Usage of Osu/Oss

[CTTKDKing]

When my wife saw "Osu" in an e-mail from my Sempai all I told her is that it's a Kyokushin thing...can't speak for other styles.

It seems you're correct if this paper from kkacademy is accurate.

http://www.kkacademy.com/files/Syllabus/THE%20MEANING%20OF%20OSU.pdf[/url]

[JR 137]

When my wife saw "Osu" in an e-mail from my Sempai all I told her is that it's a Kyokushin thing...can't speak for other styles.

I thought it was a Kyokushin and spinoffs thing too, but I think it's a Japanese karate thing. I think Kyokushin and its spinoffs use it far more than others, but I don't think Oyama was the originator of it.

The Okinawan school karateka that I've been around use Hai almost as much as Kyokushin guys use Osu.

Nidan Melbourne - nothing wrong with Hai at all. Nothing wrong with Osu either. But hearing the same thing 1000 times in an hour or so workout gets annoying. Even "free beer when we're done." That one would take far longer to get annoying though.

[Spartacus Maximus]

To me it is something I have never adopted to use. It was never used by anyone in the Okinawan karate dojos where I trained. In Okinawa I found several seniors and many old sensei who thought it was strange or foreign, and at least two to whom it was as offensive as swearing. This is because of the social connotations associated with it in Japanese culture.

Personally, I am reluctant to use or adopt anything that I don't fully understand. "Hai" or whatever else is fine, the key is to be careful not to over use it otherwise it makes one sound like a yes-man. It can get quite rediculous in some cases. My present sensei loathes yes-men and will be quick to call out anyone who appears to be "sucking up" in that way.

[IcemanSK]

I used to train with some Karate folks lead by the number 2 man in that system. His students would yell "OSS!" often (for nearly everything). I asked him about it & he said, "they think it's cool. I think it's dopey." He never told me anything past that. Thanks for posting this link.

[Spartacus Maximus]

"Because they think it's cool" is how trends start, and this is what makes be think that those who use it that much have the least understanding of its meaning, origin and connotations. They probably do not care to have it explained to them either.

Maybe I spent too much time immersed in Japanese/Okinawan culture, but nothing grates my ears like hearing people bark "oss" at every other word their sensei utters. Worse still if I hear women or girls "oss"ing. Anyway, it can't be expected that an ingrained trend such as this will change any time soon or on the account of an old dojo rat's feelings.

[JR 137]

I think it's that military-like discipline that Kyokushin tries to ingrain in its students. Trickled down to the spinoffs, Seido included.

It annoyed the hell out of me for the first few weeks, then I didn't really care after that. I took (and still take) it as basically saying "Yes sir/ma'am" and a bit more. It's a dojo thing, nothing more IMO.

People get hung up on things. It only gets as annoying as you let it get. Lots of things annoy me about other systems/schools.

Why is there a "Black Belt Club" at some schools? Doesn't the belt say it? Why wear a patch saying it? Again, doesn't the belt say it itself?

What's the point of some schools' wearing patches that say things like Sensei, Master, Expert, etc.? Doesn't the belt and the practicioner's abilities say it?

Multi colored gis?

I could go on and on.

Other questions with no answers...

How do you throw out a garbage can?

How did the guy driving the plow get to work?

Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

[Bulltahr]

I must admit to being a bit surprise by how often it's used in Seido, I can't remember using it so often way back in my Shotokan days, but it has been well drilled into us at my current dojo (Seido). Now I don't even notice and it doesn't bother me at all, if that's whats required then that's OK by me. More Osu, less push ups!

[Kanku65]

More Osu, less push ups!

Amen! Or, I mean, Osu!

Whatever the origin, whatever the true meaning, it's hard to deny how uplifted a class becomes when you've got 10, 20, 30, 50+ Karateka shouting "OSU!" in unison. I find that it promotes positive spirit in the training grounds.

[JR 137]

More Osu, less push ups!

Amen! Or, I mean, Osu!

Whatever the origin, whatever the true meaning, it's hard to deny how uplifted a class becomes when you've got 10, 20, 30, 50+ Karateka shouting "OSU!" in unison. I find that it promotes positive spirit in the training grounds.

Absolutely. One of those things that it doesn't matter how much you explain it, you can only appreciate it by being part of it. That spirit in training is very contagious.

It's like jazz - if you need someone to explain it to you, you'll never get it. Not that I'm a jazz fan.

[sensei8]

More Osu, less push ups!

Amen! Or, I mean, Osu!

Whatever the origin, whatever the true meaning, it's hard to deny how uplifted a class becomes when you've got 10, 20, 30, 50+ Karateka shouting "OSU!" in unison. I find that it promotes positive spirit in the training grounds.

Absolutely. One of those things that it doesn't matter how much you explain it, you can only appreciate it by being part of it. That spirit in training is very contagious.

It's like jazz - if you need someone to explain it to you, you'll never get it. Not that I'm a jazz fan.

Like in anything, it has to be experienced, to be appreciated!!