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The meaning of " Osu "

The literal meaning of the expression "Osu!" can be determined from the kanji (Chinese characters) from which the term is derived (see above). Osae means "to press" and shinobu means "patience" or "steady spirit". These two symbols are combined in the traditional Japanese martial arts to form Osu, which translates as "persevere while pushing oneself to the absolute limit". A cursory reading of this definition might tempt one to think that advancement in karate than is therefore equated with the development of extreme physical and mental strength. However, to stop at this understanding would be to miss the point of karate completely. Certainly, one can push oneself to the limit in any sport and achieve incredible feats of body and mind. So how is karate different? True growth in the martial arts requires moving beyond ego-centred thoughts of personal gain and loss. For this reason, the term "moving Zen" is sometimes used when speaking of martial arts practice. To illustrate how "pushing oneself to the absolute limit" in moving Zen can lead to spiritual growth, the concept of koan training in zazen (formal seated Zen) is described below.

Zazen practice has its own particular technique, called a koan. A koan is an absurd puzzle. There is no rational way to "solve" it; it is an impossibility, an impasse for the mind. Regardless of your determination to provide the zazen master with the "correct" answer to the riddle, your efforts are futile. Suddenly you are stuck, and the master continues saying to you, "Work hard! You are not working hard enough." And the harder you work (i.e. think), the more you are stuck, moving nowhere: you cannot go back, you cannot move forward. And the master continues hammering you, "Work harder!" A moment comes when you're not holding anything back, your whole being is involved, and still you are stuck. It is precisely at this moment, when your whole energy is invested, that you become aware of the absurdity - as never before. Only at that peak do you "realize" that this problem is absurd-it cannot be "solved" with the mind.

And with that realization, the koan is experienced and therefore understood. In karate, kumite serves as the koan. No matter how hard you train, no matter how much weight you can lift, no matter how fast you are, you may still be defeated. And the Sensei pushes you, "Work harder". It is not until you have given everything you have to give and it is still not enough that you "realize" (experience) the absurdity of your ego trying to overcome an opponent. It is at this moment that the barrier to a deeper source of wisdom is removed. Now your movements, coming without thoughts, may be fluid and precise.

The key point is that, in both zazen and karate, the koan must be experienced rather than intellectualised in order for transformation to occur. As demonstrated above, the experience cannot occur until one has truly persevered in giving maximum effort. In Zen, Pen, and Sword, Randall G. Hassle explains that Osu may be used as a strong affirmative reply in the dojo even if full understanding is not yet present. It is similar to the idea of two people riding in a car on an icy road on the edge of a deep canyon. If you are the passenger, and the driver says, "Are you okay?", you might reply "Osu!", indicating that, while there's nothing you can do to make the situation better or less dangerous at the moment, your spirit is satisfied that the best that can be done at the moment is being done.

So, when greeting fellow students or responding to the Sensei in the dojo, saying "Osu!" announces that, even if you do not feel 100 percent today or even if you do not fully understand a training concept, you are present and giving everything you have. In this way, you are preparing yourself to be receptive to the spiritual growth in which the practice of karate - moving Zen - has to offer.

There is a Japanese term often used in Karate called mushin, meaning "empty mind." This term does not strictly imply no thought, but rather no attachment to any one thought or emotion. To obtain this state of mind mushin, you must let go your fears, doubts, your ego, and any preconceived thoughts of action, or the mind will not react openly.

There is a famous Zen saying called mizu no kokoro that may help to clarify this term. This translates as A mind like water. Everyone understands how the water of a pond can be calm and clear. In this state, it will reflect all around it truthfully, much like a mirror. In Karate and in life we strive to have a calm mind that reflects everything around us accurately. Therefore, the mind must be clear like the glass surface of a still pond, reflecting everything accurately and without distortion. If the mind gets attached to any thoughts, this is analogous to throwing a large stone into the tranquil pond. The ripples that the stone creates (or thought) will interfere with the smooth surface of the pond making the reflection (mind) distorted. If your mind is cluttered with thoughts, how can it possibly react quickly in stressful situations? Only when the mind is clear and calm will you act instantly without hesitation or fear.

Like a full circle, the mind must be empty, yet complete.

Why is Kata Important? Three Points of discussion:

-Philosophy & Zen
-Relationship to sports karate?

