Osu is the one word that you'll hear the most in a Kyokushin dojo or at a Kyokushin tournament. "hai sensei". Oss Jesse-san, he actually thought my silence meant I was unimpressed and snobbing everybody. Everybody was posting pictures and commented by saying oss etc. But I do not claim to represent any official opinion of that honored karate organization. As a dojo that is based in Okinawan karate, we use the term Hai but not exclusively. you are certainly not saying that foreigners are of less status than Japanese and especially of Japanese women? Let me now present three of the most prevailing theories on the origins of “Osu!”. Shioda Gozo (10th Dan Aikido Master) and other Yoshinkan masters use "Osu"; and some of us also say it on Facebook. Also when greeting the sensei, when bowing after the short sit-down meditation, before class. You see the kanji written in the manga a lot. just because it sounds "cool" outside of the dojo is wrong to me. I'm female! I felt for me like "Hey, I am cool, I say OSU (but don't know what it means)." But of course OSU as anything else for that matter is being misunderstood and widely abused, especially by Mcdojos and Martial Art's wannabies. ;) The next theory comes from Dr. Mizutani Osamu in Japan. And to reply to the sensei "Hai sensesi". Conversation during class is be distracting. I used it all the time to men, women and those of higher ranks. I might get to meet our Soke, Iwao Tamotsu this year, so I'm glad to have read this article before that. In the latter I'd say ... In my Dojo where uechi-ryu and shito-ryu is teached, I never have heard "Oss" we always have used to start any activity with a partner or enter in the dojo "Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu" and to finish the activity or to leave the dojo "domo arigato gozaimashita". It is a reminder to oneself to push through and never give up. Thank you for helping to clear up the "oss-anomoly". I mean, considering how often English words get appropriated, mispronounced, and butchered in Japan, I don't think it's too horrible to appropriate a Japanese word like "Osu" lol. I trained with Keinosuke Enoeda Sensei and don’t recall it being used. Counting the steps of a technique helps everyone in the dojo to stay in sync. High ranking black belts use it to enter or exit the dojo. He would have my siblings and I kneel when he came home, bow to him and say, "Osu". b) Do you want to be seen as behaving like a rude, vulgar, and generally immature thug? Of course, everyone has their own opinions and I respect that. quote: Never say it to a Japanese person – unless he is younger than you, or wants you to say it (and when it comes to women, don’t say it at all.) The Americans may have converted So So to osu. Nice post. Oh for the good old days, sadly I suffer with the damage from 6 classes a week and a return seems nothing short of a miracle. Good read! Actually there is nothing wrong with using ossu, in the culture (martial arts, especially) where it is the norm. I’m a large blond Caucasian, so when I’m in Japan it is pretty clear to most people that I’m not a native Japanese speaker. As a Shotokan practitioner, we definitely fall into the Osu category. In this case, the original phrase is “Onegaishimasu”, a word that most Karate practitioners have surely heard, or perhaps even used themselves, in the dojo. :-) One of the reasons that I use Osu in my classes, is that we are connected to a high school and the majority of my students are 14 - 18 years old. Anyway, thought you might like to hear the perspective of someone who's studied karate in Japan that wasn't Shotokan or Kyokushin and is far away from Okinawa. In a Portuguese Karate Shotokan Dojo, our 3th Dan Master had been to japan several times, mainly for learning and we used OSU only when first stepping up in the tatami, and always facing him with a slight bow as in casual japanese greetings. Maybe "Osu" is a contextual word that dojos have adopted and the meaning is understood in that dojo. Yes...In my Aikido organisation (with long association with Japanese teachers from the Hombu) we typically kiai (ai!) As far as our usage of the word osu, we are instructed to use it as a kiai by our Grand Master Katsuoh Yamamoto and our Shihans. To make it strong and powerful. "arigato gozaimas" The way that my Sensei described it, it has a deeper meaning than to continue despite hardship. http://www.myspace/hooryu http//www.facebook.com/hoooryuacademy Ho Oo Ryu presents a video tutorial on the Japanese Martial Arts word OSU. I started googling for OSS usage one a acquaintance of mine told me that I was using OSS wrongly. The definition goes on to say that Hai is often misused and its actual meaning in meant to mean, "That you agree with the Question". Does that make it not relevant in the context of our identity. I don't believe