For a full week, an enthusiastic community of Globetrotters will settle into the cabins and fully equipped sports hall of Camp Manitou, fueled by the crisp woodland air of Maine! Each morning we’ll hit the mats as the sun rises over the lake and keep going until the embers of the bonfire settle down for the night.
We take care of absolutely everything – food, accommodation, laundry, and Jiu Jitsu. All you need to do is show up, get in your gi or shorts, and get ready for the experience of a lifetime.
For a full week, an enthusiastic community of Globetrotters will settle into the cabins and fully equipped sports hall of Camp Manitou, fueled by the crisp woodland air of Maine! Each morning we’ll hit the mats as the sun rises over the lake and keep going until the embers of the bonfire settle down for the night.
We take care of absolutely everything – food, accommodation, laundry, and Jiu Jitsu. All you need to do is show up, get in your gi or shorts, and get ready for the experience of a lifetime.
FACILITIES
Camp Manitou has absolutely everything we need both on and off the mats. The cabins have been freshly renovated and all of them feature modern bathrooms and showers. A full laundry service is included in the cost of the camp, so we’ll collect your training gear from your cabin every morning and drop it back to you later in the day. Training will take place in a large sports hall just a short walk from the cabins, and food will be served three times a day in the camp canteen. And of course there’s the absolutely stunning nature right on your doorstep. Waterskiing, paddle boarding, kayaking, ball sports of all kinds, swimming, or just hitting the forest trails – if you ever find you need a break from all the Jiu Jitsu training, you’ll never be short of options here.:-)
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. It’s entirely normal to see 20-30 black belts sitting around during open mat, chatting with everyone, answering questions, and swapping ideas and experiences. You frequently hear instructors say that even if they weren’t here to teach, they’d still come just to participate in the uniquely helpful environment of learning and sharing. Basically, there’ll be more training and input 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.
BEGINNERS WELCOME
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
ACCOMMODATION
The main accommodation for the camp will be the cozy wooden cabins right beside the lake. Each one enjoys a beautiful view out into the surrounding nature, so you’ll be in the perfect setting to unwind in between training sessions. If you’d prefer a little extra privacy, we also have a limited number of single rooms, double rooms and private houses available at extra cost.
FOOD
Food is included in the cost of the camp, and will be served three times a day in the onsite canteen. We offer a wide variety of hearty, nutritious food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and assorted snacks will be available throughout the day as well. We offer vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options, so if you’d like to avail of these (or if you have any food allergies) please add a note when buying your ticket or drop us a line at mail@bjjglobetrotters.com to let us know. If you need to stock up on anything else, there’s a small convenience store a 5-minute walk from the camp. And within 10-15 mins by car you’ll find a Walmart and plenty of local restaurants and bars.
MORNING YOGA
Regardless of the colour of the belt around your waist, six days of 8+ hours on the mats is tough on the body! In order to keep us as limbre and loose right until the end, we’re bringing back our yoga teacher to run morning yoga sessions every day of the camp.
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.
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, getting ideas and making stuff happen, and analysis of famous fights – 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.
EVENING BONFIRES & MIDNIGHT BBQ
Every evening we’ll get a bonfire going down by the lakeside, and relax and get to know each other as the sun sets. We’ll have classic American s’mores and make some traditional Viking campfire bread (“Snobrød”). And on one of the evenings we’ll break out the grills and have a midnight BBQ under the stars (please bring whatever food you’d like to cook from one of the nearby convenience stores).
“FOREST FISTICUFFS” PRO WRESTLING SHOW
Ever dreamt of performing in a pro wrestling ring? This is your moment! All camp participants are invited to step up and apply for a match. We have slots for roughly 10-15 matches, each of which will last a few minutes. Whether you’re a face or a heel, a high-flying ace or a chair-swinging brawler, a powerhouse or a technical submission wizard, we want to see your skills, charisma, and showmanship. And if you’re a bit unsure about your wrestling prowess, don’t worry! We’ve booked experienced professional wrestlers to host a special training session before the show. They’ll teach you some signature moves and all the tricks and techniques you need to ensure that your match is both safe and spectacular. At the end of the evening the audience will vote for the ‘Match of the Night’. The winning duo/team will be awarded a dazzling prize and the timeless honor of being the “FOREST FISTICUFFS” champions!
