Grappler’s Retreat Presents:
A 4-night Jiu Jitsu retreat, with mat time focused on mastering modern strategies for passing guard
with Stuart Cooper
Private Rooms, Gourmet Meals, and an absolutely Epic Location!
Come solo or come with a friend. In case you’re wondering, 90% come solo... Once you get here, you’re part of the family.
Sunrise over the retreat, April 2023.
Join us at Grappler’s Retreat for a deep dive with Stuart Cooper into mastering modern approaches to passing guard. If any of the following sound familiar to you, then this camp is for you:
Do you find yourself getting stuck in your opponents guard for the entirety of a match?
Is your “toolbox of guard passes” not working for you anymore, now that you’re rolling with better partners?
Are you afraid to stand up in your opponent’s guard because you’re worried about being leg-locked or swept backwards?
Do you feel like you need some better tools to deal with an advanced butterfly guard player?
Do you find it extremely difficult to get past the knee-shield of a seasoned training partner?
When you finally do get the pass and feel the victory of a dominant position, is it short-lived because your opponent is able to immediately re-guard?
Stuart Cooper and Roger Gracie teaching together at Grappler’s Retreat, summer 2023.
Whether you’re a 50+ year-old Jiu Jitsu hobbyist who simply loves it… or a 23 year-old aspiring competitor… come join us. It’s all about deep learning, connecting with good people, and enjoying the journey.
We get white belts through black belts signing up (white belts must have some formal training at a local BJJ academy before joining a camp at Grappler’s Retreat).
About the Instructor:
Stuart Cooper is an elite Jiu Jitsu Black Belt with an incredible competition history in the modern Jiu Jitsu scene. Despite his exceptional ability on the mats as both a competitor and as a teacher, Stuart is most widely known for making epic inspirational films that highlight the journeys of Jiu Jitsu’s most interesting figures. Indeed, he’s a man of many talents… and just an awesome guy all around!!
We’ve hosted “the best of the best” at Grappler’s Retreat — and we’ve personally witnessed many of them (including Roger Gracie, Mason Fowler, Vagner Rocha, and other paragons of the art) eager to share the mats with Stuart, swapping technical theory and enjoying incredible rolls together.
Stuart’s Jiu Jitsu and No-Gi Grappling is world-class. He has shown absolutely dominant performances at a number of European and North American grappling scenes. More importantly, as we discovered during Stuart’s earlier visits to the retreat, he is a caring and methodical teacher, an excellent communicator of concepts and techniques, and just a great guy to spend your days with!
Stuart teaching at the Grappler’s Retreat in 2022. Always watching and always coaching!
The perfect training-vacation, led by the best Jiu Jitsu instructors of our time.
Private Rooms, Gourmet Meals, and an absolutely Epic Location!
Relaxing on the back deck of the Grappler’s Retreat clubhouse.
With Stuart Cooper and the Grappler’s Retreat crew, there will be a little over 20 of us. This isn’t a huge training camp. Look forward to a relaxed vibe and a world-class BJJ training experience.
We cap all of our retreats at 16 sign-ups… so the learning environment is like no other camp out there, and the level of connection among the instructor and our small group is simple and genuine.
Grappler’s Retreat coastal hike with Stuart Cooper (right) and Nic Gregoriades (left)
Click the Video below to hear Roger Gracie’s thoughts on the Grappler’s Retreat experience.
An Overview of the Grappler’s Retreat Experience:
Private bedrooms… so you can check out any time you need to relax in your own personal private space, and recharge on your own (no bunkhouses or “group cabins” here). High speed WiFi is in your bedroom and throughout the property.
The dojo, the clubhouse, the guest lodge, and all the amenities have been purposefully built within the Grappler’s Retreat training sanctuary… and everything will be taken care of for you during your stay.
Twice-daily small-group training sessions led by Stuart Cooper on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. 16 students max, so the learning environment and level of connection is like no other camp out there.
On a couple of the days, we’ll head out on a gentle coastal hike, a trek to the waterfall, or to the epic Big River estuary — but you’re always welcome to stay put at the forested retreat compound if you’d rather relax on your own between training sessions.
We’ll have a fire roaring in the club house, a massive hot tub sitting amongst the redwoods, and an outdoor cedar sauna to loosen up the muscles and get us ready for the next day’s training sessions.
Evenings are chill: pour yourself a drink and dive into stories with the rest of the crew around the bonfire.
And we’ll be treated to three gourmet chef-prepared meals each day. Get ready for an incredible experience.
Scroll to bottom of the page for detailed schedule, travel logistics, and pricing.
Come solo or come with a friend. In case you’re wondering, 90% come solo... Once you get here, you’re part of the family.
Stuart Cooper, one of the best instructors we’ve ever hosted!
The Grappler’s Retreat is a remote Training Sanctuary, built in the woods on a secluded stretch of the rugged Northern California coast.
The Retreat is surrounded by thousands of acres of redwood wilderness, and situated only a mile up the hill from the crashing waves of the Pacific ocean. The area is sparsely developed. The nature is epic.
We take pride in offering an incredible experience centered around world-class training, gathering together for gourmet chef-prepared meals, and connecting in one of America’s most epic natural settings.
