Arti Osu / Meaning of Osu

Osu is written using the kanji for Push and Suffer.

There is another theory to the origins of this word, and it is supported by the way the Japanese write “Osu!”

The first kanji is the Japanese verb osu which means push. It is a common word, used in the same way as when you say “Push the door open” or “Push my car because it broke down.” The second kanji is the Japanese verb shinobu which means endure or hide. The expression is a contraction of these two words together. This creates several possibilities for the original meaning of the expression. Push and Suffer. “Osu!” could be an expression that means you should persevere under harsh conditions. That would be a very Japanese and military sort of meaning for it, and since the history of Shotokan is rooted somewhat in the militaristic period in Japan’s history, that would be a plausible meaning.
Push and Hide. It could mean that you exert yourself and do not show it. That is also a very Japanese concept.