BJJ Globetrotters Summer Camp 2026

* From August 3rd – 8th, 2026 *
* In Heidelberg, Germany *
* Our biggest camp of the year *
* One hour from Frankfurt am Main airport *
* Huge mat space in a beautiful old university town *
* Six-day training camp *
* 25+ black belt instructors *
* 35+ gi and nogi classes *
* 22+ hours of open mats *
* 10+ hours of workshops and lectures *
* High-level international instructors *
* Yoga sessions every morning *
* On-site accommodation available *
* Free professional portrait service/photo booth *
* Free beer at final open mat *
* All experience levels and affiliations welcome! *

SKIP TO BOOKING DETAILS
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WELCOME

We’re heading to Heidelberg for our biggest camp of the year and another incredible week of BJJ training, workshops, diving competitions, morning yoga sessions, midnight cocktail bar crawls, and free beer open mats.
We are excited to see you all at this stunning university town!

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"My time at the Heidelberg camp was hands down one of the best experiences I’ve had in the last ten years. The atmosphere was an amazing blend of learning, training, exploring, and making new friends! Everyone, no matter what region or country they were from, was on the same vibe! We all experienced world class BJJ instruction, really intuitive and well planned ‘off the mats’ classes, as well as a great social environment! If you’re thinking of doing, STOP thinking, and start planning! You won’t regret it!"
- Michael, United States

HEIDELBERG

Heidelberg Camp BJJ 2020

Located in a strikingly beautiful river valley, Heidelberg has long been renowned as one of the most charming and picturesque cities in all of Germany. As you walk along its cobbled streets and through its centuries of history, you might find yourself in the shadow of a towering medieval castle one moment, and at the door of one of the oldest universities in the world the next. As befits such a big student town, Heidelberg has a great nightlife, with plenty of options for rehydrating with freshly brewed German beer (and cocktails!) after a hard day on the mats.

"I had been really hesitant to come to a camp as a white belt, but I am so glad I did it. Everybody at the camp was awesome, people went out of their way to give advise to me and even followed up."

FACILITIES

The Olympiastützpunkt is a dedicated training and sports science facility used by the German national and Olympic teams in such disciplines as boxing, rugby, and weightlifting. For the week of the camp, we have the entire sports hall to ourselves, giving us a huge mat space on which to roll, learn, and unwind with friendly people from all around the world.

"really appreciated the fact that you can decide freely what and how much to train and which other activities you want to join in."

BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU TRAINING

We’ll be running classes (both gi and no-gi) every day from morning to evening, all taught by a variety of highly experienced instructors who bring their own perspective on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, sometimes incorporating concepts from other grappling arts such as wrestling, Judo, and Luta Livre. We’ll also schedule frequent open mat sessions at which you can roll, drill technique, or just chat with the instructors and pick their brains. There’ll be more training than you can possibly handle over the course of the week, so make sure to bring your notepad!

All of our camps are renowned for their open and welcoming atmosphere. They’re full of enthusiastic, friendly people from all around the world, who enjoy training in a fun, relaxed, and open-minded environment. So regardless of whether you’re there with a group or traveling solo, you’ll always find someone to slap hands with :)

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BEGINNERS WELCOME!

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BJJ Globetrotters is built on a foundation of treating everyone equally, both on and off the mats. We understand that signing up for a week-long training camp as a beginner in the sport can be a very intimidating thought. People often ask us if they are even allowed to join as beginners or if they would somehow be a burden to the instructors or other participants. However, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. We are most happy to have beginners of all levels join us, both for the training and social aspects of the camps.

At many of the camps, we even host a “White Belt Appreciation Hour,” which is a closed event where white belts can have “alone time” with the black belt coaches and ask all the beginner questions they might have.

So, if you’re still inexperienced in BJJ and on the edge about coming, just do it! We’ve all started where you are now, and one day you’ll probably be able to beat us, so we better be nice to you now .

"It was a fantastic experience and I'm already thinking about which camp to attend next"

ACCOMMODATION

When you’re buying your camp ticket, you have the option of including accommodation in one of the 25 rooms located directly in the sports hall. Each room has two single beds, and features a private bathroom, shower, TV, and wi-fi. These cost €260 per person for the seven nights, Sunday through Sunday, when shared with another person. For a private room, the cost is €520 for the week.

If you want, you can of course just buy the basic camp ticket and stay elsewhere in the city. The closest option is the nearby youth hostel, about a 10-minute walk from the camp venue, and there’s a wide selection of hotels and Air BnBs spread across the Old Town.

Heidelberg is a popular tourist destination all year round, and especially in August when half of Europe goes travelling. So we really recommend that you book your accommodation as early as possible.

