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Michael Stuempel wrote:
The feeling and time of usage is still the same at Yoshinkan hombu and (hopefully  ) at most Yoshinkan dojos. |
I left Michigan for graduate school just before Kushida-sensei transitioned to his current organization. I remember training a few times with Shioda-sensei during visits, and the lot of us being admonished to remember to "Osu!" with lots of energy.
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Michael Stuempel wrote:
I think the definitions above are basically to show when it can be used...not necessarily a direct translation.
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Absolutely. It's my impression that while the etymology isn't entirely certain, there's no reason to believe that rendering 'osu' with the osu/nin characters is correct (with the contraction theory fairly popular though admittedly not certain). Further, I think (particularly for Westerns using it as a second language) a lot of the colloquialisms and more philosphical concepts are most usefully thought about in their usage, as opposed to their literal meaning, neh? (just an observation, not being argumentative). Anyway, I cite the old handbook since I've seen the push/endure connection made in some Yoshinakan circles on occasion. Kushida-sensei never explained it that way (in my presence, of course) in conversation (nor in the book). Obviously, though, I don't imagine it was any sort of definitive language guide or anything.
John "osu!" (hey, I'm out of practice ...)