About Us

Donna Haskett began training in 1985, at the Bolton Ontario JKA Dojo. With the guidance of Sensei Ian Fung and Sensei Frank Woonatai, Sensei Donna achieved the rank of 1st Kyu/3rd brown belt in 1990, at which point she began to teacher-assist after moving to Mississauga where she began training at the Mississauga JKA (Japan Karate Association). It was here that she acquired her first/shodan (1991), and second/nidan (1994) black belts, plus official coaching and instructor’s certifications – all approved by Masters Okazaki and Yaguchi.

Donna opened the Rockwood dojo in 2002 and has taught there continuously for over 20 years.  Since 2003, Senseis Saeki and Seerattan have been instrumental to her progress towards sandan/third (2004) and yondan/fourth (2017) black belts, approved by Master Tanaka of the JKA.  Most recently at Ottawa JKA, in November 2025, Donna was graded to godan/fifth black belt by Master Shina of the JKA.

Being a retired Massage Therapist and Zen yoga instructor, classes prioritize healthy movement and safety during karate training, despite being a lethal martial art.

“I can remember well how I felt as a beginner in traditional Karate, everything was so exciting and I just wanted to learn more and more. Since my 7th Kyu/orange belt, I had a goal to become an instructor someday to share the wonderful opportunity karate provides for self discovery and character development. I feel very fortunate that I have been able to come to this point, where sharing the art and beauty of Japanese traditional Karate has become a reality.”