User:Thomas Mitose

In Honolulu Hawaii, a Japanese couple struggling to make ends meet and start a new life together would find themselves with child. Having no means to support their future baby, James Mitose and his wife would make arrangements through a midwife to prepare for their new arrival to lead a better life through an adopted family. In 1940, a child was born that will be forever shrouded in controversy.

Although this child would be loved and cared for under the last name of Barro, his biological father would not stray far from young Thomas. Throughout his adolescence, Thomas Barro would cross paths with James Masayoshi Mitose many times in his youth without ever knowing who he really was.

At the age of six, Thomas would meet his biological father for the first time, and only knew him as a neighbor and friend from the community. Often, young Thomas would meet this older gentleman walking down the street, making conversations with each other. James Mitose would even offer young Thomas small gifts as books, and other items. One item Thomas would receive was a 1947 copy of “What Is Self Defense”. Thomas’s biological father was never more than a few blocks away. “ I'd seen him around, I knew that he was teaching up the hill at that Chinese mission.” Thomas would soon get the chance to train at the Beretania Mission, and begin the first phase of his training to become the 22nd Great Grandmaster of Kosho Ryu.

Thomas’s adopted father would first take Thomas to Kitayama’s Judo school for lessons. What young Thomas didn’t know was during the casual conversations on the streets with his adopted and biological fathers, it was decided to take young Thomas to the Christian Youth Center on Beretania St., where they would first watch James Mitose teach his classes, and eventually train at the school. Later in life, Thomas would box while a stint in the military while still in Hawaii.

It was in elementary school when young Thomas find out through a classmate that he was adopted. Could the loving couple that taught him to walk and talk truly not be the ones to give birth to him? Many questions arose as; why was he never told of this…who his real parents were…questions only his adopted parents could answer. It would be years after this discovery that Thomas would get to meet his birth mother. It is at this meeting that Thomas would be told of the hard times his biological parents went through, and who his birth father was. The same man that he would see on the streets, and at the mission is his biological father, the 21st Headmaster of Kosho Ryu. It would be many more years before Thomas would get to see his birth father face to face, but this time as a man.

Thomas would eventually leave Hawaii in favor for mainland San Francisco to start a new life. There he would seek out Joe Halbuna, martial arts instructor in the art of Kajukenbo. It was a good fit since a major element of Kajukenbo came directly from the teachings of James Mitose back in Hawaii. Training was literally filled with blood, sweat, and tears as the sessions would take their toll. Only the most dedicated would endure the rigorous instruction. In order to dish out pain, a student must also be able to take pain. Many bones were broken, much blood spilled on the floor. Young Thomas would eventually earn his first black belt, and continue to strive to continued success. Thomas would eventually open up a martial arts school and called it Barro’s Karate Kung Fu. The school would prosper as do well. Thomas’s life would soon take a different turn and change the way he would look at Kenpo forever.

It was through small talk between Thomas; one of his friends, and friend’s relative, that Thomas was to find out that James Mitose was now residing in Los Angeles. Thomas would make the conscience choice to drive to LA to meet his father and catch up on lost time.

Time must have stood still as Thomas stood on his father’s front doorstep waiting for someone to greet him. As the door swung open, James Mitose would peer out and look into the eyes of his son who is now a man. Surprised and unprepared, James Mitose would suddenly slam the door on Thomas. Minutes later, as a shaven and dressed James Mitose would swing open the door. Tearful with joy, he would welcome his son in for some much needed time together. They would sit and talk about life in the past, about James Mitose becoming a grandpa, beginning a family. James Mitose would discuss teaching Thomas in Kosho Ryu; to learn the family art as passed down from generation to generation. Soon after, training would commence, and a long and rich tradition. “ I made contact with my father in Los Angeles, and began training with him.”

Training was very unusual. There were many concepts that required much thinking. “ My first lesson was to stand on a chair and defend myself. “ James Mitose would push his son off balance, and expect a response from him. Thomas tried to think of some technique, but his father would say “no…no…no…” “ He was at a different plane…the answer is simple, you jump and land on the floor. You get away from the push.” Many more concepts were introduced, much learning. Thomas would learn all that his father would show him. Motion and movement pertaining to natural laws, family history, timing, escaping patterns were all shown to the son of Professor Mitose. James Mitose would teach his son to adapt to any situation that would arise. “The most important thing during the lessons from my father was to make sure that I gained the correct knowledge, techniques, and philosophies of Kosho Ryu as handed down from generation to generation. ” It was through these training sessions would James Mitose ask his son to change his name to his birth name, Mitose. Thomas’s would be told by his father he was the one to carry on the tradition and eventually become the 22nd headmaster of Kosho Shorei Ryu Kenpo. It was also in these meetings that Thomas would ask about his father about his ranking system. James Mitose would tell his son that he would not need any certificate from his father because he was blood, and part of the bloodline. James would talk about opening a school together with Thomas, father and son to carry on the rich tradition of Kosho Ryu. Their relationship would put on hold for many years as a dispute between James and Thomas would separate the two, leaving angered differences between them.

