The Spirit of Osu 押忍の精神
Osu (pronounced OSS!) is the one word that you'll hear the most in a Karate dojo or at a Karate tournament. When you enter or leave the dojo, you bow and say "Osu". When you greet a fellow Karateka 空手家 , you say "Osu" instead of "hello". When you respond to an instruction or question in class, you say "Osu" instead of "yes" or "I understand". When performing Kihon Waza 基本技 (basic techniques) in class, each technique is often accompanied with a loud "Osu". When practicing Jiyu Kumite 自由組手 (free fighting) in class and your opponent lands a good, hard technique, you say "Osu" to acknowledge your opponent's skill. As a measure of respect, knockdown fighters at a tournament bow and say "Osu" to the front, to the referee and to each other, before and after the fight. Osu is used in many situations and seems to mean a lot of things. But what does it really mean? Osu is a contract