Opinion of James Mitose

[Rick Wade]

What is the general feeling out there about James Mitsoe. I am curious if you know any of his history or just what you have been told. I don't care if it is good or bad I just want to Know what your feeling are.

Thanks

Rick

P.S. Feel free to email me with your answer if you do not want it published.

Thanks

 

[John Bishop]

Mitose the criminal:

Here's a brief summary of the story according to L.A. Superior Court records:

Mitose moved to the mainland US around 1958. He took the self appointed title of the Rev. Dr. James Mitose. He made money by selling herbal "cancer cures", and collecting donations for a "Japanese American Friendship" group (which never existed). These solicitations were often times done thru threat of violence. In the early 70s Mitose also met a young karateman, and former Marine at a karate tournament and took him as an assistant (well, he told the kid he was a disciple, but the kid ran errands for Mitose, drove him, and so on).

By this time, Mitose was deep into accepting large sums of money from people for his various cures and promises. One of the families was an elderly couple by the name of Namimatsu. When the senior Namimatsu (Frank) mentioned to their daughter that $65,000.00 of their hard earned money had gone to Mitose, she made a appointment with the L.A. D.A to report the fraud. The day before the Namimatsu’s were to speak to the D.A., Mitose ordered his impressionable "disciple", Terry Lee, to kill the Namimatsus. This was accomplished with a screwdriver and rope.

The Frank Namimatsu was killed by strangulation, and his wife was stabbed and left for dead (she survived). When the DA uncovered Mitose's pattern of intimidation and extortion (he had been using African American "assistants" to frighten English-as-a-Second Language Issei), Mitose became the prime suspect. To make a long story short, Mitose was given a life sentance for ordering his disciple to do the deed. The disciple, who had been an upstanding citizen before this, received a few years for his testimony against the "great grand master".

Now the debate in Kenpo circles today is that the student, Terry Lee lied on the stand. But...there was enough evidence to show that the murders would not have happened had Mitose not been trying to cover up his other crimes (extortion, fraud), and had he not ordered his loyal student to act out in his honor.
I have read the court transcripts, and have no doubt that Mitose was at the root of the Namimatsu murders.

 

[Rick Wade]

Thanks for the History lesson especially for the newbies to Kenpo. I have read the transcripts. I guess that I am after everyone’s opinion.

Things like do you consider him part of your?

Do you think he was honorable?

I am just trying to get a general consensus of what modern Kenpo practitioners think.

Thanks

 

[John Bishop]

Do you think he was honorable?
Thanks

After reading the transcripts, you have to ask? How much farther then cheating and murdering elderly citizens does one have to go before they are no longer honorable?

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

Thanks for the History lesson especially for the newbies to Kenpo. I have read the transcripts. I guess that I am after everyone’s opinion.

Things like do you consider him part of your?

Do you think he was honorable?

I am just trying to get a general consensus of what modern Kenpo practitioners think.

Thanks

He was seminal to our arts. Without Mitose, no Chow. No Chow, no Emperado or Parker. Yes, part of our lineage. Saint? There's a tendency to want to mystify or sanctify those who have passed, particularly if part of a legacy, and kenpo and it's cousin arts are a legacy. What has amazed me is the number of people insisting older is better, and seeking to re-establish links with Mitose-ha Kempo. None of his present successors (i.e., Juchnik, Mitose Jr., Namr Hassan) put in the better part of 2 decades with him, yet each is a Grand Master of some acu-version of Kosho-Ryu, Nidai or Sandai Soke or some such thing. Yet the system is supposed to be much richer in content than AK or cousins, with Chow and Parker both engaging in "paring away the unessentials" activities. How many years should it take to Grand-Master a purportedly very complex system, with an infinite (and growing) number of facets?

Never met the man; would have liked to so as to pick his brain on history, concept, technique, etc. Biggest question I would ask...what did you teach from grade to grade, to whom for how long, and what's your estimation of their skill and understanding in contrast to what you were trying to accomplish?

If we had those answers, we might either really miss the influence of the man, or appreciate the decisions of his break-aways even more. Just a thought.

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

After reading the transcripts, you have to ask? How much farther then cheating and murdering elderly citizens does one have to go before they are no longer honorable?

Kenpo has been, and is still, full of people with criminal histories and intent. Life is full of great people, and sick and twisted ones as well. Find the best, forget the rest. Pursue excellence in all you do, and be the difference that makes the difference.

Kenpo, like a hammer or an axe, is a tool. It can be used to build, or harm. We each make our choices...hopefully, karma will be instant enough more often than not to bring the house down on the dishonorable.

 

[John Bishop]

He was seminal to our arts. Without Mitose, no Chow. No Chow, no Emperado or Parker. .