BEER TASTING
Of course, no Globetrotters camp is complete without a healthy selection of beer! Everyone is encouraged to bring their favourite beer from their hometown or home country, and one evening we’ll get together and have a giant beer tasting session. We often have several hundred different beers to try from, so you can “travel” to a new place around the world every time you raise your glass!
“PUB CRAWL” COMPETITION
The opening night pub crawl has long been a tradition at our big “city camps” in Europe and a few years ago when covid didn’t allow us to do it, we decided to make it happen even in the middle of the woods instead! Therefore, on the first night, we’ll hold a no-holds-barred competition between BJJ Globetrotters staff, local Camp Manitou staff, and all of the “late night” cabins. Each group gets 45 minutes in which they get to throw the craziest party possible. Participants can then vote for the winner on the camp app. Costumes, fireworks, jello wrestling, light shows – the sky’s the limit! This has escalated exponentially over the past two years, and we’re excited to see the parties people come up with this time.
USA VS. THE WORLD DODGE BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
If you can dodge a double-leg, you can dodge a ball! We’re going to hold a friendly, good ol’ fashioned dodgeball competition between teams from the US and those from the international contingent at the camp. All you’ve gotta do is grab a few people, come up with a team name (costumes are always welcome!), and step up and represent national pride!
YANKEE SWAP
Our camps are all about bringing people together and sharing stories and experiences. During our (entirely optional) Yankee Swap event, we’ll also have the opportunity to share small gifts from our own little parts of the world. To take part, all you’ve gotta do is bring something from your hometown with a value of roughly $20 (some ideas from previous years were candy, spices, t-shirts, ornaments, liquor, pickles etc.). One evening at camp we’ll meet up after dinner, pick numbers out of a hat, and then choose items from the table in the order of numbers picked. There’s also an element of friendly competition involved, so you’ve got to think quickly and stay on your toes to get the item you want ;)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
If you want to do something other than Jiu Jitsu for a bit, there are plenty of other options at the camp. Go for a swim, play boardgames, try out some water skiing, hit the high ropes course, play a game of tennis or take the paddle boards out for an evening ride to our private island in the middle of the lake. We’ll also be running workshops in the theater all throughout the day, covering many different aspects of Jiu Jitsu and general sport-related performance. And at night we’ll continue to put the theater to good use. Let’s just say you might have a few new Van Damme quotes in your repertoire by the time you go home. Many of our campers are enthusiastic board game connoisseurs, so feel entirely free to bring your favorite games to share with new friends around the campfire. And if you’re a complete beginner, guaranteed you’ll find a new favorite and some people to teach you! You can also “bring” your favorite song(s) and share them with people at our big karaoke night. This is your chance to go viral…
DONATIONS TO CHARITY CAMP FOR KIDS
Our campers consume a lot of beverages over the course of the five days we’re there and every year, we make sure to collect all the empty cans and bottles. The money from the bottle deposits add up to quite a lot and it all goes to Experience Camps who help less fortunate children go to a free summer camp. With the empty bottles from our camp alone, we manage to pay for one child per year! “Experience Camps is a national, no-cost program for grieving children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. Our one-week, overnight summer camp and year-round programs help to reframe the experience of grief and empower kids to develop invaluable coping skills that enable them to move forward with their lives. Through compassion, connection, and play, Experience Camps empowers grieving children to embody a life full of hope and possibility.”
CUSTOM DESIGNED CAMP GI OFFER
Book your spot before April 1st and get a special USA Camp edition of either our light weight or competition gi for just $120. You can pick any color of the gi (blue, white, black, brown, pink, navy blue, unbleached or gray) and it will have a special design just for this camp. We also have a USA Denim gi for $130.Pre-order with your camp registration and you can pick it up at the camp and pay in cash there.
CAMP RASHGUARD
Book your spot before April 1st and get a special USA Camp edition rash guard for just $45. Pre-order with your camp registration and you can pick it up at the camp and pay in cash there.