Booking must be done directly with the Olympiastützpunkt sports hall on [email protected]

"In these camps nobody cares what belt are you, everybody is treated equally and it makes you feel like you’ve known these people your entire life! ... These two camps were the best investments of my life, can’t wait for the next year!"
- Katya, Ukraine

PHOTO BOOTH

Once again, we’re offering a free photo booth run by a professional portrait photographer during the camp. Grab your finest gi, favourite accessories, and nearest liftable friend, and get that Facebook profile picture you’ve always wanted!

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"Christian and his team have created an incredible network – as a first time Globetrotter I can say that I entered the camp hesitant (as there were 270 people that I didn’t know), but I left with so many new friends. Being able to roll with so many different people and really good quality high belts; plus there is nothing better than a big group of people rolling with some fantastic tunes blasting! I will definitely be going back."
- Estea, United Kingdom

MORNING YOGA

Regardless of the color of the belt around your waist, six days of 8+ hours on the mats is tough on the body! And that’s not even counting the hours spent sampling Heidelberg’s historic array of beers afterwards. In order to keep us as limber and loose right until the end, we’re bringing back our instructor to run morning yoga sessions every day of the camp.

"I've been to a lot of these camps by now and the atmosphere, enthusiasm and general energy is second to none."
- Oliver, United Kingdom

ONLINE VIDEO LIBRARY OF CAMP CLASSES

We’ll be professionally filming many of the classes and then hosting them online at our video library: BJJ Globetrotters in Action. They’ll be entirely free to access (as will the videos from all our other camps), so if you want to refresh your memory you can go back and check out the technique as many times as you want.

"I didn’t know anybody when I arrived, but felt immediately at home."
- Stefan, Germany

WORKSHOPS

Off the mats, we’ll be holding a series of workshops taught by a selection of instructors and highly knowledgeable camp attendees. These will all take place in the camp venue. Generally they focus on Jiu Jitsu and sport-related topics, but we’ve also had presentations on things like improving your photography, making stuff happen, standup comedy and historic grappling arts – basically anything cool that we think might be interesting! You’ll just have to wait for the schedule and see what we’ve got lined up.

"This was the most fun I've had in ages and it really reinforced why I chose this sport"

FREE BEER OPEN MAT

As always, on Saturday afternoon we’re going to finish off the week of training with a giant end-of-camp Open Mat. What makes this one unique though is that we’ll have our own personal nightlife entertainment and catering experts, the BJJ Globetrotters Bar Team, providing free beer throughout the entire thing. And live music to keep the vibes flowing. Rest assured, you’ve never rolled like this before!

"When I booked my ticket to what would be my first BJJ Globetrotters camp, I was quite nervous for different reasons, but my friend convinced me and I am so grateful that I went, because WOW. I knew that I was about to learn some new and awesome techniques, but I did not expect it to give me the best weekend I’ve ever had."
- Louise, Sweden

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Heidelberg is surrounded by nature and history of all kinds. If you ever need a break from training, you can wander up through the woods to an old Roman-style ampitheatre, hop on a boat cruise along the Neckar river, or just spend an afternoon people-watching over a coffee in one of the plazas in the Old Town.

We’ll be organizing a pub crawl some evening too, so you’ll have the chance to decide whether Pils, Hefeweizen, Kellerbier, or Warmer Erpel is your thing. (Disclaimer: Science has not yet determined what effect more than two Warmer Erpels will have on the average human body).

"Everyone was beyond kind, the city was beautiful and I honestly couldn't have asked for a better experience"

€130 CUSTOM DESIGNED CAMP GI OFFER

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Book your spot before May 1st and get a special Heidelberg Camp edition of either our light weight travel gi or pearl weave competition gi for just €130. You can pick any color of the gi (blue, white, black, brown, pink or gray) and it will have a special design just for this camp.

Pre-order with your camp registration and you can pick it up at the camp and pay in cash there. Binding, gentleman’s agreement :)

BJJ Globetrotters Travel gi retro
* Special Heidelberg Camp design *
* Available in blue, white, black, brown, pink and gray *
* Super light ripstop jacket and pants *
* From just 1.1 kg *
* Perfect to bring for traveling *
* Special camp pre-order price €130 *

BJJ Globetrotters Competition Gi retro
* Special Heidelberg Camp design *
* Available in blue, white, black and gray *
* High quality, 100% cotton 550GSM pearl weave jacket *
* 10 oz canvas pants *
* IBJJF competition legal *
* Special camp pre-order price €130 *

"Can't believe how well organized and smooth it all was"

CONFIRMED INSTRUCTORS

Taherul Khan

- From London, England / Zürich, Switzerland
- BJJ black belt
- #1 ranked camp coffee snob
- Everyone gave up on pronouncing his name
- Will armbar a grandma if she puts sugar in coffee
Juditte Diab

