James Mitose
Encyclopedia
James Masayoshi Mitose
James Masayoshi Mitose (born Masayoshi Mitose, (December 30, 1916 — March 26, 1981) was a Japanese American
martial artist who brought the art of Kenpo
to the United States
starting in the late 1930s.
Many Kenpo
teachers trace their lineage to him. Mitose was and remains a controversial figure in the history of Kenpo
in America. He was convicted of murder and extortion in 1974 and died while serving his sentence in Folsom Prison.
, Hawaii
on December 30, 1916. On October 22, 1920, at the age of three, he was sent to Japan
to be given formal education and upbringing with family living there. While there, in addition to his schoolwork and university studies, he trained in the art of Kempo
. He returned to the United States
on February 25, 1937, arriving at Honolulu, Hawaii
on the SS Tatsuta Maru at the age of 20.
The circumstances around his martial arts
training remain under scrutiny, but his practices contained marked similarities to Okinawan karate
and Japanese jujutsu
. Mitose might have had access to training in such arts in both Hawaii
and Japan
.
Mitose began teaching Kempo
in Hawaii in 1936, and in 1942 set up a martial arts
school. He gave the style he taught a number of different names during his lifetime, including "Shorinji Kempo" and "Kempo Jujutsu," (both names of recognized Japanese martial arts
), but over time, settled on the name Kosho Shōrei-ryū Kenpo
. The word "Kenpo" (or "Kempo") is a Japanese form of "Ch'uan Fa."
When the attack on Pearl Harbor
occurred, Mitose enlisted in the National Guard
, and was honorably discharged after three weeks. He spent most of the war teaching Kenpo
in Hawaii
to prepare American
civilians against a possible Japanese invasion.
Tracy Kenpo
claims martial lineage through Mitose to the Yoshida clan based on Mitose's claims that his family in Japan
lived near a "Mt. Akenkai's Shaka-In temple." Mount Akenkai might be Mount Kinkai, near the town of Kinkai, Nagasaki
on the island of Kyūshū
. This may have been where the Kosho sect of the Yoshida
(Urabe) clan taught.
Michael Brown of Rhode Island Martial Arts claims to possess documents showing three families of James Mitose. The first family being from Mitose's father's side. This includes his father, Otokichi Mitose and Otokichi's parents, Kaheiji Mitose, and Kano Kawakami Mitose. The second family, from Mitose's mother's side, includes his mother Kiyoka Yoshida Mitose and Kiyoka's biological father, Sakuhei Yoshida. Sakuhei Yoshida was married to a woman who was not Kiyoka's biological mother. Sakuhei Yoshida conceived Kiyoka Yoshida Mitose with a woman outside of his marriage named Toju Kosho. James Mitose would learn Kosho-ryū from the family of Toju Kosho. It is worthwhile to note that on Mitose's parents' record of marriage, Kiyoka Yoshida Mitose's mother is not named as Toju Kosho. Instead the name Toju Unknown occupies this position of the document.
To his students and in his book, What is True Self-Defense?, Mitose described his teachings as those of Japanese style. In the book, Mitose describes methods similar to yoga
and the tai sabaki
principles found in many Japanese arts. What Is Self Defense? and accounts and photos strongly suggest that, however he got it, Mitose had a background in an Okinawan style. Some modern proponents of Kosho Shōrei-ryū believe that he used an Okinawan art as a vehicle for his teaching of a native Japanese art.
The contents of What Is Self Defense? seem to echo those of an earlier book: Karate Kenpo by Mutsu Mizuho (1933). This includes the arrangement of diagrams and photographs; in one case, a photo (of Higaonna Kamesuke) is reproduced entirely. The earlier book contains the forms Passai-sho
, Kushanku-sho
, Niseishi
, Chinte
and Gojūshiho along with the 15 kata
which Gichin Funakoshi
introduced in his books. The versions are very similar to those found in Shotokan
. Mitose's book also includes a picture of Motobu Chōki
, reproduced from Motobu's
book, in a position that usually indicates a student acknowledging his teacher. It is from here that some assume that Mitose was acknowledging Motobu
as his teacher. Mitose listed Motobu
as a Kenpo
master in his book.
