r/karate • u/whydub38 극진 (Kyokushin) • Apr 10 '26
Question/advice "Osu"
I know there's a bit of debate over whether it's appropriate to use "osu" the way a lot of non Japanese kyokushin karateka use it, saying it very frequently for a lot of different uses. But, hey, it's what we do.
My question is more:
Is it used like this among Japanese kyokushin karateka? In a lot of Japanese pop culture, I often see "the karate guy" use "osu" a lot, but idk if that's just a pop culture exaggeration. I also know it's a casual greeting used by Japanese guys these days, and I wonder if it's a semi-ironic use stemming from martial arts culture.
Do other styles of karate use it as much as we do?
What about other martial arts? I know a lot of non-Japanese BJJ practitioners do it, but IDK if that's more of a bit of pop-cultural diffusion if you know what i mean, considering how much more informal BJJ culture usually is. Do judoka, kendoka, or aikidoka use it?
I'm ethnically korean so I'm curious about practitioners in korea as well. of course given the painful history between korea and Japan, there's often a bit of emotional tension within the hearts of korean practitioners of japanese martial arts, i kind of feel it myself too. so maybe the use of "osu" is a little unpopular in korea especially considering its military origins. any karateka from korea have any insight?
secondary to that last question, do korean kyokushin karateka use the pronunciation "kyokushin" (which is obviously a japanese word but is easy for korean speakers to pronounce fully) or the korean pronunciation of the same chinese characters "keukjin"?
none of this is super important i think. im just very curious, especially as an ethnic korean who happens to be more passionate about japanese martial arts than korean ones. (i still have a lot of affection for tkd though as it was my first martial art.)
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u/AtomicEdge Goju Ryu Apr 10 '26
Our Goju Ryu dojo doesn't allow "osu".
Our Sensei says it's more of a "Japanese street thug thing" rather than a traditional Okinawan thing.
It's a shock to the system when people join us from other dojos.
For a "yes" or an "okay" we say "hai!".
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u/whydub38 극진 (Kyokushin) Apr 10 '26
That makes sense, given the similarly painful history btwn Okinawa and Japan. Although it is interesting that the japanese "hai" is still used and not an okinawan language equivalent
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u/Away_Combination6977 Meibukan Apr 10 '26
My Hanshi actually trained in Okinawa, and his Hanshi (Meitetsu Yagi) said that "hai" was the correct response. Take that for what it's worth!
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u/gekkonkamen Apr 10 '26
you happened to be in meibukan?
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u/AtomicEdge Goju Ryu Apr 10 '26
No.
Our dojo used to be IRGKF but went independent with 2 other local dojos a 6 or 7 years ago.
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u/rnells Kyokushin Apr 10 '26
Not Japanese but:
IME it is used quite frequently among Japanese knockdown practitioners
No, other styles I've come across don't use it nearly as frequently as Kyokushin and family
I have a couple months to a couple years in each of judo/kendo/aikido and haven't seen it in the dojos I attended
Can't speak to 4 + 5.
As an American English speaker I have gotten the impression that it maybe occupies a space somewhere between "HOO-AH!" and "I got you". Makes you sound like a tryhard if you're in a space where it isn't standard.
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u/jasp62 Apr 10 '26
It is used extensively in Shotokan. At least in SKIF Shotokan witch is one of the biggest karate style organizations in the world.
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u/Zivata Apr 11 '26
My experience with Shotokan is also a frequent use of osu with multiple meanings intended (thank you, I understand, yes, will do etc)
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u/chrisjones1960 Apr 10 '26
I came up in a kyokushin offshoot style headed by a Japanese grandmaster, soshu shigeru oyama. He wants us to reply "osu" when he spoke to us. He had three to five Japanese uchi deshi helping to teach classes at any given time, and they also used that word. Now after 36 years of training and teaching, I instructor my students to use that word also. For all the debate as to whether it's an appropriate word to use or not, I am clear that the Japanese instructors that I learned from used it frequently and wanted us to use it.
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u/karainflex Shotokan Apr 10 '26
Afair Jesse Enkamp made a video about it. It's a Japanese habit, not an Okinawan habit and afair it had a military connotation (like "Sir, yes Sir!" in one word) and to make it worse it's some kind of street/gutter slang too. The recommendation is to use "hai" instead of osu or your own "yes" equivalent.
I never use it on my own because there is no need to. But I am guest training someplace else and they use it when saying bye, so I do it too on that occasion. And it creates some kind of unity when the whole class says it once. They wouldn't say "bye" like this.
I never heard it in Judo.
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u/Shadeylark Apr 10 '26
Never heard anyone say it in my dojo (uechi ryu) nor have I ever heard it said at my BJJ gym.