- From Oslo, Norway
- BJJ blue belt
- Nutritionist and yoga teacher
- Dessert enthusiast (eating, not cooking)
- Favorite stretch is reaching for the cake
Sari Manninen

- From Helsinki, Finland
- BJJ black belt
- Won something in Brazil back in the days
- Instructor at Loop, Helsinki
- Once small talked in Finland at bus stop (2017)
Chris Paines

- From Stafford, England
- BJJ Black Belt
- Head Coach Fighting Fit Grappling
- Manchester Open black belt champion
- Officially an influencer
Bernd Röske

- From Bochum, Germany
- BJJ black belt
- ADCC German Open 2x Champion
- Coach at Metagame Jiu Jitsu
- Capture the Flag Heidelberg veteran
Paul Urbanik

- From Paderborn, Germany
- BJJ & Luta Livre black belt
- Gold Grappling Industries Amsterdam Absolute
- Gold ADCC German Open
- Grand Master in the Gentle Art of Panicking
Sebastian Otto

- From Halle, Germany
- BJJ black belt
- Wrestling since 1988
- IBJJF Nogi Worlds + Euros Gold 2019 and 2022
- Thinks every guard pull is a personal insult
Yvonne Morken

- From Tucson, Arizona
- BJJ black belt
- Judo black belt
- Instructor at Undisputed Tucson
- Never wristlocked Christian
Patrick Schreier

- From Frankfurt, Germany
- BJJ black belt
- Police University Use of Force instructor
- Former Coach of Hessian State Team
- Let him win and he likely won't arrest you at camp
Rebecca Essikman

- From Potsdam, Germany
- Yoga Alliance registered teacher
- 200h Yoga certificate
- Beach wrestling competitor
- Hitchhiked five continents without dying
Francesco Fonte

- From Hanau, Germany / Gallipoli, Italy
- BJJ black belt
- A few medals here and there
- Next Level MMA head coach
- Will not accept milk in coffee
Benjamin Mattern

- From Heidelberg, Germany
- BJJ black belt
- Certified AirJail (TM) specialist
- Media equipment shopaholic
- Actually DOES fit in a Miata
Sebastiaan Munter

- From Heemskerk, Netherlands
- BJJ & Judo black belt
- Head coach of Bushido BJJ
- Former Dutch champion
- Actually enjoys Minttu shots
PJ Lucey

- From Killarney, Ireland
- BJJ black belt
- Head coach at SBG Killarney
- Won some gold medals 'back in the day'
- Top 5 most normal Globetrotters instructor
Tobias Huber

- From Bietigheim, Germany
- BJJ black belt
- Former MMA pro
- NAGA Germany champion
- Our token Brazilian guy at camp
Gareth McNamara

- From Dublin, Ireland
- Judo & BJJ black belt
- Former Irish Judo Champion
- IBJJF World, European & Asian medalist
- Will footsweep you using beer only
Shawn Clow

- From New York, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Once ranked #1 IBJJF brown belt in some division
- Had some MMA fights
- Private first responder for Seb Munter
Rayan Daou

- From Göttingen, Germany
- BJJ black belt
- ILLCS Black belt 3 x gold medalist
- Official Camp Magician
- Reportedly pulled a rabbit from someone's guard
Michael Velotta

- From California, United States
- BJJ black belt
- 25+ years of Jiu Jitsu
- Won some competitions at some point
- Tap him = he'll destroy you in Dungeons & Dragons
Christian Graugart

- From Elsinore, Denmark
- Author of The BJJ Globetrotter
- 2nd place IBJJF Europeans brown belt
- IBJJF London Open black belt champion
- Multiple times IBJJF default bronze medalist
Priit Mihkelson

- From Tallinn, Estonia
- BJJ black belt
- Head coach Estum Jiu Jitsu, Estonia
- Creator of DefensiveBJJ.com
- Once stopped drone strike w/ turtle defense
Laura Rättyä

- From Helsinki, Finland
- BJJ black belt
- Gold No-Gi Finnish Nationals '22
- Mostly rocking the 2nd or 3rd place
- Former Finnish curling pro
Tim Carden

- From Llandeilo, Wales
- BJJ black belt
- Won some medals
- British Veteran Judo Squad 22/23
- Hasn’t done a warm-up since 2014
"When I went to training in my gym the first time after the camp, my training partners commented on how much my BJJ had improved in just this week."