Mitose is known to have taught only one Kata
at his school: the Naihanchi
Kata, which also was Motobu Chōki
's primary form and the only one featured in Motubu's
second book Okinawan Kenpo Kumite Hen. Mitose also taught the use of the Makiwara, a signature Okinawan training method. A thriving Okinawan community existed in Hawaii and Okinawan martial arts training was available there. Higaonna Kamesuke stayed in Hawaii after 1933 with Thomas Miyashiro, and taught classes in Kona. Higaonna had studied under Mutsu and Motobu, and taught Karate Kenpo in Mitose's home town of Kona just a few years before Mitose opened his school, although Mitose was still in Japan at the time.
who taught it to Gichin Funakoshi
and Motobu Chōki
among others, was Okinawan "Shōrin-ryū
", which is often translated as "Little Pine Forest". In his early days in Hawaii, when Mitose started teaching after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he called his art as simply Kenpo-jujitsu (Nerve Strike method) and would refer to it as Shorinji Kempo or Go shin jitsu. The word "Shorin" is characteristic of styles from Okinawa, although Shorinji Kempo is a Japanese art founded by Doshin So.
Mitose claimed that he learned martial arts and religion in a Buddhist temple, but his descriptions of organization and practices of the temple do not match those practiced by mainstream Japanese Buddhism. It is possible that Mitose came from a heterodox background. Mitose often dressed as a Christian
minister. In "What Is True Self Defense?" he stated that one should practice the dominant religion of whatever country one is in, including its application to martial arts and spiritual practices. This book (the original manuscript of his first book was completed and published while he was imprisoned and presumably Mitose was conscious that his writings and actions would influence his release conditions), discourages offensive martial arts techniques completely, presenting its contents as a form of yoga and escape. Mitose even writes that karate is "evil." The description or lineage Mitose gave for his style also emphasized its Chinese roots. As a Japanese-American
emigrating to Hawaii in 1937, he might have prudently downplayed the Japanese side of his background.
and convicted on murder
and extortion
charges stemming from a conflict from repayment over a loan and the murder committed by Hassan. During the case there was conflicting testimony and the court acknowledged that Japanese testimony had not been accurately translated.
According to trial transcripts, James Mitose denied inciting Hassan to commit murder but took responsibility as his martial arts
instructor. Hassan claimed Mitose had suggested on numerous occasions that Hassan commit murder. Hassan also testified that Mitose and his wife Dorothy, had given Hassan a rope, a knife, a screwdriver and an air pistol in order to carry out his actions. Mr. Namimatsu was killed by Hassan on March 20, 1974. The official cause of death was strangulation by rope. Namimatsu also suffered a completely collapsed eye, had been stabbed multiple times with a screwdriver and had a shoe imprint on his chest matching the shoes Hassan was wearing. After the assault, Hassan testified he had left Namimatsu breathing.
Mitose was sentenced to life in prison and died in Folsom State Prison
of complications of diabetes on March 26, 1981. While in prison, he taught and ranked his son Thomas Barro Mitose, as well as Bruce Juchnik, Rick Alemany, Ray Arquilla, Eugene Sedeno and Arnold Golub. In "What is True Self Defense?", he acknowledges Arnold Golub as "Honorable Headmaster" and the other four men as "Honorable Masters." To his son, he gives the title "Honorable Grandmaster." (Page VII, Mitose, J. "What is True Self Defense? Textbook Number 1", Kosho Shorei Publishing, Sacramento, CA).
He maintained his innocence to his death and many schools that follow in his training lineage still maintain that he was wrongfully convicted. The details of the crime and Mitose's role remain controversial in the martial arts community.
had been widely spread throughout the United States
and western world. Almost all Kempo schools outside of Japan trace their lineage to the teachings of James Mitose, via William K.S. Chow, Adriano Directo Emperado
, S. George Pesare and Tracy Kenpo
.
