Hello from Calgary - Calgary Rakushinkan

[CalgaryRakushinkan]

Hi everyone,

My name is Josh MacDonald. I’m based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and currently run Calgary Rakushinkan, where I teach Aikidō along with elements of classical Japanese martial arts, including Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu, kenjutsu, and iaijutsu.

Before that, I spent many years training in Chitō-ryū karate. I moved to Japan in 2004 intending to continue karate, but wasn’t able to find what I was looking for. That led me to my current instructor and opened up a completely different approach to jūjutsu (Aikidō) and sword-based arts.

My karate background still informs how I think about martial arts—especially in terms of structure, kata, and how technique relates to practical application. At the same time, my perspective has changed quite a bit through exposure to both gendai and koryū systems. I’ve become particularly interested in pedagogy—how these arts are actually taught, how principles are transmitted, and how different systems approach that problem.

I spend a fair amount of time writing and thinking about these topics—things like the relationship between jūjutsu and Aikidō, the role of weapons in training, and some of the differences between “dō” and “jutsu.” More recently, I’ve also been reflecting on my earlier karate experience in light of what I practice now—what carries over, what doesn’t, and why.

Looking forward to the discussions here.

Regards,
Josh

[Patrick]

Hey Josh, welcome. Glad to have you.

[sensei8]

Welcome to KF, Josh; glad that you’re here!!