Not really. Chow, Emperado, and Parker were men with a great love for the martial arts, and a even greater capacity for creativity and exploration. No region in the world has a more abundant mix of martial arts opportunities then Hawaii. Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Polynesian, Korean, Okinawan, and western fighting arts all existed in Hawaii when Chow, Emperado, and Parker were young men.
Now that the true history of Mitose is finally starting to come out of the islands we find that his kenpo was nothing more than Okinawan kenpo, with no mysterious temple's in Japan, or long lineages of grandmasters. Just Mitose training under a Okinawan instructor named Naburu Tamanaha in Hawaii. He learned one Okinawan kata (Naihanchi) which in turn he taught to his students, before leaving for the greener pastures of mainland America.
If he had not been Chow's, Emperado's, or Parker's teacher, they would have found another one to start them on their journey. They became great martial artists, not because of Mitose, but in spite of Mitose.

 

[azkenpo1]

They became great martial artists, not because of Mitose, but in spite of Mitose.

Nice Post.....

Darin

 

[Touch Of Death]

He was seminal to our arts. Without Mitose, no Chow. No Chow, no Emperado or Parker.

I have to cry BULL on this one. Mr. Parker was a trained boxer and a Judo man before ever meeting the Chows or Mitosi. Hawaii was a melting pot for many nationalities and martial arts. Mr. Parker would have easily investigated another art from at least a thousand other people. You could just as easily say that without meeting Mr. Chows brother, he would never have met Mr. Chow. It was a right time and a the right place thing. :asian:
Sean

 

[Jeff Boler]

I'm a former student of William Durbin, who claims to be one of countries, "Leading martial arts historians." He's gone as far as seeking out Thomas Mitose, and Bruce Juchnik to recognize him as the Soke of his own style. (WTF?) He also brought and befriended Nimr Hassan aka Terry Lee.

Durbin has some rediculous theories as to what happened during the murder and trial that Mitose was apart of. He even goes as far as blaming the Yakuza for setting Mitose up. Durbin has a tendancy to believe what you tell him, if he sees personal benefit in it. Well Durbin now holds 5th Dan's in both of the Hassan led arts, go figure.

Lee is a murderer, and Mitose is a conspirator. That's a matter of legal record. So my opinions about the both of them are pretty low. I honestly doubt that anyone is teaching much of what Mitose was taught. Juchnik only received "verbal" training from Mitose, Thomas Mitose was actually taught by Emperado (so?), and Lee....well who knows what he learned. He was only a student (or hitman) for Mitose for a year so. I think most of Mitose's knowledge died with him.

 

[Karazenpo]

I just seperate Mitose the man from Mitose the martial artist. There is no doubt and I concur 100 per cent with Sigung Bishop that James Mitose, to paraphrase, was certainly no role model for anyone to follow and was of a criminal heart. How can anyone dispute that? I say this as a law enforcement officer of nearly three decades and with all due respect to his family and friends. It's public record. However, no matter how anyone cuts it, Mitose planted the seed that was nurtured and cultivated by others which grew into some of the most practical, functional self defense systems practiced today. If no Mitose, would some of the above mentioned have found training elsewhere? I would have to agree but we'll never know where that training would have led them. I don't think we would have what we've got today. Check out Mitose's book on the Tracy website. It was Mitose that mentions the four ways of fighting and this book was written in 1947. Look closely at some of the techniques and you will see some similiarities to what we practice today, direct similiarities of course much evolution has added polish, flow and multiple striking but the rudiments are there. There even in the Parker system although they do not include Mitose in their lineage. Coincidence of similarities, I think not. After all Mitose was Chow's only teacher. We now know that his father teaching him kung fu was a myth. Do I see a similiarity to Okinawan karate, hell yeah, I've said that for years. Let's face it, Naihanchi is about as Okinawan as you can get. Just take a look at Robert Trias' book, 'The Hand is My Sword', look at every technique in the book closely and you'll see Mitose's kempo and what we practice today of the Hawaiian derived systems. However, I also see much Jui Jitsu in his techniques, much more than an Okinawan karate system would traditionally have at that time. So, I'm still holding out that he had some training in the Japanese arts, to what extent? I have no clue but he learned it somewhere from someone. I thought of the Okinawan grappling art of Torite but Mitose's jui jitsu just doesn't fit from what I've been told.

