Matched, not thrown in
Pairs are planned around age, size and experience. Ask for the proposed group size, coach-to-child ratio and pairing criteria before payment.
Competition prep camp
Built for the bracket.
Competition preparation in Tbilisi for ADCC · IBJJF · UAEJJF · AJP.
Your child's next competition starts here.
- — Ages 6-15, matched by size and experience
- — Gi and no-gi, plus Georgian judo and wrestling
- — A guardian travels with every child
Group size, coach-to-child ratio and suitable partner availability must be confirmed for your dates before payment.
- Next camp starts
- 1 Sept 2026 – 7 Sept 2026
- From
- €1,790 / Bed & Breakfast, child + guardian sharing one room
Prepared for
- ADCC
- IBJJF
- UAEJJF
- AJP
Proof ledger
Kids from this programme, on the podium at IBJJF and AJP events.
- Gymnasia BJJ team3rd place, AJP team competition — within one year of formingView source record ↗
- Mark KononuchenkoAbu Dhabi World championView source record ↗
- Mark KononuchenkoIBJJF European champion, two goldsView source record ↗
- Mark KononuchenkoAJP Tour Asia Continental championView source record ↗
Each published result links to the record used by this site. External records can change; check the linked source rather than relying on the summary alone.
This camp is presented as a visiting-family format of Gymnasia's existing youth competition programme. Ask which home-team athletes, coaches and sessions are actually confirmed for your dates.
Why Tbilisi?
- Georgian judo.
- Georgian wrestling.
- Real partners.
- Better rounds.
Chidaoba
The proposed camp combines BJJ gi and no-gi with sessions led by judo and wrestling specialists. The exact coaching lineup, disciplines and partner group vary by date and must be confirmed before payment.
Chidaoba is Georgia's traditional wrestling practice. UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018.
Partners change everything.
Age-, size- and experience-matched local training partners.
The enquiry asks for age and training experience so Gymnasia can assess a proposed group. Suitable local or visiting partners, group size and pairing criteria are availability questions, not promises made by this page; obtain written confirmation before payment.
Unfamiliar problems
New partners can present unfamiliar positions and decisions. The actual partner mix depends on the confirmed group for your dates.
More rounds that count
Live rounds are part of the proposed programme. Intensity and supervision must be appropriate to the confirmed group and child.
Three groups. Matched for competition.
The published age bands use IBJJF division names as orientation. Confirm the exact division, ruleset and group fit for your child's date before payment.
Pee Wee
6–9
Focused · Disciplined · Playful
Movement, falling safely, positional basics, and a first competition if they want one.
IBJJF divisions: Mighty Mite III, Pee Wee I–III
Junior
10–12
Disciplined · Curious · Brave
The full technical curriculum, live rounds, gi and no-gi, and a real competition track.
IBJJF divisions: Junior I–III
Teen
13–15
Committed · Resilient · Ready
Competition preparation in earnest — game planning, weight management, hard rounds against unfamiliar partners.
IBJJF divisions: Teen I–III
16 and 17 is IBJJF Juvenile, and Gymnasia treats 16+ as adult BJJ — those athletes belong at bjjcamp.ge. Under 6, message us rather than booking; it's a different conversation.
No unaccompanied minors, ever. A guardian travels with every child and stays for the week — at every age, in every format.
Is this the right camp?
A good fit
- A child who competes, or is ready to start
- Grapplers who need takedowns and top control more than another guard sweep
- Clubs bringing a group with their own coach
- Parents who want to see the coaching, not hear about it later
Not a good fit
- Anyone hoping to drop a child off — a guardian stays for the week, without exception
- A child who doesn't want to be on the mat and is being sent anyway
- Families looking for a beach holiday with an hour of training
- Guardians looking to train themselves — that's the adult camp, booked separately
Gi · No-gi · Judo · Wrestling
One integrated preparation system, not four separate classes.
