James Mitose - Later Years and Conviction

Later Years and Conviction

In 1953, James Mitose ceased teaching Kempo regularly and dropped out of sight. He left Hawaii and moved to Southern California. He privately taught a few students in that time, including Nimr Hassan (formerly Terry Lee). However, in 1974 Mitose was arrested in Los Angeles and convicted on murder and extortion charges stemming from a conflict from repayment over a loan and the murder committed by Hassan. During the trial 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.

As a result of Hassan's testimony, Mitose was sentenced to life in prison and died in Folsom State Prison of complications of diabetes on March 26, 1981. While in prison, on a few occasions he attempted to instruct his son Thomas Barro Mitose, who refused to accept his fathers teachings. He mostly taught Bruce Juchnik, Rick Alemany, Ray Arquilla, Eugene Sedeno and Arnold Golub. In "What is True Self Defense?", he acknowledges Arnold Golub as "Honorable Headmaster" an administrative title, and the other four men as "Honorable Masters 1-4." To Bruce Juchnik, in return for his efforts to have Mitose released from prison and his interest in preserving the Art of Kosho, was given the license of "Menyko Kaiden/ Inka Shomei," and instructed him to do "whatever he saw was good and right for the True and Pure Art of Kosho Kempo Karate." Juchnik states that this made him the inheritor of all Kosho Temples and Great- Grandmaster. Some claim that only a blood heir can be a grandmaster or great-grandmaster. Bruce did recognized Thomas Barro as blood heir and "Grandmaster" in an attempt to continue the Mitose linage, but after Thomas refused to honor his fathers philosophy and methods, and some believe at the urging of Adriano Emperado,Thomas broke from Bruce and claimed himself as Great-Grandmaster of Kosho and teaches his version of Kosho which is a mixture of some Kosho principles and a "lot" of Kajukenbo (his main art). He is currently retired, and his son Mark is claiming to be the 23rd Great Grandmaster of the Kosho Shorei system. It seems strange that Thomas would claim his rights when it is well known that he is not the oldest Mitose son, and therefore not the true inheritor. He has an older half brother in Japan who is the "true and rightful heir." On one occasion, Mitose was chastised by "his teacher" Joe Halbuna, a Kajukenbo GM as demonstrating Kajukenbo kata's and moves, not Kosho Kempo which he was familiar with because he knew his father in Hawaii.

Mitose maintained his innocence to his death and many schools that follow in his training lineage still maintain that he was wrongfully convicted. Bruce Juchnik was the driving force to get Mitose paroled and to get his conviction overturned prior to his death. The details of the crime and Mitose's role remain controversial still in the martial arts community today.