Grappler's Retreat is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training camp located in Mendocino, California. There are several retreats throughout the year, but they book up quickly and have a significant price tag. This post is designed to help you find out if this jiu jitsu vacation option is right for you.
I train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. And any time I travel is an opportunity to practice jiu jitsu in a new place with new training partners. The jiu jitsu community is usually very welcoming to guests, and it makes for a fun but familiar activity whenever you're away from home.
I'd being eyeing Grappler's Retreat for over a year, but was honestly deterred by the pricing (especially as I'd have to first fly to San Francisco from Toronto). Reem sent me there as a birthday gift (yes, I know. My wife is awesome.).
This in-depth review will walk you through what to expect, and hopefully help you decide whether or not Grappler's Retreat is right for you.
Travel & Chai was not invited to or sponsored by Grappler's Retreat, so you can expect a completely honest Grappler's Retreat review.
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TLDR - Grappler's Retreat Review
I attended Grappler's Retreat for a four-day camp in September 2024. The experience was honestly fantastic. The people were lovely, the training was great, and the experiences were a lot of fun.
The location isn't the easiest to get to (especially if you're coming from abroad and don't have access to a vehicle), but they do offer a shuttle service that makes things easier.
It's an expensive package - on par with some luxury resort all-inclusives- but if it's within your means, Grappler's Retreat is a fantastic jiu jitsu vacation.
If circumstances allow, I'd love to go back.
What is Grappler's Retreat
Grappler's Retreat is an all-inclusive grappling experience situated in Mendocino, California. For lovers of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, this is a training vacation located away from the distractions of city life.
Included in the package is small-group training, private accommodation, food, drinks, and some excursion opportunities as well. Each retreat is typically led by a well-known BJJ practitioner (the biggest name to date is probably, Roger Gracie - who has taught there multiple times).
The small-by-design retreat takes place is a purpose-built location, separate from other holiday-goers or activities. Upon visiting, you'll quickly learn that it is truly a labor of love.
Staff
Grappler's Retreat is organized by Alex Aftandilians, who will be likely be your primary point of contact for most things.
Chefs Jack and Noi will be cooking the majority of your meals. Both are excellent cooks and will provide you with a variety of meals during your stay.
Sabine helps with the upkeep of the retreat. She's the person to speak to if you're looking for more cookies (or in case there's something specific you'd like her to pick up from town for you).
Sarah is the yoga instructor and bodywork specialist at Grapplers Retreat. I'm led to believe that she's not at every retreat, but when she is she conducts a restorative yoga class in the evenings, as well as provides options for massage and stretch therapy (added cost).
Dogs
There are some large dogs on the property. In the early part of morning, the front area of the property is locked off to allow the dogs to get a little fresh air. Shortly before it's time for your schedule to begin, the two Armenian gamprs are taken back inside the house.
While the dogs are lovely, Alex asks that you don't approach them should you see them. They have a very strong protective instinct.
Daily schedule
While there may be some variations depending on which retreat you go to, a typical day at Grappler's Retreat is set up as follows:
6.45am Coffee becomes available
7am-9.30am Breakfast
10am-12pm Training
1pm Lunch
3pm Excursion
5.30pm Restorative Yoga (not always available)
6.30-7.30pm Training
8pm Dinner
It's worth mentioning that nothing is compulsory, so you can pick and choose what you attend and don't attend. The gym is open in-between training sessions to use for any extra training you may want (it's your responsibility to wipe the mats afterwards though).
What is the training like
Training takes place twice a day, and how it's organized can depend greatly on the retreat you go to and instructors present. From my experience, the training is good, and the coach(es) make sure to give you plenty of attention.
Our morning sessions usually started with breathwork followed by jiu jitsu. The evening sessions were jiu jitsu only, and taught using the games-based approach (it was my first time experiencing this, and I enjoyed it a lot).
There were plenty of free rolls each day. The rolls were fun and there were a range of skill levels to work with. Don't go expecting hardcore competition-style training though. While there may be competitors attending, the purpose of the camp is to bring together people that love jiu jitsu.
Accommodation
There are a few different room options, but all the rooms are a comfortable size and include a nice bed, bedside tables, a desk, and some shelf space for your clothes.
If you picked a room that doesn't have an ensuite bathroom, don't worry. The shared bathrooms building is very close by - literally a few seconds walk from the room. I never had to wait to use the bathroom during the morning or evening.
The showers are nearby too, and I rarely had to wait to use them (the only time was right after training sessions when everyone wanted to wash up!).
Food
A big part of any all-inclusive experience is the food. And thanks to the hard work for Chef Noi and Chef Jack, the food at Grappler's Retreat does not disappoint.
You can choose your breakfast from a daily menu of items that usually includes one special. Chef Jack prepares it for you, and will very kindly bring it over to you if you happen to have strayed away from the kitchen area.
