what do you see as the future in terms of skill level and particular attributes that successful competitors will have?
I’ve already seen Jiu-Jitsu grow so much since I started - like these professional events coming up and athletes being able to get paid from competitions and sponsorships, and the skill level of the athletes is really going up.
Before, there weren’t many people who did leg locks, for example, and now there are a lot of people coming up with new moves and new positions, so I’m sure in the next 5 to 10 years, it’s going to get even bigger in terms of professional competitions, athletes pay and the technical (aspects of the art).
Why do you think people are coming up with new moves?
Jiu-Jitstu is never ending, and you can always learn and experiment with new things, so it’s really something you can never completely learn. Because people train so much, it’s easy to come up with things and make those things work.
I’m sure you’ve been asked this, but to what extent have you considered taking your skills to MMA?
Currently, I’m really focusing on Jiu-Jitsu. I’ve tried boxing and Muay Thai before, and they weren’t my favorite things, so right now I’m really just focusing on Jiu-Jitsu.
How would you compare a pure Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner’s grappling skills to those of an MMA fighter?
I’ve seen MMA fighters that have very decent Jiu-Jitsu and are very talented at that, although it is harder to be very good at all the aspects of MMA. But, I’ve seen a lot of MMA fighters that have as good Jiu-Jitsu skills as some Jiu-Jitsu fighters.
In what ways do you think it can be difficult for a Jiu-Jitsu fighter to apply his or her Jiu-Jitsu skills in MMA?
(MMA) is a lot different because you have to focus on not getting hit or hitting the other person, and also being on bottom is not the most ideal thing.
In Jiu-Jitsu, for example, you use the closed guard from the bottom and (you can be) the person who is controlling the match. In MMA, though, it can be completely different because the person on top is able to throw punches and control the position from there. So, you want to be on top in MMA.
In MMA, it’s also harder to go for leg locks because of the fact that you’re kind of giving up your body to punches.
An article that I read referenced your training as three to four hours per day. What do you think is key to avoiding burnout, and what advice would you offer to students to avoid a pitfall like that?
For me, I’ve never really had (burnout) just because I enjoy Jiu-Jitsu so much, but there are days when I feel tired and not as excited to train. If I have one of those days, maybe I take a day off or do a lighter training session to give my mind and body a rest. That’s why I do five days a week, and take two days off, so that way, it’s never too tiring for me and I never burn out.
Of all your accomplishments, what do you consider your single greatest?
Maybe becoming the number one pound for pound ranked athlete in the sport, and the youngest – male or female – to do that. I’ve been competing for a couple years now and to be able to do that so quickly at such a young age is amazing to me.
Touching on your match coming up, how do you see this rematch playing out, knowing your opponent?
It is a rematch, but it also happened three years ago, and, in three years, a lot can change in Jiu-Jitsu. I’m sure both of us have improved since the last time we fought. It’s also a different rule set and the match is almost twice as long as the first one. The last time, it was a very aggressive match and I’m sure this time it will be the same, with both of us pushing the action.
How do the rules differ from the first match?
Last time, it was in the ADCC Open, so the match was six minutes - three minutes with points, and three minutes no points - so it went a lot quicker and points played (a role), while this one in ONE Championship will be a ten minute match that is submission only, which will push us even harder to go for a finish.
Also, in ADCC the match took place on Jiu-Jitsu mats, while in ONE Championship, it’s going to happen in a ring, and that can play a role in the match.
Given the difference in rules, how did that affect your preparation?
I don’t really do preparation for specific rule sets because I compete very often and under all different rule sets.
It’s just a matter of switching my mind, when I get in there, to focus on the rule set at hand. My favorite rule is submission only, which is ONE Championship’s rule set, so that will be motivating me.