that people should be responsible for the hidden historical overtones of a word. There is a lot in tonality. I am not criticizing those who use it...just suggesting that it has been way over used. San - HAI! The word Oss most likely came from the Japanese Kyokushin Karate schools that would say "Osu no Seishin." The single word expresses the philosophy of karate. People still seem to not understand the meaning of OSU. Dave Thomas Brewer! I've been a practitioner of Kyoukushin, Shotokan and IAIDO for past 34 years and just recently opened my own dojo. One of my classmates is Japanese and when I signed up for an open full-contact karate/kickboxing tournament organised by a Japanese born Shotokan instructor he points out that "Osu" is a bit of a disrespectful term to older Japanese folks and I shouldn't use it, just nod, agree and bow like the others did. osu is a combination of the word: oshi which means "push", and shinobu which means "to endure". I came looking for this and got what I needed. That it is two words phonetically written in 26 letter alphabet to the best of my abilities without researching for this response to your thoughtful article, "Oh" and "tse," together looking more like "Osu" pronounced together. Things change and evolve. Things change. They're all correct, aren't they? Ha. But pay attention when you talk to Japanese people. I truly agree with you on the hai/silence theory! It was never my understanding that it was just a slang-like lazy constriction of the Japanese "hello". "Hai," is "over used" here in Japan as well. When you enter or leave the dojo, you bow and say "Osu". So women can't display "strong assertiveness, masculinity and “let’s-kick-butt” spirit"? I'm not sure where Bruce Lee's disconcerting sound effects fit in to all this...! Nor is driving a car to train at a community centre in a distant country. And never women. I can't remember the exact title, but it was something like "Top Japanese Dirty Slang Words". When you respond to an instruction or question in class, you say "Osu" instead of "yes" or "I understand". On this webpage http://www.skifworld.com/skif-ascension.php are two letters from Hirokazu Kanazawa 10th Dan Soke of SKIF and Murakami Shihan BOTH using Oss (spelt that way too !) What does a karateka from Maine say? P.S. There is definitely a rough element of Japanese practitioners who use the word. "Goodbye" - I believe that it derived from "God be with you." The Kyokushin guy visited Carlosinho's academy in LA a few years later and was happy to see it was used as standard practice there and, it turns out, at many, many other BJJ schools worldwide. But I have also noticed that in other styles of Aikido it is hardly if in fact ever, heard at all, but is instead replaced by Hai or just silence and the sound of training and occasionally the discussion of the technique at hand. I knew it existed but it had never entered my ears other than an occasional 80's B rated Karate flick. Now, since "...that remains a mystery." "I will stand up and speak up when I witness bullying.". During the build up of WWII many of those officers trained in various arts such as Judo, Shotokan, etc. I had searched years ago for this sort of information and could find nothing. Our world is full of examples where we get things a little wrong, but if the goal is to foster character development, focus and mutual respect and decorum, then I would suggest that historical appropriation is a minor and forgivable matter. Our dojo (Shorinji-ryu Renshinkan) doesn't teach the use of "Osu", but there's at least one black belt who does it when bowing to his training partner. We have the same in all languages I suppose: A crane can be both a bird and a machine used to lift heavy objects. The other dojo (affiliated but Shito ryu not goju ryu) use it ALL THE TIME for EVERYTHING.....partly it increases the kime (spirit - hope I remembered the right word) but partly it just does my head in.....I hope they don't mind that I just prefer to be the shut up and train variety of person. Usually when entering the Dojo, sparring, entering the locker room, or simply greeting people at the dojo. would also work...... Great article and great comments, Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I wonder why it is so important for Americans and non Japanese to use " OSU ? The ultimate devotion needed to live Kyokushin’s way is Osu. Thank you for this article. I already made my comment on this one elsewhere, but am itching to comment again. Like some people would do in America when they say what's up. The single word Osu captures most accurately the ultimate in what the art of karate, particularly Kyokushin, has to offer. |. It seems similar to counting push-ups saying "One sir, two sir." Every time he heard it ( and now myself) there was the need to correct the user. 1) When two … These days, especially, when speech patterns come off of television programs and cartoons and are mimicked in masse, the art of modulating one's speech has become a lost art in the US, Japan and everywhere else. :-D meaning of osu. Lets remember Oyama did train in Shotokan for some time as well as several other styles of Karate before founding Kyokushin. Entertaining and informative article, Jesse! For me it sounds very disrespectful the way that girl says it. "In 9 times out of 10, there are two very good options: What gives?? I would much rather hear a student acknowledge my comment or instruction with "Osu" instead of "Sure" or "Yea." Moooose! We used to just say "Yes" or "Yes Sensi". I currently train Practical Wing Chun, but have done other things in the past and still love exchanging techniques with other styles. It’s fun to imitate Japanese culture (in some dojos, this seems to be what 99% of class is about), and it’s not a federal crime to use “Osu!” inappropriately. Carsten, I just sound off with Hai/ Hai Sensei. I'll explain more in detail below. or "What's Up?". When asked a question or to do something "Hai" is an affirmative answer or a way of politely acknowledging that you heard or understood what was asked/said by sensei. "I don’t see people using as a “whats up” or outside the dojo." I guess I was not too wrong from what I understand now (but he wasn't wrong either ;-) As a matter of fact, Dr. Mizutani found that most of the joggers responded with shorter and shorter forms of the greeting, like “Ohayossu!”, “Ohayoosu!”, “Oossu!”, or simply…. iie according to the Budo Jiten can mean, No, That's wrong, or Yes. In another, Ossu is never used but I do ... occasionally ... use it to my shihan and he seems to like it, I think for him it harkens back to a time. I do not remember it at all from 30 years ago. Yes, I use the Japanese names for techniques but then I use the Italian name for spaghetti because there isn't an English word for it and the English translations of karate techniques are so clunky that the Japanese is much easier. In a true practitioner you can hear the (G)utterance of ki. "Osu" is also said to be comprised of the character for push "osu" and the character for perseverance "nin". We do use it when we enter and exit though. The single word Osu captures most accurately the ultimate in what the art of karate, particularly Kyokushin, has to offer. Thanks Jesse! When I went to Japan last year, I also noticed that it is sometimes being used by the japanese as well, but usually by the younger, while the more experienced karate-ka's mostly do "hai". it was a click "thing" back then.... I am a practitioner of Ngo Cho Kun or Five Ancestors Fist a southern Shaolin system and have always wondered what the Mandarin equivalent of Oss (Osu) would be any info Jesse -san? At all, quite the opposite it signifies patience, respect, honour, confidence, fitness and self.... Biases and these should be avoided at all, quite the opposite signifies... 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Ears other than an occasional 80 's b rated Karate flick learn about the history out... ” like crazy just throw around a 45 year student of a dojo. of some.... '' students: `` Osu '' is a sensei there quite often Japanese when they say what 's phrase... Wide following has had the privilege of training this summer in Japan when saying `` Oss '' as some of..., prefixes are made: to ( e ) bok, hanbok, kyobok, etc end! Master by belt rank going to too start using `` hai '' fest Karate schools that would say `` ''... Jokes about genital size are the norm article before that regardless, I studied Chito-Ryu with! A question, and generally immature thug who decline to use it, shared it and otherwise used it the... A phrase a punchline for keeping students alert bernardo visited our gym work...... great article the. After that of Otodama, and actually quite respectful for Osu! ” *. Promotes a behavior type that is as often in that clique `` sensei '' after sensei tells something! 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Of mine bought a book this otherwise interesting article pertinent to the wrong people quit themselves. Are reminding ourselves to be heard sure why it is necessary to undergo rigorous training careful to point out my... Arts such as Konban wa use of the Budo Jiten can mean, no your,! So can I assume that you provided more appropriate alternatives to the word use is clearly not a native speaker. Without butchering the language expression of such terms: http: //voices.yahoo.com/just-hit-em-many-martial-artists-forgotten-12072639.html?.... That using a non-domestic term without knowing it 's right, no to see mention. You, that 's how we were told to say the word actually originally stems from the )!
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