Faculty and Instructors
Nearly every instructor here came up through this school, starting at white belt, and trained to teach through our mentorship, from teaching assistant to instructor to senior instructor. Each bio below gives their rank, their background and how they teach.
BasselsJ, our Chief Instructor, has his own page:
Senior instructors
Riezl Samson
“Let your light shine and be a blessing.”
Riezl Samson is a Senpai at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a Yondan – 4º Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate, a Dayang Dalawa – 2º Black Belt in Arnis, and an Instructor Level II in Tai Chi. She has trained since 2005 and taught since 2008, under Sensei BasselsJ.
She is head of operations at Dapo Martial Arts. She also teaches karate classes for schools, including Humbervale Montessori School and Olive Grove Elementary School.
She has attended numerous seminars and training trips, and assisted in instruction, most notably in China, the Philippines, the USA, and Brazil.
Ms Samson is also a proud parent and homeschool teacher of two creative young boys.
Whether your child is shy, energetic, curious, or independent, they can look forward to an active, focused class with Ms Samson.
Haris Shahdin
“Listen, learn, study diligently, work hard. Rinse and repeat.”
Haris Shahdin is Head Instructor and Program Director at Dapo Martial Arts Brampton, holding a Yondan – 4º Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate, a Lakan Isa – 1º Black Belt in Arnis, and an Instructor Level II in Tai Chi. With over a decade of training, experience, and instruction, Sensei Shahdin works to raise the quality of his students’ martial arts knowledge by continually refining his own training and teaching.
He began training in 2009 under BasselsJ at Dapo Martial Arts in Mississauga, studying karate, kobudo, tai chi, qi gong, and arnis. Over the years he has trained in China and the Philippines and attended martial arts seminars with instructors including Hanshi W.M. Platt of Classical Martial Arts Canada and Grandmaster Bambit Dulay of Modern Arnis Tapi-Tapi International.
His mission is to serve the community by providing quality karate instruction in Brampton for students of all ages, bringing the fundamentals and benefits of martial arts to children and adults alike.
Training, to him, is built on courtesy and respect, and he works to practice and teach both. He pushes his students to find the discipline in themselves to reach their goals and become responsible citizens.
He teaches full-time, running Dapo Martial Arts Brampton and teaching weekly at Dapo Martial Arts in Mississauga, along with classes at wellness centres and elementary schools in the community. You’ll find him training in tai chi, kobudo, arnis, and karate in Mississauga alongside his fellow instructors.
Brad Varsava
“The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.”
— Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings
Brad Varsava is Head Instructor for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program at Dapo Martial Arts, holding black belts in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo.
Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, he has studied Judo, Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Submission Wrestling, Gatka, and Shastar Vidiya. He has trained and competed in the gi since 1989, across regional, provincial, national, international, and world championship competitions.
Sensei Varsava has coached youth and student athletes for over twenty years, helping younger students grasp the concepts and terminology of sport Jiu-Jitsu, and building an individualized coaching plan around each student’s own strengths — producing tournament-proven results, including podium finishes.
His classes teach a traditional form of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, covering both unarmed self-defence and IBJJF-style tournament technique, and welcome all levels from beginner to advanced in a positive, family-friendly atmosphere. Brad gives each student that same individual attention, taking the time to know every child and support their own development.
James Paradis
“Constantly improve myself, and in doing so, help other students refine themselves through the art.”
James Paradis is a Senpai at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a Nidan – 2º Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate and a Lakan Isa – 1º Black Belt in Arnis. Born in Ontario, he holds a BA in Criminology from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).
Before joining Dapo Martial Arts, James trained in boxing and jujutsu. He has since trained at Dapo Martial Arts for over a decade, studying Goju Ryu Karate and Modern Arnis under Sensei BasselsJ — training in Karate since February 2015 and in Arnis since 2016. He finds the classical training “concrete, deep, profound, and genuine,” which gives him determination daily.