-A time chest of Advanced self defense techniques for black belts

Kata must be the foundation of karate training. It allows one to share a pool of

knowledge which the greatest karate-ka of the past, and present, have used to study the Way. The kanji (Chinese character) for kata can be interpreted as a pictograph representing a bamboo lattice window. Sunlight can shine through such a window leaving a pattern which is defined by not only light but also the presence of shade.

This Yin-Yang essence in kata is noted in such opposites as fast/slow, hard/soft & still/movement. For example, at the end of given combination in kata one should pause before moving to the next direction to create zanshin and a Yin/Yang event (i.e.often kata are rushed, and practitioners do not pause long enough before changing directions the pause creates the moment and contrast to movement and speed). In my time in Japan a number of older masters (including master Sotokawa 8th Dan Shito-ryu, Master Uetake 7th Dan Shito-ryu, Matser Iba, 8th Dan Shito-ryu) would emphasize a slow count of 1-2-3 before changing to the next direction, or set of moves.

Each kata represents an archived library of self defense techniques. Often the

application of each motion within kata is not well understood within many Japanese

karate dojos unless the effort has been made to dive into the Okinawan and Chinese roots. One should aim to understand and practice at least one bunkai motion for each action in a kata (probably no one can know all and be proficient in all bunkai variants). Most of the original applications do not involve the basic kicks and punches which are often given as an interpretation, but rather grabs, breaks, pressure points and close in fighting. The elaborate nature of these actions (symbolized by individual kata motions) are challenging even for Dan ranks to know, practice and execute proficiently. Once a bunkai is understood it should be drilled with partners (like we often drill kumite combinations) at high speed, and in repetition.

Kata demands techniques executed with precision and power. It trains the body to

strike from different stances and different orientations, as is always the case in

kumite. Kata trains one to move quickly, to use precise and stable stances for the

execution of solid techniques. Without this ability one will be unable to control an

opponent during battle. Furthermore, if one cannot execute precise and powerful

technique in kata, it will definitely not happen in the heat and chaos of kumite.

Visualization of the opponent for each move is one method of kata development that can be done as a drill. It helps bring a kata to life accentuating "kime", "penetration" and "zanshin". This is one of many training approaches to develop kata, however one must always remember that when kata is performed in a non-training sense (i.e. its final form) it should embrace Mushin. Mushin, a high goal of all martial artists, allows the mind to be open to all possibilities in the fighting engagement with no hesitation, or change of thought pattern prior to execution.

As one approaches black belt, kata must begin to feel like it is a true expression of

oneself, presenting all inner and outer attributes. Therefore, when kata is performed,

the presence of Ki and spirit can be felt which demands the attention of onlookers.

As kata is practiced year after year, some of the more difficult techniques and

subtleties begin to emerge in one's fighting. This acts as a source of continual growth for advanced karate-ka. The integration of techniques acquired from kata into one's fighting provides a challenge that will easily fill a lifetime (for example the ashi barai take downs in such kata as Seipai or Tekki Shodan are directly applicable to modern Sports Karate and street fighting). It requires both a combination of physical mastery and the possession of a calm mind amidst the storm of battle. In seminars we often deliberately make a point that kata has direct translations to "Sports Karate"and using examples of strategy, and sometimes technique variants, aids students in understanding this relationship. Of course not all kata bunkai can be transferred to sports karate, just selected parts or variants. However, taking students down this path often helps them understand the need to think about kata for their longer term karate and fighting growth.

Shito-Ryu kata encompasses many of the kata of both Goju and Shotokan. This is because the founder of Shito-Ryu (Mabuni Sensei) studied under both Itosu (who taught Funakoshi C founder of Shotokan) and Higaonna (who taught Miyagi C founder of Goju). This is important as the two lines of kata generally have different attributes. The Itosu line of kata tend to be more linear, hard fast kata. The Higaonna line of kata tend to involve more circular technique with close-in fighting. Therefore the combination of studying these two sets of kata allows for a complete understanding of power, speed, and distance, together with fluid circular motions aimed at close-in technique.

Below are some of the common shito-ryu kata. It is not important how many kata you know but how well you understand and do the ones you do know. Over time, you should be able to recognize most traditional kata even if you cannot perform them (this includes those not listed below).