Lunch and dinner is served family-style in the main cabin. This means that it's prepared in large batches and you serve yourself (similar to a small buffet setting). You're welcome to get seconds and thirds, which is something many of us did!
For dessert, there are cookies and a selection of ice creams available.
(I don't want to brag, but I'm told that we ate more cookies and drank more coffee than any other group. I can assure you, that despite training twice a day, I did not lose any weight during my stay at Grappler's Retreat.)
Dietary Restrictions & Accommodations
This is an area that most all-inclusives tend to fail at. And possibly one of the most impressive parts of the Grappler's Retreat experience. All food restrictions and dietary accommodations are taken into consideration.
This is thanks to the limited number of attendees per retreat. During my visit, there were multiple attendees with different dietary restrictions - no pork, vegan only, vegetarian, and pescatarian - and accommodations were prepared for everyone.
I should clarify though, you don't get to choose exactly what accommodation is made for you. Most are simple common sense substitutions or omissions. For example, if you're a vegetarian, instead of chicken fried rice, you'll get vegetable fried rice. (You won't get a specialty chicken replacement if that's not the main part of the meal.) However, instead of a beef burger patty, you may get a Beyond Meat burger patty.
There are limits to the restrictions that can be made. If you happen to have a very particular restriction or a severe allergy, they may not be able to accommodate. If this is the case, it's best to reach out to the team to confirm in advance.
Drinks
Drinks are included as part of your stay. The fridge in the main cabin is full of soft drinks, iced teas, coconut waters, and juices. There are plenty of teas, coffee and even a hot chocolate mix. The retreat is stocked with a number of beers, wines, and spirits, which you are welcome to.
Attendees will often also bring their own preferred drinks and share with the group.
Water
The entire retreat is served by a private well that produces clean, non-chlorinated drinking water. This means you can drink the water from any faucet on the property. Massive win.
Dishes, Cups & Cutlery
There is plenty of glassware (such as coffee mugs, wine glasses, etc) for you to use during the trip. Early on in your stay, you'll be introduced to the lovely Sabine who will tell you not to worry about washing anything.
(I still washed my cups as I have a tendency to hold on to them, and I didn't want Sabine to come into a messy sink every morning!)
In terms of plates, you'll be using paper plates and disposable cutlery for meals. Once you're done, you're able to put those straight into the trash.
Excursions
The primary focus of Grapplers Retreat is hanging out at the retreat and training. However, there is usually some sort of optional activity planned for each day of your stay - this could be something as simple as going out for a hike along the scenic coastline, or walking to Mendocino town for dinner at a restaurant.
During my stay, the extracurriculars were the following:
Day 1 - Breathwork and ice baths (set up within the retreat)
Day 2 - A Combat Tai Chi competition on the beach (I lost in the first round!), followed by breathwork and a cold water river immersion at Big River Estuary.
Day 3 - A silent hike through the forest culminating in standing under a small waterfall.
Laundry
A struggle all jiujiteiro know too well is laundry. Washing and drying your jiu jitsu gear is a timely hassle that takes place every time you train. So what's the laundry set up like at Grappler's Retreat? Thankfully, it's excellent.
Attendees are responsible for doing their own laundry, but there are several washers and dryers available at the retreat (I think I counted nine washing machines). Detergent is provided.
I prefer to hang dry my jiu jitsu gis. The Mendocino area isn't always the warmest or sunniest spot, so hang drying can take a little longer. Depending on when you attend, this may also be something to keep in mind.
What kind of people go to Grappler's Retreat
You can expect to find a range of different people from different parts of the world. Most guests are above the age of 30 (the youngest at the retreat I attended was 34), and everyone does typically does BJJ. Occasionally, people will attend the retreat with a partner or spouse.
If you're looking for a camp focussed on younger people and lots of partying, this is probably not the one for you.
The spirit of things
The retreat is meant to be a fun training vacation. As such, prior to our arrival, Alex sent out an email asking guests to avoid any potentially sensitive or volatile topics (politics, world affairs, etc.).
I think this is an excellent way to bring a diverse group of people together without the risk of alienating anyone or creating factions within.
Can you attend if you don't do BJJ
Yes, absolutely. However, as this is primarily a jiu jitsu retreat, you will get the most of the trip if you do partake in the jiu jitsu training sessions.
YMMV
Something to note is that your mileage may vary (YMMV). Each retreat is hosted by a different instructor (or potentially team of instructors), and may be set up a little differently.
The retreat I attended was a BJJ, Cold Immersion, and Wim Hof Breathwork camp led by Miles Lucas. Other coaches present were Nick Angeloni (who conducted no-gi sessions in the evenings) and Joep aan den Boom (who conducted some of the breathwork sessions).
