Best Secret Santa Gifts for Your Jiu Jitsu Team in 2026

June 2, 2026

Your Gym Does Secret Santa. Now What.

It happens every December. Someone at the gym suggests a Secret Santa exchange, everyone agrees it sounds fun, and then you spend the next two weeks trying to figure out what to get the purple belt you only know by first name and the weird guard he plays.

BJJ Secret Santa is its own kind of challenge. You're shopping for someone who sweats on you regularly but whose shoe size you don't know. The budget is usually modest. And whatever you buy is going to get opened in front of the whole team, so there's a performance element to it whether you like it or not.

The good news? Grapplers are surprisingly easy to shop for if you know the right categories. Here are the best Secret Santa gifts for your jiu jitsu team, organized by budget so you can find something no matter what your gym's spending limit is. For even more budget-friendly options, check out our BJJ gifts under $25 guide.

Best BJJ Secret Santa Gifts Under $20

Athletic Tape (A Lot of It)

Every grappler goes through athletic tape like it's free. It's not. A multipack of quality finger tape is the kind of gift that's boring to open and genuinely appreciated by Tuesday's class. Brands like Hampton Adams and Monkey Tape make tape specifically designed for grapplers.

BJJ-Themed Christmas Ornament

A tiny gi, a miniature belt, a grappler mid-armbar. BJJ ornaments are a low-cost, high-charm option that works for any teammate. They're usually under $20 on Etsy.

Grip Strengthener

Grip strength matters in BJJ more than most people realize. A quality grip trainer is a small, affordable gift that a grappler can keep in their car, at their desk, or in their gym bag.

Stocking Stuffer: Mini Foam Roller or Lacrosse Ball

A lacrosse ball for trigger point work costs less than lunch and is one of the most effective recovery tools a grappler can own. Either one fits in a gym bag and gets used constantly.

Best BJJ Secret Santa Gifts: $20-$40

Holiday BJJ Christmas T-Shirt

This is the sweet spot for gym Secret Santa. A Holiday BJJ Christmas tee at $34.95 gives your teammate a funny, high-quality shirt with a design that only grapplers fully understand.

Jingle Bell Lock, Santa Rear Naked Choke, Cauliflower Ear Reindeer, or Merry Wristmas: pick the one that matches their personality. The leg lock obsessive gets Jingle Bell Lock. The old-school grappler gets Santa Rear Naked Choke. The one with actual cauliflower ear gets the Reindeer. You know your team.

Holiday BJJ Christmas Tank Top

Same designs, sleeveless format, $34.99. For the teammate who considers every day a gun show. A solid Secret Santa pick for warm-climate gyms.

Quality Mouth Guard

A SISU or Venum mouth guard in the $20-35 range is a Secret Santa gift that punches above its weight. A proper grappling-specific mouth guard is thinner, more breathable, and actually protects their teeth.

Resistance Band Set

A set of resistance bands with multiple levels usually runs $15-30 and is genuinely useful for shoulder prehab, hip mobility, and general conditioning.

Best BJJ Secret Santa Gifts: $40-$60

Holiday BJJ Christmas Hoodie

If your gym's budget allows for it, a Holiday BJJ Christmas hoodie at $59.95 is a standout Secret Santa gift. Premium mid-weight hoodies with the same designs. Hoodies are the post-training uniform. A holiday-themed one with a BJJ inside joke gets worn immediately and talked about for the rest of December.

Kids' Christmas BJJ Rash Guard

If your teammate has a kid who trains, a Holiday BJJ kids' Christmas rash guard at $54.99 is a thoughtful pick that most people wouldn't think of.

BJJ Book

Jiu-Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro usually runs $30-40 and is the most referenced technique book in the sport. Breathe by Rickson Gracie works well for the more philosophical grappler.

How to Nail BJJ Secret Santa Without Overthinking It

When You Don't Know Their Size

Go with something that doesn't require sizing: tape, books, recovery tools, ornaments, or a Holiday BJJ gift card.

When You Don't Know Them Well

Default to consumables or universals. Athletic tape, a lacrosse ball, grip trainers. These work for literally every grappler regardless of belt level, body type, or training style.

When You Want to Win Secret Santa

Go funny. A Holiday BJJ Christmas tee or hoodie with the right design for the right person will get the biggest reaction during the gift exchange.

Final Thoughts

BJJ Secret Santa doesn't need to be stressful. The people you train with share a very specific set of experiences, and a gift that taps into those experiences is always going to work.

When in doubt, go funny. The BJJ community rewards humor that comes from the inside.