Itosu Kata (Shuri-Te kata)

About the author: Dr. Jason Armstrong, 5th Dan

by Christopher Caileis of www.FightingArts.com

You see it in a lot of students who are just beginning to freefight in karate, taekwondo and kung fu. They are scared and aren't sure what they are doing.

When a punch or kick comes at them, they react -- they flinch, cover their head, blink their eyes, and sometimes even turn their back. You can almost hear the internal dialogue, "On no. Here it comes. I'm going to get hurt." Freefighting is at first very uncomfortable. This type of reaction is natural -- an instinctive response in an effort to defend yourself. The result, however, is that the student is put at a momentary disadvantage since this type of reaction creates an opening an opponent can exploit. In competition the student might lose a point, but on the street this type of reaction can put him or her in real jeopardy. If you blink you lose sight of an opponent momentarily. Vision is also disorientated during a flinch as everything becomes a blur of movement. And if you turn away, everything is exposed. So what can you do? Actually there is a lot you can do, and answers fall into several general categories. You can retrain your reflexes, re-orient your attitude and learn how boost your visual skills.

Retraining The Reflexive Body

First you should gradually learn how to confront and deal with attacks - something that will reduce your fear and teach you how to control the natural instincts to run, flinch, blink or turn away. One way to do this is through various drills. They go a long way to allow you to eliminate your fear in a safe environment.

One of the best drills is to use a pad (often on a handle) to simulate various attacks -- straight punches and hooks to the head, body shots and various types of kicks. Try to keep a proper fighting position, hands up, and move -- shift position, duck under hooks, and shift your head to the side of a punch (known as slipping a punch) while blocking it with your hand or forearm. Gradually you will become more comfortable with being attacked and the pace can be increased. The pace of the practice attack should always push you a little beyond where you feel comfortable. This forces you to improve. Later, actual punches and kicks can be introduced -- at first done slowly and over time increased in speed and power. While you may just be defensive at first, after a while you will learn to also take the offensive. Be careful to use protective equipment unless you are practicing this drill in slow motion. On an advanced level a similar activity entails actually allowing soft punches to land. If you are more advanced you can allow harder punches. Through this method you will learn how to take a punch, how to tighten up or move to eliminate its effects and this will reduce the fear factor by reducing perception of possible pain. Avoid any actual hits to the head, however. This is dangerous.

The Mental Switch To Offense

Most beginners focus on defense and not getting hurt. Mentally they are defensive and physically they are hesitant. They are waiting to get hit or hurt, and when anything comes near them they jump in anticipation.

Try to reorientate your thinking to one of offense, not defense. Mental focus will change from avoidance of getting hit to a focus on attack. You will begin to look for an opening and your dialogue will change too: "Good, here comes an attack I can respond to." Fear is reduced because attention has shifted elsewhere.

Visual Reorientation

Another method to reduce flinching, blinking and turning away is to be able to re-educate how you use and control your eyes. To reduce blinking you can control the muscles of the eyelid.

Many mistakenly try to hold their eyelids open to stop blinking, but this doesn't work because blinking is done with the muscles that close the lids, not open them.

Thus to stop or reduce the tendency to blink, slightly narrow your eyes, thus bringing conscious control over the muscles used in blinking. Have a partner punch to either side of your head, or jab toward you face but at a distance that contact won't be made. Practice controlling your blink reaction. Keep your eyes narrowed, observing everything, but not focusing on anything. One way to help control flinching is to minimize the surprise of an opponent's actions. Visually this can be done in two ways. At the start of freefighting, or when action has momentarily ceased, I teach my students to look into their opponents' eyes but also perceive their whole body -- at least at the beginning.

By Dr. Jason Armstrong, Ph.D.

What is it like to test for a belt in Japan as a Westerner? Or to live with a Master? This article will try to provide brief insights by reflecting on my time Japan between 1995 and 2002. I will also reflect on short-term visits to Japan made by my Californian students to test for Dan ranks. I was fortunate enough to have spent part of my time in and around Japan as an uchi-deshi a live in student of a master. On arriving in Japan my comparisons of East vs. West martial arts came from a somewhat experienced viewpoint since I had already been training in Japanese martial arts for more than 10 years, competed at an international level, and had my own dojo operating in California.