Although he learned kenpo in Hawaii and knew of Mitose, Ed Parker was never a direct student of James Mitose. In Infinite Insights into Kenpo Volume 1, Parker stated: "Contrary to some of the claims that have been made in publications, I was never a student of James Mitose." Parker trained under Chow, and came to know Mitose when he moved to California. By that time, he was already moving away from the kenpo
that William Chow had taught him.
Nimr Hassan (Terry Lee) is a free man today and runs the Koga Ha Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo Association of Philadelphia. Martial arts author William Durbin claims Mitose was familiar with Koga-ryū
ninjutsu
and that Mitose's student Hassan is "probably the only master of the system to know those skills. These statements have never been proven and are doubted by many.
Bruce Juchnik and Ray Arquilla base much of their teaching on what they learned from Mitose, and both use the name "Kosho Shorei" in the name of the arts that they teach. Thomas Mitose publicly taught his version of his father's art and is the 22nd Great Grandmaster of the family art.
James Masayoshi Mitose (born Masayoshi Mitose, (December 30, 1916 — March 26, 1981) was a Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
martial artist who brought the art of Kenpo
Kenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
starting in the late 1930s.
Many Kenpo
Kenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
teachers trace their lineage to him. Mitose was and remains a controversial figure in the history of Kenpo
Kenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
in America. He was convicted of murder and extortion in 1974 and died while serving his sentence in Folsom Prison.
Martial arts training and lineage
James Masayoshi (Masakichi) Mitose was born in Kailua-Kona, North Kona DistrictKona District, Hawaii
Kona is the name of a moku or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County, the moku of Kona is divided into North Kona District and South Kona District . The term "Kona" is sometimes used to refer to its largest town,...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
on December 30, 1916. On October 22, 1920, at the age of three, he was sent to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to be given formal education and upbringing with family living there. While there, in addition to his schoolwork and university studies, he trained in the art of Kempo
KEMPO
KEPCO may refer to:* Korea Electric Power Corporation, a South Korean power provider* Kansai Electric Power Company, a Japanese power provider...
. He returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on February 25, 1937, arriving at Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
on the SS Tatsuta Maru at the age of 20.
The circumstances around his martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
training remain under scrutiny, but his practices contained marked similarities to Okinawan karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and Japanese jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
. Mitose might have had access to training in such arts in both Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Mitose began teaching Kempo
KEMPO
KEPCO may refer to:* Korea Electric Power Corporation, a South Korean power provider* Kansai Electric Power Company, a Japanese power provider...
in Hawaii in 1936, and in 1942 set up a martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
school. He gave the style he taught a number of different names during his lifetime, including "Shorinji Kempo" and "Kempo Jujutsu," (both names of recognized Japanese martial arts
Japanese martial arts
Japanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": , literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like science,...
), but over time, settled on the name Kosho Shōrei-ryū Kenpo
Kenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
. The word "Kenpo" (or "Kempo") is a Japanese form of "Ch'uan Fa."
When the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
occurred, Mitose enlisted in the National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
, and was honorably discharged after three weeks. He spent most of the war teaching Kenpo
Kenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to prepare American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
civilians against a possible Japanese invasion.
Tracy Kenpo
Tracy Kenpo
Tracy's Kenpo is a Kenpo martial arts style with historical roots back to William Chow and James Mitose.- Origins :Kenpo is an unarmed fighting style that came to Japan from China around the twelfth century. Kenpo continued to evolve separately in both countries over the centuries...
claims martial lineage through Mitose to the Yoshida clan based on Mitose's claims that his family in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
lived near a "Mt. Akenkai's Shaka-In temple." Mount Akenkai might be Mount Kinkai, near the town of Kinkai, Nagasaki
Kinkai, Nagasaki
was a town located in Nishisonogi District, Nagasaki, Japan.On January 4, 2006 Kinkai was merged into the expanded city of Nagasaki.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 12,518 and a density of 185.10 persons per km². The total area was 67.63 km²....
on the island of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. This may have been where the Kosho sect of the Yoshida
Yoshida
-People:Yoshida is the 12th most common Japanese surname.*Akihiko Yoshida , game artist*Ami Yoshida , vocalist*Bungo Yoshida , bunraku puppeteer*Hidehiko Yoshida , judoka and MMA fighter...
