The perfect training-vacation, led by the best Jiu Jitsu instructors of our time.
Private Rooms, Gourmet Meals, and an absolutely Epic Location!
September 1-6, 2025: with Roger Gracie and his father Mauricio Gomes
Small-group training (16 students max) ensures a learning environment like no other camp out there.
We generally cater to the 30 - 50 year-old crowd (and older!), but ages 18+ are absolutely most welcome.
We get white belts through black belts signing up (white belts should have some formal training at a local BJJ academy before joining a camp at Grappler’s Retreat).
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.
Roger is always up for a good game of chess!
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.
Roger Gracie Gomes with his father, Mauricio Motta Gomes.
During a recent visit, Roger Gracie talks about why the small-group learning environment makes the Grappler’s Retreat experience so special. Click the video below to hear Roger’s impressions:
With Roger and Mauricio and the Grappler’s Retreat crew, there will be a little over 20 of us. This isn’t a huge training camp. Expect 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.
Sunrise over the retreat, summer 2023.
An Overview of the Grappler’s Retreat Experience:
Twice-daily small-group training sessions led by Roger and Mauricio. 16 students max, so the learning environment and level of connection is like no other camp out there.
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.
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.
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.
Come train, relax, and enjoy the vacation of a lifetime on this isolated stretch of northern California’s redwood coast.
Includes training, gourmet chef-prepared meals, and full onsite accommodation: no bunk houses here - you’ll have your own private bedroom when staying at the Grappler’s Retreat.
for PRICING INFORMATION and SCHEDULE, scroll to bottom of page
click the Video below for a glimpse of what it’s like to spend a week at the Grappler’s Retreat:
Meet the Instructors:
Roger Gracie Gomes is a 10-time IBJJF Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and ADCC No-Gi World Champion. A member of the Gracie family, Roger was awarded his black belt by his cousin, Renzo Gracie, at the behest of Carlos Gracie, Jr.
Roger is widely regarded as the sport’s Greatest Of All Time (GOAT).
Today, Roger’s energy is devoted to teaching and sharing his love of the art with his students and friends. Despite his legendary status and crushing competition history, Roger is known for being an incredibly down-to-earth and accessible teacher to beginners and experts alike.
It’s our absolute honor for us to host him again at the Grappler’s Retreat in 2025.
We first hosted Roger twice in 2022… and then again in 2023 and 2024 — and the experiences of training with him have been absolutely beyond words. He’s a phenomenal teacher, and having him at the retreat for our small group training sessions was incredible.
Moreover, he’s just awesome to hang out with… truly a genuine and intelligent man who loves Jiu Jitsu and sharing the art with others. We couldn’t be more stoked that he’s happy to keep coming back to our little training sanctuary in Northern California.
Roger will be on the mats teaching twice per day, every day (Tuesday - Friday).
Mauricio Motta Gomes (born July 25, 1955), is a world-renowned practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, holding the rank of 8th degree white and red belt.
Through his close ties with the Gracie family, Gomes met Reila Gracie, the daughter of Carlos Gracie Sr. They married in 1979 and had a daughter, Vanessa, and a son, Roger.
Roger would go on to become a ten-time World Champion.
Mauricio has been training and teaching Jiu Jitsu for over 50 years, and he’s one of only six people promoted to black belt by legendary Rolls Gracie.
In his younger years, Mauricio was a world-traveler and a monumental ambassador of the art. He was the first Brazilian to be invited to Japan to teach, and he opened the first Gracie Barra school in Tokyo in 1997. After staying there for a year, he returned to Brazil before accepting a position in England.
Mauricio went on to be the founder of the first Gracie Barra team in the United Kingdom, where today he continues to teach and train alongside his son, Roger Gracie Gomes.
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.
Gourmet Dining - this isn’t just a Training Camp, it’s a proper Vacation
Your Own Private Bedroom (no shared bunk-houses)
Forest Views at the Retreat, or stay in the Village for Ocean Views
Roger Gracie discusses the Grappler’s Retreat experience, and what makes it different from some of the larger BJJ camps he’s instructed at:
Schedule (September 1-6, 2025):
Arrive Monday (September 1) any time between 4:00pm and 9:30pm... 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 Tuesday, 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”. We prepare delicious lunches every day after the first training session, and we gather together for dinner feasts in the evenings… with bonfires most nights.
Depart Saturday September 6 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)
Send us a message if you have any questions.
Getting to the Retreat:
click here for details and travel tips: www.grapplersretreat.com/travel
Pricing
From $4,200 all-inclusive *our retreats with Roger Gracie are priced much higher than the others. Check out any of our other retreats for all-inclusive bookings starting around $1,800
Your Booking 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 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) led by Roger and Mauricio. 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.
Epic Training Camp Location: the Rugged Mendocino Coast
Learning some wrestling for BJJ on the beach… summer 2020.
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.
Mendocino Village
…about a mile from the Grappler’s Retreat
Roger Gracie, along with Stuart Cooper and Nic Gregoriades, visiting the retreat, May 2022.