He has instructed Goju Ryu Karate and sparring classes since 2017 and has assisted Sensei BasselsJ in teaching seminars in Germany and the Philippines. In the dojo, he teaches with spirit, grit, and intensity, pushing his students toward the same discipline in their own training.
He instructs sparring and karate classes weekly at Dapo Martial Arts in Mississauga, and self-defence workshops for schools and corporate facilities. Bilingual in English and French, he also delivers those workshops at Francophone schools.
Instructors
Jeanne Alcantara
Jeanne Alcantara is an instructor at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a Sandan – 3º Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate and a Nidan – 2º Black Belt in Kobudo. Born and raised in Dubai, UAE, to a Filipino family, she moved to Canada in 2012 and began training in Karate the same year.
She went on to train in Kobudo starting in 2013, Arnis in 2024, and BJJ in 2026, and continues to study all four disciplines at Dapo Martial Arts. She has taught Karate to students of all ages since 2024.
Alongside martial arts, Jeanne holds an academic background in computer engineering and economics, and served as a teaching assistant in both departments during her studies.
Her teaching style centres on engagement and building a safe, welcoming space for students of every age and level. She works to build her students’ self-confidence, so they carry it with them beyond their training.
Rhys Ralliaram
Rhys Ralliaram is an instructor in the karate and sparring programs at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a Nidan – 2º Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate.
He has trained in Karate since 2006, and in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts for over 9 years, with a further six-plus years combined in Wing Chun, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and Boxing. He has assisted with teaching and instructed in the karate and sparring programs since 2017, and also works as a fitness coach.
He holds a BSc in Kinesiology and Health Sciences from the University of Waterloo and an MPH (Master of Public Health) from Western University.
Rhys brings his own love of martial arts into how he teaches, hoping his students come to feel the same about it. His teaching centres on building students’ self-awareness of body and mind and equipping them to look after both, encouraging everyone to challenge themselves at their own pace — students of all abilities and ages are welcome.
Rafia Jabeen
Rafia Jabeen is an instructor for the Children’s Karate and Women’s Karate Program at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a Shodan – 1º Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate. She helps her students build their own voice and resilience.
Outside the dojo, she works as an architect designer, exploring how physical environments affect cognitive function and healing — a perspective she brings into her teaching, building an environment of safety, focus, and psychological growth.
She has trained under Sensei BasselsJ in Goju Ryu Karate for over 10 years, and has additional experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Arnis, and Kobudo. She holds a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Architecture, and has instructed several seminars and self-defence workshops focused on female empowerment. She also leads videography and photography for Dapo Martial Arts.
Rafia teaches with the belief that martial arts is as much about the mind as the body, and pushes students to grow in focus, confidence, and self-awareness alongside their skill. She brings patience, understanding, and genuine care to her students, helping them develop discipline, respect, and perseverance by meeting them at their level and guiding them forward step by step. Her goal is to help each student build confidence they carry beyond training, into their everyday life.
Daniel Gonzalez-Tapia
Daniel Gonzalez-Tapia is an instructor at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a Shodan – 1º Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, he began training in Karate at age 9 and has trained at Dapo Martial Arts ever since, with more than 12 years of experience in the Goju Ryu style.
He has volunteered at Dapo Martial Arts since September 2018 and has assisted with instruction there since July 2021. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) from the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he studied from 2022 to 2026.
His teaching is comprehensive and beginner-friendly; he hopes to help students understand the moving parts of every aspect of Karate-do, regardless of belt level or age.
Rajbalinder “Robbie” Ghatoura
Rajbalinder “Robbie” Ghatoura is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor at Dapo Martial Arts. Robbie holds a 2-stripe Blue Belt, training under Sensei Varsava for over four years, since 2021.
Born and raised in Brampton, Ontario, Robbie works as a Project Coordinator in Energy Management for the City of Brampton. He holds a Master of Environment and Sustainability (MES) from Western University, and is PMP and LEED Green Associate certified. He is also the founder of the Brampton Environmental Alliance (BEA) and Kudrat Di Rakhia (KDR), organizing local initiatives in environmental advocacy and youth leadership.
