James Mitose
| James Mitose | |
|---|---|
James Mitose at age 58
|
|
| Born | Masayoshi Mitose December 30, 1916 Kailua-Kona, North Kona District, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Died | March 26, 1981 (aged 64) San Quentin, California, U.S. complications of diabetes |
| Other names | Masakichi, Kosho Kenposai |
| Style | Kenpo-Ju-Jitsu, Kosho-ryū Kenpo, Kosho Shorei-ryū Kenpo |
| Teacher(s) | Anko Itosu |
| Rank | 21st Great Grand Master of Kosho-ryū Kempo |
| Notable students | William Chow, Bruce Juchnik, Ray Arquilla, Arthur Keawe, Edward "Bobby" Lowe, Giro Nakamura, Grandmaster Fusae Oshita (sister), Paul Yamaguchi, Thomas S.H. Young |
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 1936.
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 given a life sentence. He died in prison in 1981 due to complications from diabetes.
James Masayoshi (Masakichi Kosho Kenposai) Mitose was born in Kailua-Kona, North Kona District, Hawaii on December 30, 1916. On October 22, 1920, at the age of four, he and his two sisters were taken by their mother back to Japan to be given formal education and upbringing with family living there. While there, in addition to their schoolwork and university studies, they trained in the art of Kenpo. James returned to the United States on February 25, 1935, arriving at Honolulu, Hawaii on the SS Tatsuta Maru at the age of 21.
His martial arts practices contained marked similarities to Okinawan karate and Japanese jujutsu. Mitose always claimed his art was Japanese rather than Okinawan.
Mitose began teaching Kenpo in Hawaii in 1936, and in 1941 set up a martial arts school. He gave the style he taught a number of different names during his lifetime, including "Shorinji Kenpo" and "Kenpo 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, but was honorably discharged after three weeks. He was later interned in Sand Island, a camp on the north side of Oahu. After his release in 1942,he spent most of the war teaching Kenpo in Hawaii to prepare American civilians for a possible Japanese invasion. He worked as an herbalist and was known to be an extraordinary healer. He also owned a brothel.
...
Wikipedia