(Urabe) clan taught.
Michael Brown of Rhode Island Martial Arts claims to possess documents showing three families of James Mitose. The first family being from Mitose's father's side. This includes his father, Otokichi Mitose and Otokichi's parents, Kaheiji Mitose, and Kano Kawakami Mitose. The second family, from Mitose's mother's side, includes his mother Kiyoka Yoshida Mitose and Kiyoka's biological father, Sakuhei Yoshida. Sakuhei Yoshida was married to a woman who was not Kiyoka's biological mother. Sakuhei Yoshida conceived Kiyoka Yoshida Mitose with a woman outside of his marriage named Toju Kosho. James Mitose would learn Kosho-ryū from the family of Toju Kosho. It is worthwhile to note that on Mitose's parents' record of marriage, Kiyoka Yoshida Mitose's mother is not named as Toju Kosho. Instead the name Toju Unknown occupies this position of the document.
To his students and in his book, What is True Self-Defense?, Mitose described his teachings as those of Japanese style. In the book, Mitose describes methods similar to yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and the tai sabaki
Tai sabaki
is a term from Japanese martial arts and which relates to 'whole body movement', or repositioning. It can be translated as body-management. It is a term used widely in kendo, jujutsu, aikido, judo, karate and ninjutsu...
principles found in many Japanese arts. What Is Self Defense? and accounts and photos strongly suggest that, however he got it, Mitose had a background in an Okinawan style. Some modern proponents of Kosho Shōrei-ryū believe that he used an Okinawan art as a vehicle for his teaching of a native Japanese art.
The contents of What Is Self Defense? seem to echo those of an earlier book: Karate Kenpo by Mutsu Mizuho (1933). This includes the arrangement of diagrams and photographs; in one case, a photo (of Higaonna Kamesuke) is reproduced entirely. The earlier book contains the forms Passai-sho
Passai
Passai is the Japanese name of a group of kata practiced in different styles of martial arts, including karate and various Korean martial arts . There are several variations of these kata, including Passai sho and Passai dai . In karate, the kata are known as Passai in Okinawan styles and Bassai...
, Kushanku-sho
Kusanku
Kūsankū also called Kankū-dai , is an open hand karate kata that is studied by many practitioners of Okinawan, Japanese and Korean karate. In many karate styles, there are two versions of the kata: Kūsankū-shō and Kūsankū-dai...
, Niseishi
Nijushiho
Nijūshiho is an advanced kata practiced in Shotokan karate.The origin of Nijūshiho is unknown, but it is presumed that it originates from one of the Chinese "Dragon" styles. In introducing karate from Okinawa to Japan, Gichin Funakoshi changed the name of the kata from Niseishi to Nijūshiho...
, Chinte
Chinte
Chinte is a kata practiced in Shotokan karate. It is a very old kata originating from China. Its mixture of standard movements and rarely seen techniques, vestiges of ancient forms, give this kata a special appeal...
and Gojūshiho along with the 15 kata
Karate kata
Kata is a Japanese word describing detailed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs....
which Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
introduced in his books. The versions are very similar to those found in Shotokan
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
. Mitose's book also includes a picture of Motobu Chōki
Motobu Choki
The Okinawan karateka , younger brother of karateka Motobu Chōyū, was born in Akahira Village in Shuri, Okinawa, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom....
