#1: The Kyokushin Theory The first theory, hailing from the realm of Japanese full-contact Kyokushin Karate, says that the term “Osu!” stems from a longer phrase known as “Osu no Seishin”. Mas Oyama – founder of Kyokushin Karate In this particular case, “Osu!” is a combination of two different kanji (Sino-Japanese characters), namely the verb ‘osu’ which means “to push”, and ‘shinobu’ which means “to endure/suffer” or “to hide”. Put together, these two kanji form a new compound word, which can symbolize a lot of stuff, depending on who interprets it: “combat spirit”, “the importance of effort” “the necessity to overcome all obstacles by pushing them aside”, “advancing with a steady positive attitude”, “not showing suffering” and “the spirit of perseverance” are some of the commonly cited meanings of this “Osu!” version. In other words, since Kyokushin Karate requires extreme amounts of physical conditioning and cojones – according to this theory you are verbally reminding yourself to breach your comfort zone by putting your physical/mental limits to the test every time you say “Osu!”. Pretty badass, so to speak. But, is ‘The Kyokushin Theory’ the main reason for today’s ubiquitous usage of “Osu!”? That remains a mystery. It is nonetheless a plausible theory.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:03:11 +0000
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