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u/LawfulnessPossible20 Shito Ryu Sho Dan Apr 10 '26
shito ryu here, we osu just about everything... as do our japanese friends in the japanese dojos of our organization.
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u/BerilacDeepdelver Apr 10 '26
As another Shitō-ryū practitioner, that depends on the organization. The Sōke of the previous organization my dōjō were a part of specificaly instructed us not to use "Oss/Osu" as it is not considered propper etiquette. He asked us to either respond with "hai" or "yes/undestood" in English.
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u/Interesting_Pilot_13 Goju Ryu, Kyokushin Apr 10 '26
At the Goju dojo I train at, we use hai and osu interchangeably as it's allowed by our senseis.
I also sometimes train at our country's head instructor's dojo (Goju ryu) due to it being in the same town and I get the sense osu is frowned upon as no one uses it; everyone says hai.
At the Kyokushin dojo I train at, it's mostly osu.
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u/BecauseIAmEm Apr 10 '26
I’ve been studying Shotokan karate for over 10 years, I’m a 2nd Dan Black Belt. The use of “Osu” in martial arts is just a way of saying “yes” or “understood” in training and is pretty normal in Japanese martial arts.
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u/whydub38 극진 (Kyokushin) Apr 10 '26
I think shotokan is the context I'm most curious about given that it's not an okinawan style and that it's the most popular worldwide (i think). Thanks for the input
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u/StillPissed Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
In SKA Shotokan, and as far as I know Shotokai in Japan, “osu” is not used in a formal way. Both these organizations were never part of JKA or their offsprings from the start, so that may a point of difference. They are what JKA broke away from, if I remember correctly.
Shotokan in general has lots of drama, that came from Funakoshi’s death. It’s a fun rabbit hole if you like history.
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u/whydub38 극진 (Kyokushin) Apr 10 '26
Oh kyokushin is no stranger to drama lol. Especially post-founder-death drama. Thanks for the info!
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u/cmn_YOW Apr 11 '26
When I trained Shotokan, I was either a member of, or visiting student at dojos in ISKF (a semi-recent JKA offshoot), IKD (a slightly more recent ISKF offshoot), ITKF, WTKO, and JKA-proper. Osu was definitely common, but not nearly as ubiquitous and frequent as its use in Kyokushinkai. Though it was used similarly.
In Kyokushinkai, it kind of reminds me of "Ubique" in the Kipling poem: "There’s nothin’ this side ’Eaven or ’Ell Ubique does n’t mean!"
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u/EzmareldaBurns Apr 10 '26
It's not though that's a mistranslation. More akin to US military saying uhraa with a meaning of "let's get some" it does sound uncouth which it's why it's used so much in kyokushin, the supposed bad boys of karate. If you use it in place of yes, understood or hai, it makes you look stupid
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u/Ok-Cheetah-9125 Kenpo Sensei Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
Our Kenpo dojo, we use it as an acknowledgement of an order from our instructor or to confirm we understand what they are saying.
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u/My_Feet_Are_Flat Shotokan 3rd Kyu Apr 10 '26
When I did Judo and now Karate, in both cases we had to say "Osu" to the Sensei to acknowledge what was said to us.
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u/Gnosistika Apr 10 '26
My Goju teacher slapped that out of me 40 years ago. Still not acceptable in the Goju schools in my area in South Africa.
I started training kyokushin a few years ago and the instructor there also do not like it in the dojo. Nor my judo instructors. But I have heard it used in the Shotokan dojos.
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u/missmooface Apr 10 '26
AFAIK, it has been used in the JKA since it was formed in the 40s. every JKA dojo i’ve trained in uses osu! and hai! interchangeably.
my understanding is that it originated in the japanese military, and transferred over to martial arts and sports.
i was recently watching a japanese, physical competition, tv show and most of the athletes from a wide variety of sports were saying osu! to one another…
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u/Active_Unit_9498 Apr 10 '26
Kyokushin karateka here, to your first question, "osu" is commonly used as a catch all phrase by Japanese practitioners. It's even used outside of karate circles sometimes as a sporty, bro-code greeting. As for BJJ, it as Team Atos/Mendes Bros that introduced it but I don't think it's very widespread.
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u/Bitter_Lab_475 Shotokan 1st Kyu Apr 10 '26
It is a mainland Japan thing, but my dojo in Mexico uses it (JKA), sometimes it slips up in my Aikido training, it is kinda difficult to separate habits I guess.
My understanding is that in Okinawa it is seen as an unnecesarily over-masculine shout, it is frowned upon I believe.
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u/Relative-End2110 Shito-ryu Apr 10 '26
I’m practicing shito-ryu in Japan and we’re never saying osu. We’re just saying hai or wakatta/wakarimashta
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u/rob_allshouse Uechi Ryu Apr 10 '26
I’ve mostly seen it in non-traditional dojos that want to act traditional, but have no clue. The “definition” they give is being said here in multiple places, and it’s just not accurate to most karate.
