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Devi Ahuja

Norway's first female BJJ black belt according to BJJ Heroes, a blue belt world champion in 2005 and winner of the 2011 ADCC European Trials at +60 kg.

Last updated: 7 October 2026

Biography

Devi Ahuja is a Norwegian Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who teaches at Frontline Academy in Majorstuen. According to BJJ Heroes, she became the first woman in Norway to reach black belt when Eduardo Rios promoted her in August 2010. Her own club puts the milestone wider and calls her the first woman in Scandinavia to be graded to the rank. On her public profile she describes herself as a black belt under Eduardo "Teta" Rios, and in June 2020 the Norwegian Bolten BJJ Podcast devoted a long episode to her, presenting her as Norway's first female black belt. Competing in the gi At the 2005 IBJJF World Championship, Ahuja won the women's blue belt middleweight division while representing Team Frontline. Over the following five years she added four bronze medals at IBJJF World and European Championships. At the 2006 European Championship she placed third in a middleweight division that grouped purple, brown and black belts together; her Frontline teammate Camilla Gjelsten won it. At the 2006 World Championship she took bronze in the purple belt middleweight division, and she did the same at purple belt at the 2008 European Championship. Her fourth bronze came at the 2010 World Championship, in a middleweight division open to both brown and black belts. Submission grappling Ahuja also competed without the gi on the ADCC circuit. By February 2007 she was already on the list of women with places in the +60 kg division of that year's ADCC European Trials in Turku, Finland. In 2011 she won the women's +60 kg division at the European Trials, again held in Turku. The same year she also competed at the ADCC World Championship, where she met Gabi Garcia in the first round of the +60 kg bracket and was submitted. Teaching Frontline Academy says Ahuja once competed at a high international level but now concentrates on training rather than competing. The club describes her as a patient teacher with a strong sense of pedagogy and says she is in demand as a seminar instructor. Alongside a full-time job outside the sport, she teaches Frontline's Yoganinjas class for children aged three to five.

