23 Facts About James Mitose

James Mitose was convicted of murder and extortion in 1974 and given a life sentence.

James Mitose died in prison in 1981 due to complications from diabetes.

James Masayoshi Mitose was born in Kailua-Kona, North Kona District, Hawaii on December 30,1916.

James Mitose returned to Hawaii on February 25,1935, arriving at Honolulu on the SS Tatsuta Maru at the age of 18.

James Mitose always claimed his art was Japanese rather than Okinawan.

James Mitose began teaching Kenpo in Hawaii in 1936, and in 1941 set up a martial arts school.

James Mitose gave the style he taught several names during his lifetime, including "Shorinji Kenpo" and "Kenpo Jujutsu,", but over time, settled on the name Kosho Shorei-ryu Kenpo.

James Mitose was later interned in Sand Island, a camp on the north side of Oahu.

James Mitose worked as an herbalist and was known to be an extraordinary healer.

James Mitose would learn Kosho-ryu from the family of Toju Kosho.

James Mitose's book includes a picture of Motobu Choki, reproduced from Motobu's book, in a position that usually indicates a student acknowledging his teacher.

James Mitose listed Motobu as a Kenpo master in his book.

James Mitose is known to have taught only one Kata at his school: the Naihanchi Kata, which was Motobu Choki's primary form and the only one featured in Motubu's second book Okinawan Kenpo Kumite Hen.

James Mitose taught the use of the Makiwara, a signature Okinawan training method.

James Mitose ultimately called his style Kosho Shorei-Ryu Kenpo, which can be translated as "Old Pine Tree School Fist Law".

When James Mitose first began teaching in 1936, he called his art Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu and would later refer to it as Shorinji Kempo or goshin jutsu.

James 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.

In 1953, James Mitose ceased teaching Kenpo regularly and moved to Southern California.

James Mitose privately taught a few students in that time, including Terry Lee for about a year.

In 1974 James Mitose was arrested in Los Angeles and convicted of murder and extortion stemming from a conflict over a loan and a murder committed by Terry Lee.

Lee claimed James Mitose had suggested on numerous occasions that Lee commit murder.

James Mitose served the majority of his sentence at Folsom State Prison but when his health deteriorated, he was transferred to San Quentin State Prison and died there of complications from diabetes on March 26,1981.

The details of the crime and James Mitose's role remain controversial in the martial arts community.