Competition tracks
Gi
Points, grips, takedowns
Grips · Off-balancing · Setups · Takedowns · Control · Finishes. Scored the way IBJJF and AJP actually score it.
Competition tracks
No-gi
Entries, top control
Entries · Chains · Transitions · Top control · Pressure · Finishes. Built for ADCC-style submission pressure.
Judo and wrestling are not extras
They are the reason the week works. Judo sharpens the gi game; freestyle wrestling builds the no-gi entries and the top control that decide matches. Both taught by coaches from those sports.
Legal submissions and scoring differ by governing body, age division, gi and no-gi. Confirm the exact ruleset and age restrictions for your child's proposed group before payment.
Games that transfer.
Constraints-led rounds. Decisions under pressure.
Instead of demonstrating a technique for children to copy, coaches design a constrained game with a start position, a goal, and rules that narrow the options. The child solves a real problem against a partner who resists — so the solution survives contact with an opponent in a bracket.
Transfer is the whole point
Movements rehearsed against a compliant partner disappear when someone fights back. Solutions found under live pressure tend to stay.
It self-scales in a mixed room
A camp puts children from many gyms and levels on one mat. The same constraint asks a different question of a Teen blue belt and a Pee Wee white belt.
Not games as entertainment
These are live decisions under pressure with a score, not prizes and party activities. Serious training that happens to be absorbing.
It's why the crossover works
A Georgian wrestling coach doesn't need to translate wrestling into BJJ. The constraint does that.
Coaching
Who coaches
Named, with credentials you can check against the record.
Pavel Zaitsev
BJJ and no-gi
No-gi specialist, leg-lock focus, constraints-led coach. Runs the kids programme at Gymnasia, including the weekly BJJ Competition Team for 7-14 year-olds.
@slyshzaytsev
David Khutsishvili
Wrestling
London 2012 Olympian. World and European medallist for Georgia.
@david_khutsishvili
Vano Churchkhelashvili
Judo
World Sambo champion. National medallist. Judo black belt.
@vanochurchkhelashvili__Judo and wrestling coaching
Coached by specialists from a country with a deep Olympic record in both. This is the part of the week that changes your child's grappling most, and it is not a supporting act.
The coaching lineup can vary between camps. Named coaches are not guaranteed for a specific week — if a particular coach matters to you, ask before you book and we'll tell you straight.
Who else trains in this building
The camp is not the only thing that happens on these mats.
Gymnasia is the facility Georgian and international professionals use when they need somewhere serious to work. That is the point of showing them here: it tells you what kind of building your child trains in, and what kind of standard the mats are kept to.
Aleksandre Topuria
UFC contender
Trains at Gymnasia in Tbilisi.
Levan Makashvili
Former UFC fighter, IFC champion
Held a full training camp at Gymnasia.
Also through these doors
Roman Dolidze, UFC middleweight, has been our guest. Olympic judo medallists Vazha Margvelashvili and Varlam Liparteliani train here, and the UAE national judo team has held camps in this facility.
To be plain about it: these athletes are not camp coaches and have not endorsed this camp. They train here. Your child's coaches are the three named above.
Ready to plan the week?
Tell us your child's age and the dates you're considering. We review the request and reply with availability and next steps; submitting does not reserve a place.
The training week
Two sessions a day, five days a week. Mornings build the engine; evenings are grappling.
Focus & warm-up
Movement prep built from grappling, not generic conditioning.
Technique block
The day's theme, introduced through a constrained problem.
Live rounds
Constraints applied under resistance, matched by size and experience.
Private family room
Accommodation is part of the published Bed & Breakfast plan; the exact property and room require written confirmation.
Tbilisi after training
Free time is unscheduled. Families arrange their own activities unless a specific service is confirmed in writing.
| Day | 11:00 | 18:00 |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Strength & conditioning | BJJ / grappling / wrestling / judo — one of |
| Tuesday | BJJ / grappling / wrestling / judo — one of | BJJ / grappling / wrestling / judo — one of |
| Wednesday | Strength & conditioning | BJJ / grappling / wrestling / judo — one of |
| Thursday | BJJ / grappling / wrestling / judo — one of | BJJ / grappling / wrestling / judo — one of |
| Friday | Strength & conditioning | BJJ / grappling / wrestling / judo — one of |
Schedule is subject to change.
