Where is the camp?
On Saint Barthelemy island in the Caribbean. We will be staying near the airport in St. Jean area. The accommodation we are using are non-public dorms, built by the local government to house visiting athletes. The place doesn’t really have an address, but it’s called Centre de Herbergement de St. Jean.
How do I get there?
Unless you fly with KLM or Air France from Europe, we recommend you don’t search for flights all the way to Saint Barth as you will often only find some very expensive tickets. Look for flights to Saint Martin instead and book your transportation to Saint Barth from there separately. From Saint Martin you can either fly or take a ferry to Saint Barth.
Flying is by far the easiest and fastest way to get to Saint Barth. It’s only about 5-10 minutes long and prices vary from €75 to €200 one way, depending on season and how far in advance you book. Look at the websites of Winair and Saint Barth Commuter for tickets.
Your other option is to take the ferry, which is cheaper but will take you longer. Great Bay Express ferry: From Saint Martin airport you take a taxi to Philipsburg where the ferry departs. The price for the taxi is usually around $15-20 and takes 15-20 minutes. If you arrive on Saint Martin during rushhour in the afternoon or morning, the traffic can be really bad and it could take much longer to get to the ferry. Voyager Ferry: Departs from Marigot on the French side of Saint Martin. A bit shorter taxi ride but a bit longer ferry ride. The tickets are around $85 for a round trip (45-55 minutes each way) and you can book with Great Bay Express or directly at the terminal when you get there. Be aware that the waves can be big and the ferry ride can be pretty rough.
What day do I need to arrive / leave?
We start training Monday afternoon/evening, but you don’t have to be there at that point. We recommend you arrive Monday before noon and leave again the next Sunday. You can also arrive Sunday the day before the camp start to make sure you don’t miss anything; you’ll just need to pay for an extra nights accommodation.
Can I bring my wife/husband who doesn’t train?
Yes, they’re most welcome but ticket price is the same regardless if you participate in the training or not.
Can I bring a child?
Unfortunately, no children are allowed at the dorms. Alternatively, you can look for accommodation elsewhere on the island.
What’s the local currency?
Saint Barthélemy is a French island and the currency is Euros. You can bring cash, but the easiest way is to pay everywhere with your credit card. That will also give you the best exchange rate.
What kind of electrical outlets do you use?
European 220 volt
How much money do I need to bring?
Depending on what you want to do. As a minimum you just need to bring money for breakfast and lunch. Apart from that, there’s not really much you have to spend money on, unless you want to go diving or something.
What about breakfast and lunch?
We will bring bread for breakfast every morning from a local bakery. If you want something to eat with it, you can get that in the supermarket. You’re also on your own for lunch, as it is not included in the camp price. We usually buy something together in the nearby supermarket and cook in our kitchen, so it ends up being pretty inexpensive.
Is there a supermarket near the gym?
Yes, it is only a few minutes drive away or about 15 minutes walk.
Do you have WiFi connection?
Yes, there is a WiFi connection at the house.
Is there an option for vegetarian food?
Yes!
How is the night life?
Not much in the weekdays, quite intense in the weekends.
Is there a minimum age for participation?
You have to be at least 18 years old in order to attend the camp. The only exception is our family friendly camp in Austria, where kids can participate together with at least one adult. Our minimum age required to participate in the camp without an adult is 18 years and unfortunately we can not make any exceptions. If we allowed one, we would have to allow all and then we could end up having hundreds of teenagers at the camps every year.
I'm not sure if I'm free on those dates yet and/or can't afford to buy a ticket right now. Can I reserve a spot at the camp and pay later once I've made my decision/ saved enough money?
Sorry, but we can't bookmark spots for people in advance. It would make it far too difficult to accurately determine how many spots are still available, and would cause additional confusion if people then cancel their reserved spots on short notice. To make it fair for everyone, we only secure camp spots for people who have bought a ticket.
I'll be nearby during the dates of the camp. Can I drop in for just one day / one class / one open mat?
Unfortunately, this isn't possible. The logistics of trying to keep track of day tickets for these camps would be a nightmare. Not to mention that if we allow one person to drop by, we have to allow
everyone to drop by, and then we'd risk not having enough mat space for the people who actually paid for the full camp. Also, we often have a long waiting list for camp tickets, and it wouldn't be fair to those people if we let someone skip the list and come for a day. Same deal for everyone!:-)
Can I bring my kids to sit around/on the mats during the camp?
In order to create a quiet and focused training environment for the camp classes, we ask you to not bring your kids to the training area during camp. It would not be much of an issue with one or two, but if we allow one, we have to allow all and then we could risk suddenly having way too many babies and children there. Thank you for your understanding of this.
What are the terms and conditions of the booking?
Here you go.
Is it safe?
Yes :)
How many gis should I bring?
It depends on how much you want to train and if you also train nogi. We recommend two gis, that's enough for most people. Some people switch their days between gi and no-gi, and can do with a single gi.
Will I be allowed to film during the camp?
Yes, but always check with the instructor beforehand.
I only train with/without the gi, will there be enough training for me?
Yes! We promise there'll be more classes than you can possibly handle.
Where do the participants come from?
Our camps are usually attended by happy people from all over the world.
What language will the classes be taught in?
All classes are in English.
How can I coordinate rideshares with other campers to/from camp?
In our camp app there is a rideshare feature where you can post if you look for a ride, passengers or just someone to share a taxi or train with.
Is it possible to buy private lessons at camp?
We don't allow selling of any kind of services or products at the camp, including private lessons, massages, therapy, treatment, merchandise etc. This applies to both instructors and participants. So the answer is yes, but it has to be free :)
Is this just a BJJ camp?
Yes.
Will I receive a ticket in the mail?
There are no physical tickets for the camps. Your name is on our list when you arrive and check in.
When will there be training?
Training is running all day, every day!
I'm a complete beginner, can I still join?
Yes!! We have many hundreds beginners participate in our camps, every year.
I have booked a spot but have to cancel. Can I get a refund?
All bookings are non-refundable. You are most welcome to sell your spot to someone else, just let us know about it. In case the camp is sold out, we might have a waiting list you can obtain by emailing us.
Click here for more information
Where do the participants come from?
All over the world.
What other camps are you hosting?
See our
full schedule of camps here!
Is it possible to test for belt promotion?
The Council of Traveling Black Belts can offer a brutally honest evaluations of skill level at our camps – no belt promotion guaranteed, naturally. If you’re interested in the opinion of the instructors at a camp, shoot us an email with a description of your training career as well as link to a verified profile on
www.beltchecker.com and we’ll catch you on the mats for a few rolls and some feedback. We do not consider anyone for promotion who already have an instructor or are in between gyms.
