About the Author

James Mitose was born in Hawaii in 1916 and left to Japan at age 4, returning at the age of 21. While in Japan, he is said to have trained extensively in Kenpo Karate which would become the foundation for his art of Kosho Shorei-ryu Kenpo. As one of the early pioneers of the martial arts, he is credited with bringing the art of Kenpo to the United States, and virtually every style of Kenpo today can trace its lineage to him. As one of the most colorful martial artists ever, his life included extensive teaching at his school in Hawaii with what many say is a less than accurate historical account of his life, before moving to Southern California where he was convicted of murder and was sentenced to life imprison.He remained incarcerated at San Quentin until his death in 1981.