Robbie has coached BJJ since 2025, helping young practitioners build confidence, technique, and a love for the art. His favourite submission is the triangle choke.
Sam Kodsi
PLACEHOLDER: Sam Kodsi’s bio goes here when it arrives (TODO.md).
Adjunct instructors
Aleisha Salim
Aleisha C. Salim is an adjunct instructor at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a Nidan – 2º Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate and a Dayang Isa – 1º Black Belt in Arnis. Born in Ontario, Canada, she has trained in Karate since 2013, and taught from 2017.
Her Shodan came through Classical Martial Arts Canada, her Nidan through Dapo Martial Arts, and her Arnis rank through MATTI (Modern Arnis Tapi-Tapi International), Canada.
She teaches the dojo’s corporate and community self-defence workshops. Before that she taught Karate to students of all ages at Dapo Martial Arts and in elementary schools, and taught at a Women’s Self-Defence Symposium at Woodlands High School in Mississauga.
Her teaching style is creative and artsy, with a vocal, spirited energy in every session.
She also teaches from life experience. Alongside a Paralegal Diploma from Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Aleisha has built a career in Ontario’s courts: most recently as a Judicial Secretary for the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and before that as a Court Clerk and Registrar and a Law Clerk. That same discipline, structure, and attentiveness carry into her teaching.
Teaching assistants
Gabriel Pascual
Gabriel Pascual is a teaching assistant at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a 1st Kyu – Brown Belt in Goju Ryu Karate.
Born in Ontario, Canada, he began training in Karate at age 5 in 2010, and joined Dapo Martial Arts at age 9 in 2014.
He has taught at Dapo Martial Arts since 2022.
His teaching style is geared toward building a strong sense of character in each student, while fostering camaraderie and care for the group as a whole.
He is currently studying for a Master of Medical Science at the University of Toronto, researching glioblastoma cell therapy.
Harveen Kaur Sandhu
Harveen Kaur Sandhu is a teaching assistant at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a 1st Kyu – Brown Belt in Goju Ryu Karate.
Born in Mississauga, she is currently in high school, working toward her OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma).
She has assisted with teaching at Dapo Martial Arts in Mississauga since 2023, and has recently begun helping deliver women’s self-defence seminars across the Greater Toronto Area. She is currently training for her black belt in Goju Ryu Karate.
She teaches because she values giving back to the community that gave her so much. Her approach is to step in only where needed, letting students work things out for themselves. She wants students to know that mistakes are welcome, and that with focus and discipline, new concepts and weaknesses can become strengths.
Ethan D’Cruz
Ethan D’Cruz is a teaching assistant at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a 1st Kyu – Brown Belt in Goju Ryu Karate.
Born in Mississauga, he is currently studying to become a paramedic.
He trained from 2017 to 2020, then paused before returning in 2024, and is now working towards his black belt. He has also been a swim instructor for over 8 years.
His teaching approach is progression-based — for example, teaching proper squat form before jump form, building toward explosiveness step by step. Ethan brings high energy and motivation to his teaching, and is always ready to help wherever he’s needed.
Youth teaching assistant
Greysan Kurisu
Greysan Kurisu is a Youth Teaching Assistant at Dapo Martial Arts, holding a 1 1/2 Kokyu – Brown Hashi Ni belt in Goju Ryu Karate.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, he is currently in high school, working toward his OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma). He has studied Goju Ryu Karate at Dapo Martial Arts since 2016.
He volunteered for a full summer at City of Mississauga summer camps, then volunteered at Dapo Martial Arts starting in 2024, moving into the role of Youth Teaching Assistant in 2025.
He works hard to guide students through every stage of progress — the steps between belts as well as the belts themselves — toward their full potential, and is astute in advising students on how to improve their learning overall.