World Shotokan Karate-do Federation - Perth - Brisbane - Melbourne - Martial Arts, Self Defence, School

The expression “OSS” was created by the Japanese Naval School in the 1940's and is used inside the karate world whenever a response is required.  Oss is a word that can mean many things as a response - yes, I understand, I agree etc - and should be spoken using the Hara in the lower abdomen, not just the vocal chords.  Spoken whilst performing a bow, the word Oss expresses respect to a partner.  During training, in WSKF, we tend to use the Japanese word “Hai” (yes) when acknowledging understanding of an instructor's commands and Oss is used frequently between higher ranks as a form of greeting.