sponsors

 

 

sponsors

 

 

 

 

“Osu” in the martial arts does not stand for Ohio State University. “Osu!” is a Japanese word used in many martial arts schools, mostly those associated with a Japanese karate style. In the martial arts, it is used in different ways under many different circumstances. Some karate instructors encourage their Western students to use “Osu!”, while others discourage it. In some schools, the term has taken on an almost mystical status.

“Osu!” is seldom heard in Taekwondo schools, but many Taekwondo instructors have studied a style of karate in the past or may be studying one presently, so they may use it in their schools. There is certainly nothing wrong with using the term in a Taekwondo school, unless you are in a school that frowns on anything that is not strictly Korean. The language, terms, and slang of the country where the school is located is used during class, so why not other terms that serve a useful purpose.

The single word “Osu!” represents the ultimate in what the martial arts have to offer. In schools that use it, one who manifests the spirit of “Osu!” in every word, thought, and action may be regarded as wise, brave, and a true martial artist. 

Origins of "Osu!"

Two explanations for the origin of the word “Osu!” have been proposed. The first explanation comes from Dr. Mizutani Osamu, a linguistics professor at the University of Nagoya who is frequently published in The Japan Times, Japan's English language newspaper, as an expert in linguistics. In his book, Japanese: The Spoken Language in Japanese Life, he writes about how people greet each other. He writes that “Osu!” is probably a contraction of the more formal expression "Ohayo gozaimasu," which means, "It is early." The term is commonly used in Japan as a greeting, such as the greeting, "Good morning" is used in America.  

Mizutani found that “Osu!” is used mostly by men as a rough greeting toward other men, such as the English "Hi ya!", while “Ohayo” is a more familiar and intimate expression used in a casual way toward friends and neighbors. He found “Ohayossu” is a more athletic, male expression used toward a person you do not know well. Mizutani found “Ossu” or “Oosu” to be a very tough, rough expression of masculinity used mainly between people engaged in athletic activities.

Page 1 of 5:  NEXT  Back  First  Last | Share | Errors | Last Modified:

Subtopics:  NEXT | None 

Topic:  Comments: Add  View | Sources | Related: None