July 20 - July 25, 2026
with Dan Hart
At the Grappler’s Retreat training sanctuary, on the redwood coast of deep Northern California.
16 spots max
Private Rooms, Gourmet Meals, and an absolutely Epic Location!
from $2,100 all-inclusive
The Grappler’s Retreat is a Jiu Jitsu Training Sanctuary, built in the woods on a secluded stretch of the rugged Northern California coast. We take pride in offering an incredible retreat experience centered around:
Small-group training: 16 spots max per retreat, so the learning environment is personal and deep. With Dan Hart and the Grappler’s Retreat crew, there will be a little over 20 of us.
A relaxed retreat vibe, where older grapplers and hobbyists are most welcome.
Total comfort and incredible retreat amenities: private bedrooms for all, world-class dojo with the best mats, luxury hot tub sitting amongst the redwoods, massive outdoor cedar sauna, clubhouse with unbelievable wilderness views.
Gathering together for gourmet chef-prepared meals (3 meals per day, prepared onsite by our very own chefs).
Restorative yoga every evening in the dojo (optional, non-training spouses are welcome).
Dan Hart and Henry Akins, May 2025 at Grappler’s Retreat.
Katie Hart putting the pressure on Dan!
Get in touch if you have any questions:
click the Video below for a glimpse of what it’s like to spend a week at the Grappler’s Retreat:
With Dan and Katie 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 Jiu Jitsu learning experience.
The retreat clubhouse at sunrise.
The retreat hot tub is incredible for recovery.
An Overview of the Grappler’s Retreat Experience:
Twice-daily small-group training sessions led by Dan Hart. 16 sign-ups max, so the learning environment and level of connection is personal and deep. Hobbyists and older grapplers are most welcome.
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 small-group training environment at Grappler’s Retreat is incredible. Learning in this setting is as good as it gets.
Come train, relax, and enjoy the vacation of a lifetime on this isolated stretch of northern California’s redwood coast.
Meet the Instructor:
Dan Hart
Black Belt - 1st Degree, awarded by Henry Akins (Rickson Gracie lineage)
Dan Hart is a phenomenal Jiu Jitsu Black Belt with an incredible talent for coaching. He focuses his Jiu Jitsu and teaching on simple pressure based basics — with an emphasis on self-defense rooted techniques with real world applications.
Dan’s Jiu Jitsu pedigree runs through an awesome lineage of knowledge. His coach, Henry Akins, is often regarded as one of the best Black Belts produced by the legendary Rickson Gracie. Dan follows in this path, and his ability to relate the fundamental concepts of Jiu Jitsu is extraordinary
Expect to be taught the “Hidden Jiu Jitsu” that Dan personally learned from Henry Akins over many years of training directly under him. Indeed, Dan has spent more time training directly with Henry than anyone else, making him a unique ambassador of the timeless Jiu Jitsu gifted to us by Rickson Gracie.
Today, Dan owns his own thriving academy in Woodstock, Illinois. He teaches regularly along with his wife, Katie Hart.
In addition to teaching at his own academy and teaching seminars around the United States, Dan is also well known for teaching the only 100% charity retreat at Hero Academy in Costa Rica every winter. He is perhaps the biggest benefactor and supporter of the HeroKids Program.
After visiting the Grappler’s Retreat twice in 2025 to support Henry Akins, a great connection was made… and now Dan will also run a summer retreat with us while Hero is in their ‘off-season’. We can’t wait to learn from him again!
Dan Hart and his wife Katie Hart — alway bringing great energy to the mats!
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, 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)
Schedule:
Arrive Monday July 20 any time between 3:30pm 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.
Restorative yoga every evening in the dojo (optional, non-training spouses are welcome)
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 July 25 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)
Getting to the Retreat:
click here for details and travel tips: www.grapplersretreat.com/travel
Cold plunge at Big River Estuary, just down the hill from the retreat. May 2025 visit.
The sunsets on the coast are incredible.
Nikolai and Roger getting in some downtime after training.
Pricing
From $2,100 all-inclusive
discounted booking options available for couples (massively discounted for non-training spouses)
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 Dan Hart. 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.
Restorative yoga is offered every evening in the dojo (optional) to help you recover from the day’s training.
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
The sunsets on the Mendocino coast are incredible.
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
Splitting firewood with the crew, summer 2022.