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u/shadowpavement Apr 10 '26
I’ve been involved in Uechi Ryu and Goju Ryu for the better part of 3 decades and have been to many multi style tournaments and seminars.
Kyukoshin folks are the only ones I’ve ever met who do this.
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u/riceisbeautiful Apr 10 '26
While training at several Shito-ryu dojos in Japan, I found that 'Osu' was always an acceptable response. It was also commonly used by sports clubs at my high school in Japan, including Karate, Judo, and Kendo.
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u/No_Entertainment1931 Goju Yondan Apr 10 '26
It’s a kyokushin thing mostly, but is specifically Japanese not okinawan where it’s considered sort of rude ime
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u/tom_swiss Seido Juku Apr 11 '26
Trained in Japan at a Seido Juku dojo, and have been back for tournaments and demos. We're a Kyokushin-descended style, but based on my experience, Japanese karateka in that lineage say "osu".
In fact, Oyama was ethnically Korean...he might have been trying to out-Japanese the Japanese.
I'd be very surprised if kendo, judo, or aikido folks used it. Karate is a class and culture outlier.
One of my big mental tags for "osu" in Japanese culture came from a Japanese soap opera type drama. Just had the TV on in the background, couldn't understand enough to really follow the story, but it was some sort of drama, and the heroine had to have a difficult talk with someone. For a few seconds -- and I don't know how much of a trope this is on Japanese TV -- it switched to animation! Like this is what she was imagining: she was walking against a strong wind. Then we went to "real life", she gathered her courage, and to herself said, "Osu!", and went off to do it.
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u/September0451 Gohakukai Apr 11 '26
My sensei is Okinawan. He never says it. I've never heard it in the dojo and I highly doubt there is any formal rule about it. Before this conversation I always thought it was a kiai. I've heard friends who train Shotokan say it in greeting knowing that I train as well but culturally at my school it just isn't a thing. My styles are Goju/Naha Te and Tomari Te. So pretty Okinawan. My entire view of Japan has been through an Okinawan lens. Like I said. No restrictions on osu it's just something that other people do for some reason.
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u/Necessary_Ear_1100 Apr 11 '26
From reading the comments, seems like it is really up to your dojo sensei etc on whether OSS is acceptable to use.
Ive trained for 20+ years and every dojo (ShotoKan, Tang Soo Do, Kempo, Aikido, Judo, kenjutsu, and Bujinkan) Ive been to never used it. We use “Hai” - yes sir to acknowledge etc.
I actually get really irritated when I hear it or read it in comments as some just throw it out there all Willy nilly without a thought.
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u/Uncle_Tijikun Apr 11 '26
It's mostly popular in kyokushin and JKA offshoots.
It's a very macho/crass thing to say. That's why it found its way into the very right wing leaning university clubs during the pre war period and in kyokushin, which was never famous for being the most delicate and flowery of styles, let's out it this way (this is not a dif at kyokushin BTW, I love it).
It doesn't belong in Okinawan karate and Okinawan culture at all
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u/Arokthis Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Apr 11 '26
I'll just throw in Jesse Enkamp's 2¢ on the matter.
I put it in the same bucket as "Hoorah" of American Marines - don't use it unless you want to risk a minimum of everyone losing all respect for you and a maximum of losing teeth.
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u/ScratchSea6716 Apr 10 '26
I have heard of it,but I didn't not know the language. I would try it out.
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u/Training_Singer2526 Koryu Uchinadi Apr 10 '26
In my 12 years i havent once used Osu
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u/Gloomy-Restaurant-54 Shorin-ryu Apr 11 '26
I've been practicing for 46 years and have never once used it.
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u/DatBroSnuf Apr 10 '26
I've only ever heard the use of osu in BJJ and Kyokushin. Howvit made it's way into BJJ would be interesting to learn.
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u/mgcat20 Isshinryu, Shorei Kai Apr 10 '26
My first (ishhinryu) dojo was pretty traditional. Using osu was strongly discouraged and was seen as crass or impolite, at best. In my current shorei kai dojo, the instructor uses it and a lot of the students use it, but it's not required. I still cringe internally every time I hear it.
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u/linkhandford Apr 10 '26
I’m a yoshin ryu jujitsu guy and am frankly annoyed with how many BJJ people use it for everything. We use it so sparingly for the utmost respect. They use it more than the doorknob of the rest room on chilli night.
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u/KittyBeanToes Apr 11 '26
We don't use "osu" in our dojo. We're shito-ryu style. It makes me crazy how much I hear it at tournaments.
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u/firefly416 Seito Shito Ryu 糸東流 - Kyokushin - Kyudo Apr 11 '26
Do other styles of karate use it as much as we do?