Expect a relaxed retreat experience, with mat time focused on deep learning and technical growth.
Stuart Cooper (left), Roger Gracie (center), and Nic Gregoriades visiting the Grappler’s Retreat, summer 2022.
Gourmet Dining - this isn’t just a Training Camp, it’s a proper Vacation
Schedule (July 22-26, 2025):
Arrive July 22 any time between 4:00pm and 10:00pm... check into your room and make yourself at home! Explore the grounds of the retreat, enjoy a soak in the hot tub, get some sun on the deck, chill with a book in the club house, have a beer around the bonfire, and get to know the rest of the crew as you settle in for an incredible week of training and relaxing in paradise.
Twice daily training sessions Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Plus, between training sessions, we keep the dojo open during the day for anyone interested in spending some extra time on the mat for stretching, drilling, or sparring.
In addition to all the dojo sessions, we’ll mix it up on some of the days and head down the hill for a coastal hike or a trek to the waterfall (the scenery is absolutely epic on the Mendocino coast!)
Every morning we’ll have coffee brewing in the clubhouse, with fresh breakfasts “made to order”. And we prepare delicious lunches every day after the first training session, and gather together for dinner feasts in the evenings… with bonfires most nights.
Depart Saturday July 26 by 12pm after having a gourmet breakfast and taking your time to chill out at the retreat and say your goodbyes…
Where: Mendocino, Northern California at the Grappler’s Retreat Training Compound (about 1-mile from the town of Mendocino)
Getting to the Retreat:
click here for details and travel tips: https://www.grapplersretreat.com/travel
The rugged Mendocino coast, about a mile down the hill from the retreat.
Pricing
And from $1,850 all inclusive… your booking fee includes:
Your own private, modern bedroom… comfortably furnished with fresh beddings, in-room heat, and high-speed wi-fi.
Our own private sanctuary for the week: there will be no one else here except for our small group. The forested retreat compound features: a huge luxury hot tub and outdoor cedar sauna nestled in the woods, a spacious clubhouse, newly built dojo, hillside terraces with awesome wilderness views, private luxurious outdoor and indoor showers with epic views of the surrounding redwood forest, etc. The property is magical… you’re gonna love it here :)
Arrival dinner followed by three chef-prepared meals per day (we use only the best ingredients and have tapped into some incredible cooking talent), plus a constant spread of fresh-baked homemade pastries and snacks, and unlimited coconut waters, juices, sodas, coffees, teas, etc. We’ll keep you very well fed and comfortable! And for those who enjoy wine, Mendocino produces some of the world’s best Pinot Noir!
Twice daily training sessions (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) led by Stuart Cooper. We cap our registration at 16, so you can expect some deep learning and hands-on coaching. The learning environment is extremely personal, and infinitely better than that of a packed seminar or large training camp.
Aside from the costs of lodging, fresh gourmet meals, and bringing in world-class instructors who give their best — look forward to us organizing a couple amazing hikes throughout the week, and expect some heartfelt connection and storytelling around the bonfire after our nightly dinners. Rest assured that our approach is easy and flexible to the needs of everyone who joins us. We fully put our hearts into every camp, and we’ve been blessed by so many new friends as a result.
*Discounts available for both ‘non-training’ and ‘training’ spouses. Click “book now” button to see all pricing options.
Small-Group Training Sessions: 16 spots
Small-group training (16 students max) ensures a learning environment like no other camp out there.
Epic Training Camp Location: the Rugged Mendocino Coast
The Mendocino coast, just 1-mile down the hill from the Grappler’s Retreat.
Nestled in the woods only a mile from the coast, the Grappler’s Retreat training sanctuary is incredible, and features a beautiful outdoor cedar sauna and a massive luxury hot tub—both sitting among towering redwoods with epic views of the surrounding wilderness.
With our newly built Dojo, clubhouse, and guest cottage, the sprawling forested compound offers modern luxury combined with raw Pacific Northwest wilderness. If you’re looking to get away from the city and experience nature, you’ll love it here… the setting is absolutely awesome!
About a mile walk from The Retreat, you find yourself in the historic village of Mendocino, built in the mid-1800s on a rugged coastal headland overlooking the Pacific. The cliffs surrounding the village remain undeveloped, covered in wildflowers, and offer an awesome vista from which to view the sunset.
Today, this historically preserved village is a traveler’s outpost, scattered with unique restaurants and cafes, vibrant coffee shops, pubs and roadhouse taverns, and a very well-stocked local grocer and butcher. Mendocino offers everything you’ll need to ensure a comfortable experience on this remote stretch of the northern California coast.
Gourmet meals at the retreat with chef Noi!
The Jiu Jitsu Experience will be absolutely incredible, but there’s so much more :)
You’ll be visiting one of the most beautiful places in North America, experiencing nature at its purest, connecting with like-minded individuals striving to better themselves in all things, and resting from the stresses of your daily routine. You’ll be surrounded by incredible people at a once in a lifetime gathering, yet you’ll have the sanctuary of your own private comfortable space at the Retreat.
It’s a different world out here. Come join us.