 

[Karazenpo]

I wrote this to put up in my schools after doing much research on Mitose:


Great Grandmaster James Masayoshi Mitose

21st Descendant Kosho Ryu Kempo

As many of you know, I have been doing a pretty comprehensive background check on the history of James M. Mitose and his contributions to our Kempo/Kajukenbo systems. I have been trying to be totally objective and I was never, originally, a Mitose detractor. I became disenchanted with the Mitose history when it just wouldn't hold up to scutiny, not in the least bit. In my quest, I have found some answers. Nothing will ever be totally clear and objective when it comes to the history of any martial art but what I am looking for is some factual evidence, some circumstantial evidence, a little logic and a basic framework of the man's legacy that makes sense. I have had my ups and down on it and my investigation is still not complete but here is what I feel is reasonable so far:

Let's start with Jinshi Eison, fact or fiction? Well, yes and no. Don't get me wrong I have a definite answer on that but it has a little explaining. Jinshi Eison lived in just the right time period we are looking at, circa. 1200. He studied in China, his Buddhist name was Kosho Bosatsu. So, it looks legit, right? Wrong. The Kanji used for Kosho in this case did not mean 'old pine tree'. It's like the kanji used for kara in karate. It can mean China (Tang) or empty. Eison's life was extremely well documented and nothing lined up and matched.

However, according to Mitose, Kosho ryu is a sect of Zen Buddhism based on the Rinzai Zen which was introduced into Japan in 1191 by the priest Eisai. Mitose considered Eisai, and for that matter Rinzai (lin chi) and Daruma himself as being his ancestors. This is something he prided himself on. Jinshi Eisan was a misinterpretation of Mitose's words (his English was poor). 1191 was when the religious Rinzai sect (lin chi) Kosho Shorei Ryu was founded. The martial art, Kosho Ryu wasn't developed until about 350 years later, around 1560. The Tracy's begin their lineage (which I will get to shortly) at 1232 AD with Zenko Yoshida. Not only is that the wrong clan but you couldn't possibly have 21 descendants to Mitose in that time period. Martial art ryus weren't developed that early on, those were the religious rinzai sects that started around circa.1200, the martial art came much later. They're about 350 years off!

The Yoshida lineage leads to dead ends and where did Kosho come from? Mitose had three grandfathers. Records provided to Shihan Michael Brown, the Sei Kosho Shorei Kai historian, shows three families from Japan. 1) the Mitose family (his father's side), 2) the Yoshida family (his mother's biological father), and the Kosho family (his mother's biological mother). Mitose's maternal grandparents were not married. His mother was raised by her biological father (Mr. Yoshida) until she was 17 years old, then she was adopted by her biological mother who had married into the Kosho family. Besides the obvious connection with the name Kosho, this was the only grandfather alive when Mitose arrived in Japan in October of 1920.

James Mitose's maternal grandparents were Yoshida Sakuhei (the father of Mitose Kyoka).
Kosho Toju (the mother of Mitose Kiyoka). Mitose's grandmother was not the wife of Mr. Yoshida. Kiyoka was the result of an affair. This is in the family record.

The Tracy Yoshida lineage to Kosho ryu has no merit. They do not go back to the family art of Kosho. Thje Kosho art goes back 21 generations. Mitose's grandfather that he learned the family art from was Kosho Kyohei. This is recorded in the family records although there is no written proof that he trained at the Shaka In Temple as of yet and may never be. There are records there mentioning the term Kosho ryu. A local historian, whom I do not have his name as of this posting, stated martial arts was being practiced there up until just before WW2. The Tracy's are barking up the wrong tree, lineage tree that is! They traced the wrong grandfather, Yoshida Sakuhei. He wasn't even alive when Mitose was 4 years old.

Shaka In temple. Kosho monks and martial arts: truth or fiction? Documents provided and further research to confirm this on the internet into historical records shows that in October of 1588 the warrior monks of Shaka In clashed with the forces of Konishi Yukinaga. The battlefield is perserved to this day.

Mitose is also believed to have trained in Okinawan Kenpo under Naburo Tanamaha believed to be of the Choki Motobu lineage. Richard Kim has insisted that Mitose had some lessons from Motobu also.

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

I have to cry BULL on this one. Mr. Parker was a trained boxer and a Judo man before ever meeting the Chows or Mitosi. Hawaii was a melting pot for many nationalities and martial arts. Mr. Parker would have easily investigated another art from at least a thousand other people. You could just as easily say that without meeting Mr. Chows brother, he would never have met Mr. Chow. It was a right time and a the right place thing. :asian:
Sean

Having started Kempo in Hawaii, I know what an incredible martial arts melting pot it is. With all due respec to your right to call bull should you so see fit, the experiences we have in our upbringings are at least part of what shapes us...who we are, how we relate to the world, and the decisions we make. True, Parker was a martial arts fanatic prior to his experiences with Chow, and yes he would have trained elsewhere. And his experiences would most likely have shaped different decisions, and different destinies. Specifically, would he have opened a Kenpo school in Pasadena, California? Met the people he met and trained there? Been the specific influence on American martial arts he's been? What's to say he wouldn't have ended up being a pioneer of American Jujitsu, teaching in Hong Kong? The man we met was on the path he was on when we met him, because it was there for him to be on. No Mitose, No Chow. No Chow (or perhaps Chow's brother), no Parker...as we knew him, teaching what he taught.