Sources for this profile

Frontline Academy, "Våre instruktører" (instructor page), accessed 2026-09-28.(opens in a new tab)
- Frontline Academy describes Devi Ahuja as the first woman in Scandinavia to be graded to black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
  Where in the source: Instructor page, Majorstuen section, Devi Ahuja entry, first sentence: "Skandinavias første kvinnelige graderte sort belte"
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
- Devi Ahuja is listed as an instructor at Frontline Academy, in the Majorstuen section of the academy's instructor page.
  Where in the source: Instructor page, heading MAJORSTUEN, entry "Devi Ahuja" (listed after Alexander Rio, before the HASLE heading)
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
- According to Frontline Academy, she formerly competed at a high international level but now concentrates on training rather than competition.
  Where in the source: Devi Ahuja entry, third and fourth sentences (on her past competing and present focus on training)
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
- Frontline Academy says she is in demand as a seminar instructor and describes her as a patient teacher with a strong sense of pedagogy.
  Where in the source: Devi Ahuja entry, fifth sentence (seminars; described as pedagogical and patient)
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
- Alongside her instructing she works full-time outside the sport, in Norwegian business, and at Frontline Academy she teaches the club's Yoganinjas class for children aged three to five.
  Where in the source: Devi Ahuja entry, last two sentences (full-time work in Norwegian business; the class named "Yoganinjas" for ages 3-5)
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
- Frontline Academy lists two highlights for her: winning ADCC Europe in 2011 and winning the World Championship as a blue belt in 2005.
  Where in the source: Devi Ahuja entry, bullet list: "Vunnet ADCC Europa 2011" and "Vunnet VM som blåbelte i 2005"
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
BJJ Heroes, "Women's BJJ Dirty Dozen" (undated article; reader comments from October 2015).(opens in a new tab)
- Devi Ahuja received her black belt from Eduardo Rios in August 2010 and was the first woman in Norway to reach black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
  Where in the source: Section "Other Pioneering Female Black Belts", entry: "Devi Ahuja: first female black belt in Norway", next line "Graded by Eduardo Rios on August 2010"
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
Devi Ahuja (@deviahuja), Instagram profile bio, accessed 2026-09-28.(opens in a new tab)
- Her own profile describes her as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Eduardo "Teta" Rios.
  Where in the source: Public profile bio line (account otherwise private): "BJJ blackbelt under Eduardo \"Teta\" Rios"
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
Bolten BJJ Podcast, "Devi Ahuja, Norges første kvinnelige BJJ svartbelte", 19 June 2020 (episode page on Poddtoppen, which mirrors the iTunes listing).(opens in a new tab)
- In June 2020 she was the guest of a long-form episode of the Norwegian Bolten BJJ Podcast, which presented her as Norway's first female black belt.
  Where in the source: Episode page: title "Devi Ahuja, Norges første kvinnelige BJJ svartbelte"; episode list entry dated 2020-06-19, 1 tim 42 min
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2005, official results.(opens in a new tab)
- At the 2005 IBJJF World Championship she won the adult female blue belt middleweight division, representing Team Frontline.
  Where in the source: Results list, division "Adult / Blue / Female / Middle": place 1, Devi Ahuja, Team Frontline
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
IBJJF, European Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2006, official results.(opens in a new tab)
- At the 2006 IBJJF European Championship she took bronze in the adult female middleweight division that combined purple, brown and black belts; her Frontline teammate Camilla Gjelsten won the division.
  Where in the source: Results list, division "Adult / Purple Brown Black / Female / Middle": 1 Camilla Gjelsten (Frontline), 3 Devi Ahuja (Frontline)
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2006, official results.(opens in a new tab)
- At the 2006 IBJJF World Championship she placed third in the adult female purple belt middleweight division.
  Where in the source: Results list, division "Adult / Purple / Female / Middle": place 3, Devi Ahuja
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
IBJJF, European Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2008, official results.(opens in a new tab)
- At the 2008 IBJJF European Championship she placed third in the adult female purple belt middleweight division, representing Frontline.
  Where in the source: Results list, division "Adult / Purple / Female / Middle": place 3, Devi Ahuja, Frontline
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2010, official results.(opens in a new tab)
- At the 2010 IBJJF World Championship she placed third in the adult female middleweight division for brown and black belts, representing Frontline.
  Where in the source: Results list, division "Adult / Brown Black / Female / Middle": place 3, Devi Ahuja, Frontline
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
Marko Leistén, "ADCC European News", On The Mat, 12 February 2007 (Wayback Machine capture of 25 February 2021).(opens in a new tab)
- In February 2007 she was listed, as a Norwegian entrant, among the women already given places in the +60 kg division of the 2007 ADCC European Trials in Turku, Finland.
  Where in the source: On The Mat post "ADCC European News" (12 February 2007), list "+60kg Female", entry 5: "Devi Ahuja. Norway"
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
Wikipedia, "ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship", revision as of 2026-09-23.(opens in a new tab)
- She won the women's +60 kg division of the 2011 ADCC European Trials (European Championship), held in Turku, Finland, representing Norway.
  Where in the source: Section "ADCC Trials" > "ADCC European Championship" table, row 2011, Turku; column "Women's +60 kg": Devi Ahuja (Norway flag) (1/1)
  Accessed: 2026-09-28
Christie Sullivan, "ADCC 2011: Women -60 kg & Women +60 kg", On The Mat, 24 September 2011 (Wayback Machine capture of 13 June 2021).(opens in a new tab)
- At the 2011 ADCC World Championship she met Gabi Garcia in the first round of the women's +60 kg division and was submitted by Garcia with an americana.
  Where in the source: On The Mat post (24 September 2011), heading "Women +60 kg", first match: "Gabi Garcia submits Devi Ahuja with an Americana"
  Accessed: 2026-09-28

Competition results

Recorded tournament results, newest first
Year	Event	Result	Division
2011	ADCC European TrialsSource: youtube.com+60 kgNo-giVerified	Gold	+60 kgNo-giVerified

Lineage

No teaching connections are shown on this page.

Open lineage