, reproduced from Motobu's
Motobu Choki
The Okinawan karateka , younger brother of karateka Motobu Chōyū, was born in Akahira Village in Shuri, Okinawa, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom....
book, in a position that usually indicates a student acknowledging his teacher. It is from here that some assume that Mitose was acknowledging Motobu
Motobu Choki
The Okinawan karateka , younger brother of karateka Motobu Chōyū, was born in Akahira Village in Shuri, Okinawa, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom....
as his teacher. Mitose listed Motobu
Motobu Choki
The Okinawan karateka , younger brother of karateka Motobu Chōyū, was born in Akahira Village in Shuri, Okinawa, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom....
as a Kenpo
Kenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
master in his book.
Mitose is known to have taught only one Kata
Karate kata
Kata is a Japanese word describing detailed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs....
at his school: the Naihanchi
Naihanchi
is a karate Kata, performed in straddle stance . It translates to 'internal divided conflict'. The form makes use of in-fighting techniques and grappling. In Shorin-Ryu and Matsubayashi-Ryu Naihanchi Shodan is the first Ni Kyu although it is taught to Yon Kyu occasionally before Evaluations for...
Kata, which also was Motobu Chōki
Motobu Choki
The Okinawan karateka , younger brother of karateka Motobu Chōyū, was born in Akahira Village in Shuri, Okinawa, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom....
's primary form and the only one featured in Motubu's
Motobu Choki
The Okinawan karateka , younger brother of karateka Motobu Chōyū, was born in Akahira Village in Shuri, Okinawa, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom....
second book Okinawan Kenpo Kumite Hen. Mitose also taught the use of the Makiwara, a signature Okinawan training method. A thriving Okinawan community existed in Hawaii and Okinawan martial arts training was available there. Higaonna Kamesuke stayed in Hawaii after 1933 with Thomas Miyashiro, and taught classes in Kona. Higaonna had studied under Mutsu and Motobu, and taught Karate Kenpo in Mitose's home town of Kona just a few years before Mitose opened his school, although Mitose was still in Japan at the time.
Kosho Shorei-ryū Kempo
Mitose ultimately called his style Kosho Shorei-ryū Kenpo, which can be translated as "Old Pine Tree School of Encouragement." Bushi Matsumura's style, which he taught to Ankō ItosuAnko Itosu
is considered by many the father of modern karate, although this title is also often given to Gichin Funakoshi because the latter spread karate throughout Japan.- Biography :...
who taught it to Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
and Motobu Chōki
Motobu Choki
The Okinawan karateka , younger brother of karateka Motobu Chōyū, was born in Akahira Village in Shuri, Okinawa, then capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom....
among others, was Okinawan "Shōrin-ryū
Shorin-Ryu
is one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts. It was founded by Choshin Chibana in 1933. Shōrin-ryū combines elements of the traditional Okinawan fighting styles of Shuri-te.-History:Chosin Chibana was a top student of the great master of shuri-te, Anko Itosu...
", which is often translated as "Little Pine Forest". In his early days in Hawaii, when Mitose started teaching after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he called his art as simply Kenpo-jujitsu (Nerve Strike method) and would refer to it as Shorinji Kempo or Go shin jitsu. The word "Shorin" is characteristic of styles from Okinawa, although Shorinji Kempo is a Japanese art founded by Doshin So.
Mitose claimed that he learned martial arts and religion in a Buddhist temple, but his descriptions of organization and practices of the temple do not match those practiced by mainstream Japanese Buddhism. It is possible that Mitose came from a heterodox background. Mitose often dressed as a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
minister. In "What Is True Self Defense?" he stated that one should practice the dominant religion of whatever country one is in, including its application to martial arts and spiritual practices. This book (the original manuscript of his first book was completed and published while he was imprisoned and presumably Mitose was conscious that his writings and actions would influence his release conditions), discourages offensive martial arts techniques completely, presenting its contents as a form of yoga and escape. Mitose even writes that karate is "evil." The description or lineage Mitose gave for his style also emphasized its Chinese roots. As a Japanese-American
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
emigrating to Hawaii in 1937, he might have prudently downplayed the Japanese side of his background.