Where you are while this happens
You do not have to stay in the training area, but you must remain on site and readily available throughout every session. Guardian presence is an attendance condition; it does not replace Gymnasia's coaching, supervision, safeguarding or incident-response responsibilities.
Weekends
No sessions are shown for Saturday or Sunday in the published plan. Confirm accommodation access, supervision responsibilities and any schedule changes before arranging independent free time.
Guardian attends · Child trains
Where you stay
The published Bed & Breakfast plan is one private family room near the mats; availability and the exact room must be confirmed in writing.
Proposed private family room
The Bed & Breakfast plan is one private room with a private bathroom for the guardian and child to share. This page is not live room inventory; confirm the property, room configuration, dates and full cost before payment.
Breakfast included
Breakfast is included each morning with Bed & Breakfast — built around training and recovery, and recognisably Georgian. Lunch and dinner are on you, with good food easy to find near the mats.
Recovery
Sauna, pool and recovery space at the facility. Rest is part of the week, particularly for a child training twice a day.
Tbilisi after training
We don't run excursions. The published plan leaves afternoons and weekends as independent family time. Families arrange their own activities and transport, subject to the confirmed training schedule and guardian responsibilities.
Pricing
Published planning prices, not live inventory or a payment offer. Confirm availability, inclusions, currency and the full written cost before payment.
Training Week
The published training-only plan is €500 per week. You arrange accommodation and meals; confirm the exact sessions, group and full cost before payment.
€500per week
- All camp sessions, gi and no-gi
- Age- and size-matched group
- Judo and wrestling cross-training
- Strength & conditioning
- Sessions open for you to watch
Bed & Breakfast + private room
The published plan combines training with one private room for the guardian and child. Confirm the actual room and every inclusion in writing.
€1,300per week
- Everything in Training Week
- Private family room, 7 or 14 nights
- Breakfast included
- Airport transfers, arrival and departure
- Sauna, pool and recovery access
What a family actually pays
One child on Bed & Breakfast plus one accompanying guardian, sharing one private room. The guardian pays the accommodation component only — they are not buying a second camp place.
- Your child — Bed & Breakfast + private room
- €1,300
- Accompanying guardian
- €490
- Bed & Breakfast, child + guardian sharing one room
- €1,790
- Training only, child + guardian
- €500
Fourteen days costs exactly twice seven days. 14 days: €3,580.
Two or more families travelling together, or a club bringing a group with its own coach, can request a written proposal. No group price or place is confirmed by the enquiry.
Dates
A new camp starts the first Tuesday of every month.
| Starts | 7-day camp ends | 14-day camp ends |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sept 2026 | 7 Sept 2026 | 14 Sept 2026 |
| 6 Oct 2026 | 12 Oct 2026 | 19 Oct 2026 |
| 3 Nov 2026 | 9 Nov 2026 | 16 Nov 2026 |
| 1 Dec 2026 | 7 Dec 2026 | 14 Dec 2026 |
| 5 Jan 2027 | 11 Jan 2027 | 18 Jan 2027 |
| 2 Feb 2027 | 8 Feb 2027 | 15 Feb 2027 |
| 2 Mar 2027 | 8 Mar 2027 | 15 Mar 2027 |
| 6 Apr 2027 | 12 Apr 2027 | 19 Apr 2027 |
The published catalog starts a module each month. If the window you need is not listed, ask; alternative dates are unavailable unless Gymnasia confirms them in writing.
What parents ask
Can I send my child on their own?
No. A guardian travels with every child and stays for the week. It is not a policy we'd waive for the right family — the whole camp is built around it, and it's the reason we can offer this at all.