Your personal traits, fascinations, and hobbies are your own, but don't you think your life would have been a wee bit differrent if you were born to Eskimo parents in a village along the Bering Straights of Alaska? What if Parker took up chess, b/c Chow never met Mitose? Would you have met and trained with him as a chess master?

For whoever and whatever he was, Mitose planted a seed. The seed has grown to be larger than the man, for which we should all be grateful, or we wouldn't be on this chat, yakking about influences on the Hx of kenpo.

 

[DRMiller]

The latest issue of Classical Fighting Arts has an article on Mitose that is very interesting. Check it out, I get mine at Borders books.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Would you have met and trained with him as a chess master?

Well I would have given him as many pointers as I could.
Sean

 

[Matt]

What is the general feeling out there about James Mitsoe. I am curious if you know any of his history or just what you have been told. I don't care if it is good or bad I just want to Know what your feeling are.

Thanks

Rick

P.S. Feel free to email me with your answer if you do not want it published.

Thanks

Well, I don't want to post the whole article here, but here's a link to it, and I think it gets my opinion across...

It's entitled,
"James Mitose: Conman and partner in a murder conspiracy or innocent victim of a vast conspiracy that was probably orchestrated by the real killer in the O.J. Simpson case?"

http://home.comcast.net/~matthewabarnes/

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

Well, I don't want to post the whole article here, but here's a link to it, and I think it gets my opinion across...

It's entitled,
"James Mitose: Conman and partner in a murder conspiracy or innocent victim of a vast conspiracy that was probably orchestrated by the real killer in the O.J. Simpson case?"

http://home.comcast.net/~matthewabarnes/

I think the title you posted tells us how you feel. Brings back to mind a whole slew of tacky O.J. jokes. Like he needed the help.

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Thanks for the History lesson especially for the newbies to Kenpo. I have read the transcripts. I guess that I am after everyone’s opinion.

Things like do you consider him part of your?

Do you think he was honorable?

I am just trying to get a general consensus of what modern Kenpo practitioners think.

Thanks

Honorable? Hardly.
Part of the lineage? Unquestionably.
"Like a cobra in the bedsheets or the laughter of a woman you once loved, it could not be ignored." - Chandler

 

[Rick Wade]

I have to cry BULL on this one. Mr. Parker was a trained boxer and a Judo man before ever meeting the Chows or Mitosi. Hawaii was a melting pot for many nationalities and martial arts. Mr. Parker would have easily investigated another art from at least a thousand other people. You could just as easily say that without meeting Mr. Chows brother, he would never have met Mr. Chow. It was a right time and a the right place thing. :asian:
Sean

I agree that in today's day and age it is easier to investigate the art and find out all that you can before you start studying it.

Hwever what you are saying is back then it was kinda of luck of the draw as to what art you got involved with and if you liked it you stayed with it?

I kind of agree with you.

 

[Doc]

Well I've made myself clear on this issue on many occasions in the forums so I won't rehash Mitose. However I will remind you what Parker's position was. SImply he didn't think Mitose was a good person and at best a very poor martial artist. Mitose showed up wearing his priest collar and cross, but rarely did anything. When he did, he taught the one kata he apparently was familiar with. Parker often said publicly, "Chow was an impressive fighter, Mitose never fought and was very unimpressive." Mitose later proved Parker's statements by coming to the Pasadena School on the mainland with an offer of a "church con" to Parker which Parker quickly declined. Then Mitose got on the mat to show some of us in attendance a "secret technique" where he proved just how unskilled he was.

The argument could be made that Mitose was a part of the Chow lineage even though Chow studied with many others. However Parker made it clear. "Mitose never taught me anything, and showed me nothing." Parker excluded Mitose from his personal lineage, and therefore I know for a certainty, he's not in mine. If you are in the Parker lineage, the fact Parker excluded him should be relevant to you. If you must, put him in the history of Chow's Kenpo, but my lineage stops with Edmund Kealoha Parker Sr.

Parker was a very special man who had skills before he met Chow, and would have gotten information from anywhere he could have found it in the martial arts rich islands to grow. However he always gave Chow the credit for the idea of the "direction" (practical self-defense) he wanted to take his art in, not for the physical anyway. And for those who talk about Mitose's books and the techniques, the knowledgeable know those books were "posed" and copied almost exactly from another source.