Karate in Japan takes all sorts of forms: some are sport oriented, and some are very traditional, some are very hard, while others quite soft. By comparison to the West (with the USA and Australia being two other places I have had significant karate exposure) karate intensity is often similar, however, the focus of the majority of dojo differs across the three countries. In particular I have found that the emphasis on sport Karate in Australia is very high, which is quite a departure from the art, and the practical application component is less in such dojo(s) (we have recently opened two dojo(s) in Australia and begun mixing with a number of other clubs there). I dont feel sport karate is bad, but to simply state that it is a different path compared to the art of karate. Given Australias recent performance of fourth in the Olympics overall, which is outstanding given their very small population, one can only expect such a sporting oriented nation to predominantly follow a sporting oriented approach to karate (not to say all Australian Karate is sport as there are obviously also a proportion of traditional dojo). From my involvement in the US karate scene I feel that, compared to Australia, it has a larger proportion of dojo(s) continuing to pursue traditional Japanese karate. As an example of this measure I often look at the content of Ippon Kumite, Kata Bunkai and Ippon Shobu (a single point sparring match) practiced in a dojo. In Japan these things are not only seen as a regular part of classes, but appear as the primary content (especially Ippon Kumite). Approaches such as Ippon Kumite and Ippon Shobu for matches (instead of six or eight point matches) reinforce the precept behind Japanese Karate of one hit one kill (Ikken Isatsu in Japanese). The underlying theme of these one point bouts is the concept that in the kumite bout, like in life, you only get one chance. I once asked the Master I lived with in Japan (Uetake Sensei) with why he considered Kobudo (weaponry) an important extension of his Karate as it dilutes the time one can spend mastering the Way of empty handed fighting. He replied that one key reason was that it reinforced his mindset that one hit is one kill. So if traveling to Japan expect Ippon Kumite to often be large part of each nights training with the key point being mind state re-enforcement.

Fudoshin (immovable mind), is a Zen principle related to the above point of absolute technique, and I would like to give an example of another way in which it is reinforced in Japanese training. Most of my training was in Japan was at a honbu dojo where, on a given night, there would be two 8^th dans, three 7^th dans, and just a few other instructors in rank range of sandan through godan. In these sessions there was a surprising element to the content we practiced given the ranks in the room it was almost entirely kihon and ippon kumite, with kihon being 50% of training. After a few years of banging out full power basic technique with a group of masters you realize that the perfection of physical technique is not the only reason for the high repetition: the point was the continual reinforcement of the mindset that each technique, if a block, will break their opponents arm, and if a strike will kill the opponent mindset here being the reason for the repetitive training more so than physical conditioning. One often hears this in Western dojo(s) but it is not implemented to same degree (it is quite likely that most Western students would leave through boredom because of a lack physical technique variety in the training). The very fact that when these most advanced ranks (karate-ka who have training for 50 years) got together and chose to work single count basic drills rather than advanced forms, or technique, says something very important.

In this article we can only touch on some aspects of Japan vs. Western training. An issue to raise is that of attitude and approach in the dojo. When a Westerner walks into a karate Dojo for the first time their mindset is not quite the same as an Asian student who reads the Kanji (Chinese characters) on the door and understands that Do & Jo combine to mean a place of studying the Way. In the West students come to understand this over time. I feel that the Japanese culture is much better at mimicking a taught action than Westerners, and therefore, there is less tendency in Japan for students to look, question, re-interpret, and then perform their version of what they saw. This also relates to Japan having somewhat of a conformist culture. The above issues tend to combine to make the standard of Kyu ranks in the Japanese dojo(s) better compared to the West. However, I do not notice such a large difference in quality of black belt ranks when comparing Japan to the West (in fact it is often lower). It seems that once the effect of time has allowed students in either country to perfect technique through repetition, and gain an understanding they are studying an art of Do, the same endpoint in ability is reached regardless of cultural differences. Interestingly, I find European students faster learners than my Australian or USA students. One of my University clubs is at a school with a very strong international exchange program, and therefore, has a make-up of approximately 1/3 of each European, Australian and American students. The Europeans appear to learn at a faster rate not so much due to a mimicry mindset (like the Japanese) but rather an openness to new ways.

Zen in the martial arts is not even mentioned in some karate organizations in the West and in others it is. In Japan I found it is often not mentioned, or talked about, but innately exists (as was eluded to in a couple of examples above). I did have many insightful discussions on Zen over post training drinks in Japan the place where both in business and the martial arts world, the heart of matters are really opened up. More on Zen, Japan and Karate is outlined in our video series at http://www.downloadkarate.com/index.asp?Sec_ID=155.