Do I train as well?
No — this camp is your child's. You travel with them, stay in the same room, watch the sessions and have the afternoons together. If you want to train yourself, that is a different product: the adult camp at bjjcamp.ge, booked separately.
My child has never competed. Is this too much?
The enquiry accepts complete-beginner experience, but that is not automatic acceptance into every group. Tell us the child's age and experience; before payment, obtain written confirmation that the proposed group, coaching and partner mix are suitable.
Is BJJ safe for a six-year-old?
Sparring is matched by age, size and experience, supervised throughout, and the legal submissions for each age group are published rather than left to a coach's judgement in the moment. Children can stop a round at any time.
Which competitions does this prepare for?
The circuits your child's age group actually runs on — IBJJF Kids divisions and their European and international events, AJP Tour youth categories under UAEJJF rules, and ADCC-style submission rules in the no-gi track. We coach to the ruleset of each, because they differ.
Gi or no-gi — which should we bring?
The proposed programme includes gi and no-gi. Before travelling, confirm which sessions run on your dates and the exact equipment list. Do not buy equipment solely from this general FAQ.
What language is the coaching in?
The website is available in eight languages, but that does not guarantee coaching or safeguarding communication in those languages. Tell us which languages the child and guardian use and obtain written confirmation of the coaching and emergency-communication plan before payment.
Can two children come with one parent?
Yes. Each child pays the full rate; there's no sibling discount. Message us first so we can confirm the room configuration before you book.
How does payment work?
Nothing is due when you enquire, and submitting the form does not reserve a place. We confirm availability and send the full cost plus written deposit, balance, change and cancellation terms before asking you to pay.
What if my child is 16?
That's IBJJF Juvenile, and Gymnasia treats 16+ as adult BJJ. A 16-year-old belongs in the adult camp at bjjcamp.ge rather than here.
Do you help with visas?
Entry rules depend on the traveller's passport and can change. Check the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official GeoConsul visa information for every traveller before paying or booking travel; do not rely on a country count or stay length quoted by a camp website.
How many sessions a day, and what are the times?
Two a day, Monday to Friday, at 11:00 and 18:00. Mornings are strength and conditioning on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and grappling on Tuesday and Thursday; every evening is grappling. Weekends have no scheduled sessions. The schedule is subject to change.
What should my child bring?
A gi with a belt, plus a rash guard and shorts or spats for no-gi. A mouthguard if they use one, flip-flops for off the mat, and a water bottle. Bring any personal protective gear they already train in — we don't supply personal equipment.
Can we extend our stay beyond the camp dates?
Add the requested arrival and departure dates to the enquiry. Extra nights are not confirmed by submitting the form; obtain written availability, room and cost confirmation before booking travel.
What is the cancellation policy?
The enquiry does not create a booking or cancellation entitlement. We send the cancellation, refund, credit and date-change terms in writing before asking you to pay; review and accept those terms before making any payment or travel commitment.
Do we need travel insurance?
We strongly recommend it, and it should cover contact sport. It isn't included in either package.
Do you arrange airport transfer?
Airport transfers are listed in the published Bed & Breakfast plan, but an enquiry does not arrange one. Obtain written confirmation of the airport, passengers, pickup instructions, timing and any cost before booking around a transfer. Journey time varies with route and traffic.
Camp Participants
Photos and video from past camp and open-mat sessions at the Tbilisi facility.
First-party archive media. These files show past sessions only. They do not prove the coach lineup, group size, nationalities, or session content for your dates — ask for those details in writing.
What Participants Said on Camera
Unedited clips recorded at the facility. Turn on captions with the player controls.
These are individual recorded opinions from past visitors, published with their knowledge. They are not a guarantee of your own result and do not prove current coaches, packages, hotel, or schedule — confirm those in writing for your dates.
Plan your child's competition camp.
Tell us about your child and proposed dates. We review availability and reply with the next steps — no payment or reservation at this step.