The more modern and better-known part of our history begins with James Mitose. Mitose was born December 30, 1916 on a coffee plantation in Kona, Hawaii according to legend; a visiting Chinese monk brought Kenpo to his family's monastery in Kumamoto, Japan in the 15th century. Rinzai Zen Buddhism was taught at the monastery along with martial arts, calligraphy, poetry, flower arranging and archery.
          This form of Shoalin Chuan Fa Kung Fu, brought by their Chinese visitors, was blended with the jujitsu that was common in the area. This blend of Chinese and Japanese arts became known as “Kosho-ryu Kempo” or family School Fist Principle, as Kosho was family name of the Mitose Clan. In Mitoses Book “What is Self Defense, Kenpo Jujits” published in 1953, Mitose states he was taken by his grandfather to Japan to study at the family monastery as there was no other formal education system at the time. In 1936 at age 14 he became the 21st grandmaster of Kosho-ryu Kempo, returning to Hawaii, in 1942 he began to teach what he called Kenpo Jujits.
    This account from Mitoses’ book is doubted by many who believe that Mitose was actually a student of famed Okinawa karate master Choki Motobu, however the true story died with Mitose in 1981. Before World War 2, Mitose began teaching a few students from his garage. After the war, Mitose opened a school he named the “Official Self - Defense Club” Mitose taught there until he retired in 1953.
In 1956 he moved to southern California, during the time he taught in Hawaii, he only ranked five individuals to Black Belt. Edward “Bobby” Lowe, Dr. Arthur Keawe, Paul Yamaguchi, Thomas “ Tommy” Young and William Kwai Sun Chow.