kyokushin karate South Africa

1. When entering or leaving the Dojo, stand in the doorway, face the front, bow and say "OSU". This represents a mark or respect for the Dojo and the people in it.

2. If late for training, kneel at the side of the class towards the back, facing away in SEIZA (formal kneeling position). When the instructor acknowledges you, stand up, turn to the front , bow and say "OSU" then "Shitsurei Shimasu" (excuse me for disturbing), then quickly join the back of the class.

3. Do not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in the Dojo.

4. Always move quickly in class when intructed to do something. DO NOT STROLL.

5. Do not practise KUMITE unless instructed to do so.

6. Do not break rank for any reason, without asking permission from the instructor. If you must leave your position, do not walk between the instructor and the class. Walk behind the row you are in to either side and proceed from there.

7. Always address the instructor and seniors by their proper title (SEMPAI, SENSEI, SHIHAN) inside the Dojo. Acknowledge them with a loud "OSU" when they speak to you.

8. Your training should be a serious matter. Do not laugh, giggle, talk or cause disruption during the class. You should always stand in FUDO DACHI when awaiting the next command.

9. All directions, by instructor, should be obeyed in the Dojo, without question. You will not be asked to do anything that your instructor has not done him/herself already. If you cannot keep up, do the best you can.

10. Keep fingernails and toenails short and clean.

11. During the break: No sitting on chairs, leaning against the wall or lying down. Do some training rather than waste time.

12. It is everyone's responsibility to ensure the Dojo is clean, tidy and safe at all times.

13. Your karate-gi must be neat and washed clean at all times. Your belt should NEVER be washed, only aired dry. It symbolically contains the spirit of your hard training, and under no circumstances are male karatekas allowed to wear t-shirts or other clothing underneath their karate-gi.

14. Don't wear jewellery or watches during training.

The meaning of " OSU! "

*Osu means patience, respect and appreciation. In order to develop a strong body and strong spirit it is necessary to undergo rigorous training.

This is very demanding, because you must push yourself to what you believe to be your limit, and you want to stop; to give up. When you reach this point you must fight yourself and your weakness and you must win. To do this you must learn to persevere, but above all you must learn to be patient. This is OSU!

The reason you subject yourself to hard training is because you care about yourself, and to care about yourself is to respect yourself. This self respect evolves and expands to become respect for your instructor and fellow students. When you enter the dojo you bow and say "Osu" . This means you respect your dojo and the time you spend training there. This feeling of respect is OSU!

During training you push yourself as hard as possible because you respect yourself. When you finish you bow to your insructor and fellow students and say "Osu" once more. You do this out of appreciation. This feeling of appreciation is OSU.

Thus OSU is a very important word in Kyokushin Karate because it signifies patience, respect and appreciation. That is why we always use the word OSU; to remind ourselves of these indespensable qualities.

OSU!!!