Later years and conviction
In 1953, James Mitose ceased teaching Kempo regularly and dropped out of sight. He privately taught a few students in that time, including Nimr Hassan (formerly Terry Lee). However, in 1974 Mitose was arrested in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and convicted on murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
charges stemming from a conflict from repayment over a loan and the murder committed by Hassan. During the case there was conflicting testimony and the court acknowledged that Japanese testimony had not been accurately translated.
According to trial transcripts, James Mitose denied inciting Hassan to commit murder but took responsibility as his martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
instructor. Hassan claimed Mitose had suggested on numerous occasions that Hassan commit murder. Hassan also testified that Mitose and his wife Dorothy, had given Hassan a rope, a knife, a screwdriver and an air pistol in order to carry out his actions. Mr. Namimatsu was killed by Hassan on March 20, 1974. The official cause of death was strangulation by rope. Namimatsu also suffered a completely collapsed eye, had been stabbed multiple times with a screwdriver and had a shoe imprint on his chest matching the shoes Hassan was wearing. After the assault, Hassan testified he had left Namimatsu breathing.
Mitose was sentenced to life in prison and died in Folsom State Prison
Folsom State Prison
Folsom State Prison is a California State Prison located in the city of Folsom, California, northeast from the state capital of Sacramento. Opened in 1880, Folsom is the second-oldest prison in the state of California after San Quentin and was the first in the country to have electricity...
of complications of diabetes on March 26, 1981. While in prison, he taught and ranked his son Thomas Barro Mitose, as well as Bruce Juchnik, Rick Alemany, Ray Arquilla, Eugene Sedeno and Arnold Golub. In "What is True Self Defense?", he acknowledges Arnold Golub as "Honorable Headmaster" and the other four men as "Honorable Masters." To his son, he gives the title "Honorable Grandmaster." (Page VII, Mitose, J. "What is True Self Defense? Textbook Number 1", Kosho Shorei Publishing, Sacramento, CA).
He maintained his innocence to his death and many schools that follow in his training lineage still maintain that he was wrongfully convicted. The details of the crime and Mitose's role remain controversial in the martial arts community.
Influence
By the time of Mitose's death, KenpoKenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
had been widely spread throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and western world. Almost all Kempo schools outside of Japan trace their lineage to the teachings of James Mitose, via William K.S. Chow, Adriano Directo Emperado
Adriano Directo Emperado
Adriano Directo Emperado was one of five martial artists who developed the kajukenbo self-defense system.-Childhood and Young Adulthood:...
, S. George Pesare and Tracy Kenpo
Tracy Kenpo
Tracy's Kenpo is a Kenpo martial arts style with historical roots back to William Chow and James Mitose.- Origins :Kenpo is an unarmed fighting style that came to Japan from China around the twelfth century. Kenpo continued to evolve separately in both countries over the centuries...
.
Although he learned kenpo in Hawaii and knew of Mitose, Ed Parker was never a direct student of James Mitose. In Infinite Insights into Kenpo Volume 1, Parker stated: "Contrary to some of the claims that have been made in publications, I was never a student of James Mitose." Parker trained under Chow, and came to know Mitose when he moved to California. By that time, he was already moving away from the kenpo
Kenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
that William Chow had taught him.
Nimr Hassan (Terry Lee) is a free man today and runs the Koga Ha Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo Association of Philadelphia. Martial arts author William Durbin claims Mitose was familiar with Koga-ryū
Koga-ryu
Kōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka...
ninjutsu
Ninjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
and that Mitose's student Hassan is "probably the only master of the system to know those skills. These statements have never been proven and are doubted by many.
Bruce Juchnik and Ray Arquilla base much of their teaching on what they learned from Mitose, and both use the name "Kosho Shorei" in the name of the arts that they teach. Thomas Mitose publicly taught his version of his father's art and is the 22nd Great Grandmaster of the family art.