I did have an in-depth discussion with a returning participant who had attended a previous retreat with a different instructor. He noted that his first retreat involved a lot more jiu jitsu (including people regularly using the Grappler's Retreat gym outside of scheduled training time to practice), whereas at our camp, people tended to do a few extra cold plunges or spend more time in the hot tub and sauna outside of the training periods.
Pros Vs Cons
Pros
All inclusive holiday. Once you get to Grappler's Retreat, everything you'd expect at an all-inclusive is done for you - food, drinks, lodging, training and planned excursions are all included in your package.
Good food. A standard shortfall of all-inclusive packages is the food. That's not the case here, the food is great and accommodations are made for anyone with dietary restrictions.
Great vibes. Having a small group (maximum of 16 guests) means that the retreat is intimate enough for everyone to get to know one another, and truly develop bonds.
Beautiful location. The camp is located in the picturesque Mendocino area. You're surrounded by beautiful trees, and the location is very spacious. There's plenty of room for big family-style dinners, as well as enough open space to disappear any time you want a little privacy.
Wi-Fi everywhere. There are Wi-Fi routers set up around the retreat making sure you're never too far away from the internet.
No upsells. There's no Grappler's Retreat rash guard or gi you need to buy. No one will come to you with a timeshare offer (looking at you, Xcaret Arte!). It's just a good time with good vibes.
Cons
Expensive. With rates starting at USD 1,850 (and going up significantly depending on the instructor), there's no denying that Grappler's Retreat is an expensive experience.
Difficult to reach (but they will help you). The retreat is located outside the town of Mendocino. It can be quite difficult to reach without a car. However, if you contact Grappler's Retreat in advance, they can arrange a pick-up from Sonoma County Airport.
YMMV. Depending on which instructor is hosting your selected retreat, your experience may vary. I've chatted with multiple visitors and not yet heard of any bad experiences at Grappler's Retreat, but it's important to point out that each retreat can be a different experience. Make sure to pick the right one for you.
Cell service. The location is remote, and cell service can be intermittent. (Given that you're at a retreat, this can also be considered a plus.) It wasn't an issue for me, but I include this here in case you're in a situation where you need to always be able to answer your phone.
Grappler's Retreat VS
There are several jiu jitsu vacation options to choose from around the world. Grappler's Retreat is unique in that it is designed for small exclusive groups, and it is all-inclusive.
Origin Camp
Possibly the largest Jiu Jitsu camp in North America, Origin's Jiu Jitsu Immersion Camp is a very different offering from Grappler's Retreat. The primary difference is the size with Origin's camp often having 300+ attendees at a time, and the structure with Origin's camp splitting attendees into different seminar halls with different instructors.
With three jiu jitsu sessions per day (and optional open mat time), there's a bit more training happening at Origin than Grapplers Retreat.
While shared accommodation is available at Origin Camp, most people would agree that Grappler's Retreat has a much more comfortable set up with private rooms and comfortable beds.
BJJ Globetrotters
BJJ Globetrotters has camps and seminars around the world. Their aim is to provide a politics and affiliation-free Jiu Jitsu experience. BJJ Globetrotters camps tend to be smaller than Origin Camp, but still quite a bit larger than Grappler's Retreat.
What is provided changes from camp to camp as do the locations. If you want to travel around the world while doing some BJJ, then this is a good option for you.
Other alternatives
We're in a golden age for jiu jitsu. There are endless numbers of camps and seminars available, many of which include access to well-known instructors. Other popular options include Jiutopia and the BJJ Fanatics Training Camp (usually takes place at Atos).
Tips
Here are a few tips to make the most of your time at Grappler's Retreat:
Bring your own vehicle
The retreat is set in a slightly remote location with no access to public transport. The nearest town is about a mile away, which is not very far, but should you want to make the most of your time, having access to your own vehicle will make all the difference.
Pack well
Bringing the right gear makes a big difference. The right number of gis, the appropriate amount of warm clothes, and the right kind of shoes. Check out our Grappler's Retreat Packing List for all the details!
Set your expectations
This is not a party camp nor is it a place to intensely prepare for your next competition. Temper your expectations so that you know what you're getting (and also so you understand the amount of intensity to bring to your rolls there).
Should you go to Grappler's Retreat
Grappler's Retreat is expensive, but if it's within your budget, it's worth it. The location is beautiful, the people wonderful, the training excellent, and the food delicious!
If it's currently outside of your budget, don't let that bring you down (or put you into unnecessary debt). Look at a different camp or a seminar near you instead.
While the jiu jitsu at the retreat was great, my biggest takeaway from it was several new friends that also love to grapple. It's a perfect option for those looking for exactly what it says it is, a retreat that offers jiu jitsu.
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