If you happen to have Japanese martial arts experience, this phrase must ring a bell.‘Osu’ is a kind of greeting used in Karate in place of ‘yes’, ‘I will’ or excuse me’. It shows respect and appreciation.
押(o)= It literally means ‘push’, but it is sometimes used as a metaphor for ‘endurance’. If used alone, it sometimes carries a negative meaning. It means to press someone against another person or on something.
忍(su)= This character can be linked with other characters, for example ‘忍者(nin-ja)’. Just like 押(o), it has a negative meaning when used alone. It means suppression.
If we connect these words above, it means ‘subject yourself to rigorous trainings to develop a strong body and spirit’.
If we talk about Karate, we say ‘Osu’ in place of ‘Yes’, ‘I will’, or ‘Excuse me’. It is used to show respect and appreciation to your instructors and fellow students. Moreover, you say ‘Osu’ when you enter doju (a room or hall for the practice of martial arts) to pay respect to the place and the time you spend training there.
We use it a lot in many other situations. For instance, in Japanese martial arts clubs/teams, students are not allowed to say ‘No’. Therefore, they use ‘Osu!’ instead. In my case, I can’t tell how many times I used this phrase until I earned my black belt.
If you are interested in these Kanji, you may simply copy them from this website and use them as you please. Make them yours!