30-Day Shaolin & Sufi Martial Arts and Meditation Immersion in Marrakech

Days start early with training. The martial arts sessions draw from the Taoist Shaolin tradition — stances, forms, conditioning — and are supervised rather than left to self-study. Expect physical work that builds progressively over the month. Afternoons include Qi Gong and meditation, with the Sufi path of inner transformation woven through. The combination isn't a sampler platter; it's a structured immersion designed to shift something over 30 days.

The team includes Shifu Hicham, who lived for a year with Shaolin monks in China, Master Khalid, who teaches Qi Gong and Aikido, and Coach Hicham 2, a Moroccan MMA champion. Between them, you get striking, grappling, internal arts, and meditation — a rare mix under one roof. The centre has training grounds, an outdoor gym, meditation rooms, sun decks, gardens, a hammam, and a massage room.

The retreat center itself is in Marrakech, with private rooms (shared bathroom) or two suites with private bathrooms and AC. There's a spring pool, optic fibre WiFi, and a laundry room. Airport pickup from Marrakech Menara (RAK) is included, and no visa is needed for European or North American passport holders. The minimum age is 21.

What makes this different from a standard martial arts camp is the Sufi lineage. Sham, your host, carries more than 32 generations of Sufi teaching in his family line. That depth shapes how movement is taught and how stillness is cultivated. You're not just drilling techniques; you're working within a living tradition that treats physical training as one part of a larger inner practice.

Meals are tailored to the group, with dietary needs accommodated if you tell them in advance. The weekly one-hour massage is built in — not an upsell. The reintegration protocol helps you transition back to normal life after a month of intense practice, which is a thoughtful detail many retreats skip.

The centre has run this programme long enough to have a loyal following — most guests choose to return. That's not marketing language; it's the kind of thing you hear from people who've actually been through it. The month-long format is long enough to genuinely shift something, which a week-long retreat can't replicate.

What's included

- Training Monday through Friday - One hour massage per week - Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner - Reintegration protocol - Equipment - 10 am tea break - Orientation and objective definition - Airport transfer from Marrakech Menara Airport (RAK)

What's not included

- International flights - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Optional upgrades and extras (ask for availability) - Visa fees (no visa needed for European and North American passport holders)