We would use it in Seito Shito ryu. The sensei was Korean Hawaiian and her husband was Japanese. Went all in on the use of Japanese language as the home dojo of the organization is in Osaka.
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u/A_Bat_Cat Apr 11 '26
I grew up training in a Wado Ryu dojo and trained quite a few times with Sensei Sakagami and Oss/Osu was heavily frowned upon, I don't think I ever heard it used. We used Hai. Oss was seen as a thug reply or a kind of overly informal "yeeeeahh!!" kind of reply.
Fast forward 20 years I'm now training in a independent Shotokan dojo which uses Oss but in a similar way to Hai. It's always as a respectful acknowledgement. The adjustment took a long time for me and I've talked to my sensei about it and he honestly doesn't mind either as he is of a kind of similar mindset as me. Although some of our other senior instructors are a bit heavier on their use of it
We went to train under SKIF for a weekend at Kanazawa's seminars through our town's twinning partnership with a french dojo and the use of Oss and Osu felt so over the top and overused, almost cult like, it made us all a bit uncomfortable to be honest. Some of the younger karateka from our club were taking the mick a bit after at the overly serious nature it was used
Personally if it were my choice and I ran a dojo I would use Hai, it feels the most respectful
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u/Comprehensive_Mud803 Apr 11 '26
Kyokushin and full contact styles all use “osu” for what I know, even in mainland Japan.
YMMV for other styles (especially traditional Ryukyuan ones) and other regions within Japan (notably Okinawa and the Ryukyu).
I don’t know how much it’s used in other martial arts, but fwiw it’s not used in Bujinkan where proper Japanese is part of the dojo etiquette.
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u/LeadingOstrich4307 Apr 11 '26
I’ve been practicing Wado Kai for 14 years and have been to Dojos which use it upon entering and leaving the Dojo. I just try to respect the traditions of the Dojo I’m in .
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u/randomcomicfan52 Goju Ryu Apr 12 '26
I used to do Shorin Ryu in a Yamashita Karate dojo in Michigan somewhere near Auburn, we never used Osu, but we did use something like Ais/Haitsu (everyone pronounced it differently), then I switched to Shotokan and there we used to say Osu, but it sounded more like Oss. Recently started doing Goju Ryu and there we say Hai Sensei, never heard anybody there say Osu. So I guess it's a mainland Japan thing.
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u/Haunting-Beginning-2 Apr 13 '26
At Japanese high school and universities strict judo living “osu” is said all the time
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u/Budokan_B Wado-ryu Apr 13 '26
Wado-ryu here.
Osu is not used in Wado, as others said it is something tied to Yakuza and more broadly to the military and schools, basically context where you have a strong hierarchy in which unquestionable obedience is warranted. In Wado, you have to treasure the experience of the sensei and senpai, but without humiliating yourself.
So we say "Hai", "Thanks" or just bow and do what the Sensei asked us to do.
At the beginning of the class we say "Oneigashimasu" so we want to do our best and at the end "Arigatou Gozaimashita" to thank the master and our fellow students for the work.
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u/precinctomega Apr 10 '26
Imagine watching people training in military combatives, who are not themselves service personnel, who say "oo-rah!" in response to everything their instructor tells them.
It's almost that cringe.
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u/OyataTe Apr 10 '26
Every time someone says Osu, a kitten dies.
:)
We don't use it in our Okinawan roots either. It is considered inappropriate particularly to anyone above you. Like how you might say, "hey butthead" to a peer but not your teacher. I am not saying that is the translation, I am saying that in the context it would be inappropriate to say to someone above you and not something a woman would ever say to anyone. This was the stance from my Ryukyuan born instructor.
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u/cfwang1337 Tang Soo Do Apr 10 '26
In my experience, it's mainly a Kyokushin thing that migrated to the West along with Kyokushin. It's often considered vulgar elsewhere.
I've only ever heard it used in a Kyokushin dojo, for whatever it's worth — not in Tang Soo Do, BJJ, or any Koryu school.
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Apr 10 '26 edited Apr 10 '26
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u/karate-ModTeam Apr 10 '26
Post removed for violation of rule 2. Post content must focus on karate.
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u/gekkonkamen Apr 10 '26
Okinawan dojo mostly don't use osu, its frowned upon at the dojo i used to trained at, dai sensei said thats a mainland thing that they refuse to adopt. I visited a number of other dojos, majority of them also share the same disdain against the use of "osu". My understanding it that OSU just means to "endure", but dai sensei seems to suggest that Okinawan view the "osu" concept to have Yakuza tie, though of allt he people I've talked to about OSU, especially in Okinawa, he is the only one that suggest this dark ties.
Otherwise i have no input to your other questions and points :)