At a young age, I experienced torment through bullying. From name calling to getting beaten down, this is how I symbolically became a revenant. At my current age of nineteen, I don’t know much about living or how to be happy and successful at life. But what I do know is what promotes the reason for anyone to live: discovering your niche(s). After suffering from frequent antagonism at school, I obliviously lost sight of who I was, how to enjoy life and what I could do about it. I was in pain and it killed me. I left one world, but with a purpose of entering the other as a stronger version. I transitioned by walking through that gym door, stepping onto the mat, stood tall with my feet together, arms crossed and said the one word that would begin anew. It symbolizes the niche that rebirthed me, changing my existence forever: Osu!

In order to have a better understanding of my discourse community word, one must understand its origins and meaning. The genesis and meaning of the Japanese word osu (pronounced oss) is complicated to grasp due to many theories and opinions. Therefore, it is misunderstood by most people. Even most Japanese people misuse it. How it originated is disputed. One of the popular possibilities of the terms origins is it was first used in the Japanese imperial navy. Another possibility is the term originated from the martial art known as kyokushin. In kyokushin, two popular kanjis (Japanese system of writing) are used. One is the word ‘osu’ which translates to push. The other kanji is ‘shinobu’ which translates to suffer. When joined together, it translates to ‘osu no seinshin’, meaning to endure while being pushed, an important fundamental in kyokushin or any combat sport one practices.

Osu is generally a word describing masculinity and hard work ethnic within Japanese custom. Japanese culture is considered strict. Therefore, one should not say it to someone of Japanese descent, one who is younger than you, or in a lower tier. Because it is, as stated, a masculine word to use, women should not use it. In reality, this is almost never the case. Osu is considered a way to greet each other today. In Japan, people may use osu as a way to say good morning. In American gyms, this is applied as a common form of respect. It’s how trainers and practitioners say “hello”, “goodbye”, “how do you do this technique?”, “understood”, “let’s go hard”, “thanks” and et cetera by both genders and people of all ranks and ages.

From my experience, most American martial arts gyms use osu as a way to greet each other, asking questions and answering them. My gym is no different. Those who have been going to my gym for a long period of time grow an attachment to the word. Because we know and train with each other, saying ‘osu’ to one another feels like a ‘family members only’ ticket. We say it with pride knowing we will make each other stronger. When I’m with a friend that I train with or has combat sports knowledge, whether on the gym or on the street, I sometimes substitute a ‘hey’ or a ‘wassup’ for osu. It is the pride and respect of friends that enjoy or train in combat sports that makes me use it as a ‘hello’ or a ‘goodbye’.

Now that you know more of the meaning of osu, you will understand better of what osu means to me personally. If you know me or read some of my previous articles from English 1101, you know I have discussed this before. Middle school was absolute torture. I was the easiest to attack because I lacked the ability to fight back as well as the temerity to stand up for myself. That was until the nature of osu rebirthed me into the formidable fighter I am today. I began watching combat sports and I wanted to learn how to fight like a professional. My father put in a gym get real training. Once I uttered the word ‘osu’, my fate was sealed. Indeed I lived up to meaning of pushing and enduring, for no longer would I be a easy target. No longer would I feel defenseless. No longer would I be a pariah. When you get on the matt, put your feet together, cross your arms and say osu, not only would it signal the start of training, but the start of a new passion. A passion that grew stronger. A passion that fostered into what helps me earn respect regardless if one is friend or foe. For me, osu means to experience a catharsis of weakness and be rejuvenated through strength, resilience, and redemption. A low moment transformed into a permanent lifestyle. When I think of osu, it will always be evidence that pain and misery that I endured from bullying can be replaced by achievement. As beneficial as it is, I have also experienced the consequences it can hold, so it is to be taken with a grain salt.

The power osu bestows upon you feels amazing. It is addictive, satisfying and emotionally liberating. But, if used incorrectly, it can also backfire. People who have been hurt are prone to turning that pain into hatred thus it leads to retribution. Sometimes without realizing. I experienced this two years ago. In 12th grade, I started targeting a boy in my gym class. Previously in 10th grade, he attacked me and made me a laughing stock. This made me train harder so I could prevent this from happening ever again. Fasting forward, I see opportunity to settle the score, and without realizing, I was unintentionally hurting this person in the locker room with no witnesses, giving him visible injuries. The injuries I gave him lead to me getting into trouble, but I felt more bad about my actions because I don’t condone unprovoked violence. I learned from this egregious act an important lesson: respect through fear is frivolous.

The nature of osu contains philosophical meaning. A meaning and importance that I would love to share because it can be adapted to benefit anyone’s regular lifestyle, not just fighters. The specific audience I want to introduce osu to are people who feel weak and helpless. Similar to how I was. ‘Osu’ means to push and endure, which is the natural structure of how life is for successful individuals. It’s how we elevate ourselves like I did. As someone who has felt weak and helpless for a long period of time, I can concur that being introduced to an osu-like environment will replace weakness with many strengths such as endurance and pushing forward. In fact, you don’t have to be introduced to this philosophy through combat sports only but by other means.

One example, film. One of the best movies that represents the meaning of osu is Rocky Balboa. In the film Rocky gives some of the best life advice ever: “You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” The philosophy of osu will empower anyone. Your toughness, courageousness and self respect will rise along others respecting you. Fear and people attempting to attack you will also plummet. The audience exposed to osu must also manage the philosophy of osu with responsibility. It is possible to take that philosophy and use it as way to hurt others and eventually yourself. My advice is to use the philosophy of osu for personal strength and self-defense while also practicing forgiveness rather than nefarious activities. Vengeance is an expensive luxury. Do not pay the price for it.