Donna Cottrell

Donna Cottrell is a certified Women Empowered and Gracie Combatives instructor.  Donna retired from the Coast Guard in 2021 after 37 years of service and settled in Florida in 2023. 

Donna’s Jiu Jitsu journey started in the late 90’s. After practicing Karate and Tang Soo Do, Donna became interested in Jiu Jitsu after watching Royce Gracie’s success in the first UFC fights.  After moving to New Jersey, Donna began taking Jiu Jitsu lessons at a Royce Gracie school in Philadelphia where she earned her blue belt.  After getting transferred, she took a very long hiatus from Jiu Jitsu until she rediscovered it in 2017 while stationed in Washington, DC.  She took Combatives lessons at a Gracie Certified Training Center in Leesburg, VA for six months before transferring to Hawaii and taking another break. 

Upon returning to the lower 48, Donna got back into JJ training during COVID in 2020 when her previous CTC was offering Zoom lessons.  She completed the Women Empowered program and earned her Pink Belt in March of 2021.  After earning her Pink Belt, Donna began the Combatives program and earned her Combatives belt in December of 2021. She qualified as a Women Empowered Instructor in January 2022 and a Combatives Instructor in January of 2023.  Donna re-earned her Blue Belt in August of 2022 and recently tested for and earned her Blue Belt Stripe One.

Before moving to Florida, Donna served as a Women Empowered and Combatives instructor at Gracie Jiu Jitsu Reynoldsburg, Ohio.  Off the mat, Donna practices Olympic Lifting and serves as an Assistant Coach for Team Florida Northeast located in Jacksonville.   When not training, Donna is active in her church, enjoys playing the banjo and spending time with her dog, Missy.