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Topic: "O Sensei"
I have heard some Japanese martial arts students address their teachers
with "O Sensei," and also "Osu Sensei." Are the two
forms of address derived from the same source?
BS
Answer:
Actually the two terms are quite different. "O'Sensei" means
a venerable teacher while "Osu Sensei" is an acknowledgment,
such as, "Yes Sensei", "I understand Sensei," "Okay
Sensei", "I get it Sensei," or "Hello Sensei."
With "O'Sensei" it is a common misconception that the character
for "O" is just the alternate pronunciation for the character
"Dai," as in "Dai Sensei," which means "big Sensei."
But this is not the case. The character for "O" (in O'Sensei)
is another pronunciation for the character meaning "Okina" which
means "old man," or "venerable." An old Japanese dictionary
(gakken kanwa daijiten) says that it is a way of giving respect to an
older man. In Japan it is used to follow a name, acting as a suffix. This
is the same with such terms "san" and "Sensei." They
follow a name.
In the west, however, most people do not say a name followed by a suffix,
but instead lead with it. Thus we hear "Sensei" followed by
a name and the use of "O'Sensei." The term, however, is rarely
used. In the west it is most often associated with the founder of aikido
Morihei Ueshiba, but Ueshiba actually copied it from his teacher (daito
ryu) Sogaku Takeda.
Osu is a somewhat universal term that is commonly associated with many
traditional dojos, especially those in karate. It is a rather course sounding
word that is somewhat curt and almost abrasive to some Japanese ears outside
the martial arts and other situations. The term is also sometimes used
in the military as well as in sports activities, but probably not be used
at home or in more formal occasions.
Tadashi Nakamura's book "Karate, Technique and Spirit" explains
that "Osu" is a contraction of the phrase "Osu shinobu"
and was used in ancient times as a greeting and salutation meaning patience.
Thus, he suggests that it is an encouragement to others to persevere.
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