Usage of Osu/Oss

[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.

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

Experienced it yesterday. We had a workout at SUNY Purchase to get a sneak peek at next year's 40th anniversary celebration. 160+ students yelling Osu and being lead through a workout by Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura set a tone.

My wife who doesn't train nor understand the culture and secretly thinks it's stupid was very impressed. Her genuinely saying "that was pretty cool" when I came over to her afterward cemented it for me.

Meeting Kaicho Nakamura was a great experience too. He's got a pretty good sense of humor. And at 73, he's still got flawless and powerful technique.

[moriniuk]

When I first started Karate, Wado Ryu then Shotokan, in the early 1970's, nobody used the term.

It seams to be more prevalent in Kyokushinkai and its offshoots.

I've asked a couple of fluent English speaking Japanese friends (both non martial artists) to translate it and they both came up with the same - Yo!

I don't use it.

[JR 137]

When I first started Karate, Wado Ryu then Shotokan, in the early 1970's, nobody used the term.

It seams to be more prevalent in Kyokushinkai and its offshoots.

I've asked a couple of fluent English speaking Japanese friends (both non martial artists) to translate it and they both came up with the same - Yo!

I don't use it.

I don't speak Japanese, but I'm assuming just like every other language I speak (Armenian and semi-fluent Spanish), context is everything. Do you think Japanese born and raised karate teachers would have their students yell "Yo!" when commanding attention from their class? Yo! may be one way it's used, and even just about the only way outside a dojo, but definitely not in a dojo where respect and etiquette are of utmost importance.

Some find it disrespectful or derogatory, others use it differently. Like the expression goes - ...when in Rome...

[Kusotare]

When I first started Karate, Wado Ryu then Shotokan, in the early 1970's, nobody used the term.

It seams to be more prevalent in Kyokushinkai and its offshoots.

I've asked a couple of fluent English speaking Japanese friends (both non martial artists) to translate it and they both came up with the same - Yo!

I don't use it.

Having trained with most of the Senior Japanese (older) Wado Sensei - I would agree it isn't really used. In fact, I was actually warned against using it prior to training with a visiting Japanese sensei for fear of offending him.

I also train with a Koryu group - and the word "Oss!/Osu!" is NEVER used as it is considered vulgar.

Funny how some see it as a sign of respect whilst others think it is totally disrespectful

K.

[sensei8]

When I first started Karate, Wado Ryu then Shotokan, in the early 1970's, nobody used the term.

It seams to be more prevalent in Kyokushinkai and its offshoots.

I've asked a couple of fluent English speaking Japanese friends (both non martial artists) to translate it and they both came up with the same - Yo!

I don't use it.

Having trained with most of the Senior Japanese (older) Wado Sensei - I would agree it isn't really used. In fact, I was actually warned against using it prior to training with a visiting Japanese sensei for fear of offending him.

I also train with a Koryu group - and the word "Oss!/Osu!" is NEVER used as it is considered vulgar.

Funny how some see it as a sign of respect whilst others think it is totally disrespectful

K.

Solid post!!

To the bold type above...

I suppose that to avoid any misunderstandings, one should learn about the culture beforehand.

[ShotokanMaster]

when I took Shotokan we used oss/osu its out of respect or it can be greeting its a okinawan style of karate but im taking american kenpo karate we dont used osu or oss anymore we used a salute or salutation

[Safroot]

That's very interesting article. Thanks for sharing it

[Nidan Melbourne]

when I took Shotokan we used oss/osu its out of respect or it can be greeting its a okinawan style of karate but im taking american kenpo karate we dont used osu or oss anymore we used a salute or salutation

I'm a Goju Practitioner and we only use the term "Oos/Osu" as a greeting. Never once for anything else, as for us when we have visiting students or instructors we often have to remind them that we only use it for bowing in/out and the word "Hai" (Yes in Japanese) for everthing else.

[Safroot]

In our Kyokushin dojo it was used in different situations & can mean : Hi or Got it (the instructions), goodbye & used when we enter or get out of the dojo. I thought it was a Kyokushin style thing until I read this post. Anyway it never annoyed me in the dojo

[strangepair03]

We never use it. Most of the time "Hi" will suffice.