INSTRUCTORS’ CODE OF CONDUCT

All instructors at the BJJ Globetrotters camps have agreed to:
  • Respect and treat everyone at the camp equally, regardless of gender, sexuality, age, belt level, and skill; on and off the mats.
  • Behave respectfully and with the integrity to be expected of an instructor, role model, and representative of BJJ Globetrotters; on and off the mats.
  • Be a team player and support their fellow instructors.
  • Treat neither rolling nor teaching as a competition.

"Highest quality coaching, amazing rolls, lots of new friends and great techniques to take home. Will definitely be back!"

SCHEDULE & GUIDEBOOK

Will be sent out roughly a week prior to camp

* Camp starts Monday around noon *
* Daily training and open mat sessions from around 9 am to 9 pm *
* Last training will be a long open mat session on Saturday until around 4 pm *
* We are trying to make an equal amount of gi and no-gi classes *
* You can arrive/leave early or late as you like *

Take a look at the guidebook for last year’s Heidelberg camp here

"The Globetrotters team have mastered the balance of offering both superior training and an enjoyable, relaxing vacation in one package. The instructors were all highly skilled, not only in the practice of Jiu Jitsu but also the capacity to teach it."

BOOK YOUR SPOT

Six days unlimited training camp
20+ black belt instructors
35+ gi and nogi classes
25+ hours of open mats
10+ hours of workshops and lectures
Yoga sessions every morning

NOT INCLUDED
Food, accommodation & transportation

€169

RESERVATION DEPOSIT
Must pay remaining €170 before March 1st to secure ticket

or

€339

FULL PAYMENT

Accommodation in sports hall with bathroom, shower & wifi:
Please inquire directly on [email protected]

AVAILABILITY: SOLD OUT

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You're on the waitlist! We'll be in touch when a spot opens up.

ANY QUESTIONS?

Christian Graugart

Christian Graugart

Camp organizer
Vara Poorisrisak

Vara Poorisrisak

Camp organizer

Hi there, we are Christian and Vara!

We run the BJJ Globetrotters camps behind the scenes and are always happy to answer any questions you might have. Click below to get directly in touch with us any time!

Facebook Messenger
Whatsapp +44 7452 345006
[email protected]

Someone you can talk to

We care a lot about creating an environment where people feel comfortable, safe, and welcome.

If something happens at camp that doesn’t sit right with you, you’re always welcome to reach out. You can speak directly with the organizers, or contact Laura Mallene if you’d rather talk to someone outside the organizing team.

Laura is a violence-prevention educator with a Master’s degree in Change Management in Society from the University of Tartu, Estonia. She works daily with topics related to sexual and domestic violence prevention, offering training and awareness programs for all ages.

Her long-standing contribution to preventing gender-based violence has been recognized with the Violence Prevention Award, presented by the Estonian Ministry of Justice and President Kersti Kaljulaid. She has extensive experience supporting survivors of domestic violence and has completed emotional first aid and other trauma-informed trainings.

You are welcome to contact Laura on [email protected]

"The week was full of positive vibes from amazing people. Everybody was so generous in sharing their time, experiences, and knowledge, that it began to feel real comfortable, real quick. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will morph into a lifetime of opportunities."

ALL UPCOMING CAMPS

Summer Camp 2026 – 180×240 SOLD OUT

Austria Camp 2025 – 180×240

Copenhagen Camp 2026 – 180×240 SOLD OUT

Zen Camp October 2026 – 180×240 SOLD OUT

Arizona Camp 2026 – 180×240

Family Winter Camp 2027 – 180×240

caribbean island camp 2027 – 180×240

Spring Camp 2027 180×240

USA Camp 2027 180×240

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR HEIDELBERG CAMP

What is the location of the camp?
The camp will be held at the Olympiastützpunkt, Im Neuenheimer Feld 710, 69120 Heidelberg.

How do I get there?
The main airport nearby is Frankfurt am Main (FRA) – roughly an hour from Heidelberg. This is a major international hub, so you’ll most likely be able to get flights there from basically anywhere in the world. From there, you can just hop on a train, bus, or shuttle that’ll bring you right down to Heidelberg.

If you live in Europe, you could possibly also fly with a low-cost airline (like Ryanair or Wizzair) to either Frankfurt Hahn (HHN) or Karlsruhe-Baden (FKB) airports. A bus service runs from both of them to Heidelberg.

My friend and I are all staying in the onsite accommodation. Can you make sure we stay in the same room?
Yep, no problem at all. Just shoot us an email with your names after you’ve registered, and we’ll do our best to sort it out.

What else can I spend my time on, besides training?
Heidelberg has everything from stunning medieval castles to picturesque riverside walking trails to bustling pubs full of only the finest German beer (and cocktails!). You’ll have absolutely no problems passing time off the mats.;-)

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.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Feel free to email us if you have any questions!! We will get back to you right away :)

Curious what past attendees say? Read their reviews of this camp →