Brynjólfur Ingvarsson
- From Reykjavik, Iceland
- BJJ black belt
- Icelandic National Champion '23
- Former boxing and MMA competitor
- Will go toe to toe with anyone on bird law
Matthew McPeake
- From Ontario, Canada
- BJJ black belt
- Like to train in garages and basements
- USA Camp OG
- Also known as “Mr. Canada”
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
Matthew Gallagher
- From Iowa, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Lifetime grappler
- Owner/Head Coach at Grind Underground
- Feed him cake or face the consequences
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
Eric Bydairk
- From San Diego, United States
- Former Collegiate Division 1 Wrestler
- BJJ Black Belt
- IBJJF 2014 European Champ. purple belt
- Often double legs instead of handshake
Adrienne Santos
- From Georgia, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher
- Certified Yoga for Athletes Teacher
- Guaranteed will teach you full split by end of camp
Bernd Röske
- From Bochum, Germany
- BJJ black belt
- ADCC German Open 2x Champion
- Coach at Metagame Jiu Jitsu
- Capture the Flag Heidelberg veteran
Joshua Macri
- From North Carolina, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Ex-MMA competitor (amateur)
- A pleasant guest at dinner parties
- Once footsweeped an austrich
Christian Graugart
- From Saint Barthélemy, F.W.I.
- Author of The BJJ Globetrotter
- 2nd place IBJJF Europeans brown belt
- IBJJF London Open black belt champion
- Multiple x IBJJF default bronze medalist
Rob Cole
- From Connecticut, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Instructor at Ascension Athletics
- 30+ years of martial arts experience
- Was once told he had nice teeth by Bruce Buffer
Steve Austin
- From Pennsylvania, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Owner of Sion Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- 2012 NAGA Black belt champion
- Might choke you with dreads
Joey Carta
- From Connecticut, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Gold Boston Spring Open 2013
- Gold Abu Dhabi Pro-Trials East NYC 2013
- 50/50 on chemtrails theory
Greg Wood
- From Connecticut, United States
- BJJ Black Belt
- Owner of Plainville Martial Arts
- 20+ years of BJJ
- Eats his weight in peanut butter, daily
Rich Sab
- From New Jersey USA
- BJJ black belt
- Instructor at The Edge MMA, NJ
- NASM Certified Personal Trainer
- Rumored to own multiple rare electric eels
Ryan Fennelly
- From New Hampshire, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Instructor at Burgess MMA & Team Link BJJ
- Multiple x NAGA Champion
- Always use the electric carts in Walmart
Paul Elliott
- From New York, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Head BJJ coach for ATT Watertown
- 2013 ranked #1 NAGA old man gi/no-gi
- Likes white belts
Jenn Carson
- From New Brunswick, Canada
- Yoga and positional therapist
- Award-winning author
- Known as the “Lethal Librarian”
- Doesn’t take late book returns lightly
Kyle Sleeman
- From Ontario, Canada
- BJJ black belt
- KSF Superfight Champion
- IBJJF Indianapolis 2024 Champion
- Rarely excited about camps
Kirk Phillips
- From Tennessee, United States
- BJJ Black belt
- Instructor at Shield Systems Martial Arts
- Retired Marine Martial Arts Instructor
- Claims to have invented the berimbolo
Will Dorman
- From Florida, United States
- BJJ black belt
- Won some stuff, drank a lot of beer
- Golden Croissant Surf Champ 2023
- Once armbarred a moose in Alaska
Brad Wolfson
- From Connecticut, United States
- BJJ Black Belt
- Connecticut Open Champion 2014
- Owner of Soulcraft Academy
- Has extraordinary sharp forearms
Sigurgeir Heiðarsson
- From Reykjavik, Iceland
- BJJ black belt
- Coach at RVK MMA
- Won lots of bronze medals
- Mispronounce his name & win Icelandic licorice
Camp Manitou is a purpose-built facility right in the midst of the Maine wilderness, featuring a selection of comfortable, rustic cabins and more than enough matspace to accommodate more than 150 eager and friendly grapplers from all around the world. Nestled between towering trees and a serenely sparkling lake, it’s the perfect location for a full week of relaxing in pristine nature and training Jiu Jitsu from sunrise till sunset with high-level instructors and a bunch of new friends. Even with its secluded and private location, it’s very easily accessible – roughly an hour’s drive from Portland, Maine.
Schedule will be sent out closer to the camp.
The first training session will be on Monday afternoon and the last one on Sunday before lunch.
From Tuesday through Saturday, classes and open mats are scheduled to run from 7am to around 10pm.
$1,349: CABIN FULL PAYMENT
Per person in 10+ person shared cabin
UPGRADES AVAILABLE:
6-person room: +$100 pp.
2-person room: +$225 pp.
Private room +$325 pp.
Private house w/ private shower +$450 pp.