It is not uncommon for black belts to sometimes travel to Japan and test for a higher Dan rank. Testing for black belt is a stressful event even if you do it in your home town. Imagine if you elected to do all your training in the West and then travel to Japan for the big day with no real knowledge of the sensei testing you, the students you will fight, or the Japanese culture. That is exactly what a number of my brown belts have done over the years. It was a real testament to their courage to join me in Japan and two days later, still with jetlag, perform their Shodan Shinsa (black belt test). All were nervous, however, all rose to the occasion and learning occurred from both the involved Japanese and Western students. In 1997 my first student to perform this task (Dave Cohrs) obviously had the largest factor of the unknown as to our knowledge, he was the first Westerner to try it. As is usually the case Dan rank tests are more about Kata and Kihon than fighting. Within Japan, especially in the case of Westerners, these are the things under the most scrutiny.

Westerners choosing to engage in kumite, in a belt test or a tournament in Japan, should be forewarned that they will most likely need to score about 2 or 3 points for every point they are given, and their Japanese opponents may only need to look like they scored a point before the point is issued. Bias is an absolute reality on the dojo floor and competitive scene. Most Westerners who have trained in Japan share that experience. It simply means you have to be much better than your opponent to win so it is undeniable.

The formality of belt tests in the West is also often much higher than in Japan. While in Japan there are special grading days, it is also common to see ranks issued after a regular class sometimes the fact a grading was going to happen was pre-announced, sometimes not. I have observed this in Shito-ryu and Goju dojo. Formality in the karate scene itself is an interesting topic. As quite often Westerners seem to take a Japanese idea, or approach, and exaggerate it to an extreme. So for this reason, particularly in the USA, dojo etiquette is often more regimented than you ever see in Japan. Like all things a good balance is correct rather than extremes of behavior. Such Western extremism can be seen at any Western karate tournament where in Kata competition one often sees stance depths (e.g. cat stance, horse stance and long stance) which are too low. These low stance draw good scores in Western competition. Japanese masters are very quick to point out why Western stances are often too deep/low for mobility and strength (e.g. have someone put weight on your shoulders while you are in a horse stance, or cat stance, which is too low and see what happens).

Another common difference between Western black belt tests and Japanese test is the degree to which fitness and endurance is pushed. In the West it is common to see belts test be very long, fight many opponents and really push an individual (which is of course aimed at a physical and mental challenge). However, in the Japanese dojo I was exposed to in Japan & Okinawa (which included styles of Shotokan, Shito-ryu, Goju & Kyokushin) tests were short and much more about technical ability rather than fitness and pushing oneself to a limit in a marathon effort. This could also be related back to the idea that if one gets into a fight and it does end with about 10 seconds the situation was not handled well the need for mental & physical fitness that rivals a boxer is not often part of the mindset.

Pilgrimages to Japan for Karate are amazing experiences for martial artists. A number of my students have made one or two week trips to join me while I lived there, and they all took home memories of culture and training they will cherish forever. On the other side of the coin, simply visiting Japan for a week or two does not provide true insight into training and living in Japan. This is because the Japanese instructors will cater to the visitor, and like any cultural exchange it takes well over 3 years to start to get a handle on the true mindset and culture of a foreign place.

The experiences briefly outlined in this article are now covered in a documentary series on living, and training in Japan, recently published on the web in the form of downloadable videos (http://www.downloadkarate.com/index.asp?Sec_ID=155).

About the author: Dr. Jason Armstrong, 5^th Dan

Sensei Jason Armstrong has a 5th degree black belt, and has been training for more than 20 years which has included living in Japan with a master. His training began in Australia, and then moved to the USA in 1991. In 1995 he began regular travel to Japan and spent time living in Japan for karate. While in Japan he worked in the corporate environment and ultimately became the CEO of a company in Tokyo. He holds a Ph.D. in human physiology. Today he has founded Applied Zen which operates in the USA, and, Australia passing on Japanese karate through dojos, and through a video e-learning site (www.DownloadKarate.com). Additionally, his organization provides corporate seminars on the integration of Budo Stragey, the Art of War, and Zen into the corporate world and business.

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Controlling The Flinch, The Blink and The Turn Away