Thomas would continue to run his school, and raise his family. He would keep in contact with both his adopted family, as well as his biological mother. It was during a trip to see his mother in 1968 would Thomas meet the one and only William Chow. Thomas would talk in great lengths with the man who lived in the Mitose family home as a house servant. William Chow would tell Thomas about his father, Ed Parker and his system, and the progression of Kenpo. Thomas would meet with Professor Chow many times on his trips to Hawaii until William Chow would leave the Islands under the guidance of Ralph Castro.

Tragically, a private student of James Mitose had caused the death of a local farmer. The student would implicate James Mitose as the mastermind behind the event, resulting in the incarceration of James Mitose for the remainder of his life. James would send his son letters from his cell in hope of reconciliation. Thomas eventually would set aside their differences, and visit his father at Folsom Prison.

A group of Kenpo Practioners would work with James Mitose to help him publish his book “ What Is True Self Defense?” It was decided amongst the individuals to track down Thomas, and reunite father and son once more. Although the gesture may have been grand, Thomas’s choice to visit his father had been that of his own, and one he had pondered for quite some time.

Thomas would visit his dad, now frail and thin. Diabetes has taken its toll. A humble and spiritual James Mitose would stand before Thomas. This would not be a solitary visit. In fact, Thomas would make many trips to see his father alone, and in the company of close friends and family. They would talk about many things; life after prison, family life, even traveling many miles to be with James Mitose for bible study. “He really got turned around…there was a lot of harmony. To see him the way he was… it just made everything alright.” The time they shared would leave many great memories. Again, James would ask his son to change his name back to Mitose. Thomas would, but decided to keep the name Barro as a way to show respect to the ones that loved him and took Thomas in as one of their own. The two would again talk about opening a school together, and about the ones helping to publish James Mitose’s final work. The future was beginning to look good until James Mitose’s health would take a turn for the worse.

James Mitose would suffer a massive stroke due to complications of diabetes that would paralyze the left side of his body, leaving him bedridden. Thomas would visit his dad, but this time in a segregated room with nothing more but a bed and a nightstand. “I visited him at his bedside, and he became very emotional.” 	Thomas would listen to his teary father, as James Mitose knew he would never recover to lead a normal life. Thomas would see his father for the last time only forty-eight hours before his death.

On March 27, 1981, James Mitose would pass away just one month short of his prison release. Thomas would be named in James Mitose’s will and testament as the inheritor of the Kosho Ryu system, and named the 22nd Headmaster of Kosho Shorei Ryu Kenpo. An organization was developed to help out James Mitose prior to his death. They would now work with Thomas with the intention to promote Kosho Ryu and publicly release the book entitled “What Is True Self Defense?” It was during the gatherings was Thomas told that his father promoted many members of the group to the position of masters of Kosho Ryu, and they were photographed and placed in James Mitose’s last publication as a means to help “sell the book”.

Whispered conversations began as many in the group looked on this organization as nothing more than an opportunity to prosper from James Mitose’s name. It was unclear as to what was truthful, and what was based on fallacies. It would be these very people that would spread rumors and false information to draw attention to themselves for nothing more but profit and notoriety. Not knowing what motives were behind those helping Thomas or using him, it was decided to take control of the organization, a choice wisely made. It would be many years after the death of James Mitose would a member of the organization would openly admit to forging James Mitose’s signature on the master’s certificates that were handed out while he was in prison. Others were taking the art in unusual directions far away from the original intentions of the group.

IN 1987, Thomas would bring the organization together for a meeting. It was during this meeting that Thomas would realign the organization with the original beliefs of Kosho Ryu, and deviate away from the kayos the group was heading towards. This decision would choose to be a wise one as Kosho Ryu would follow it’s intended path for those wanting to learn for over a quarter of a century under the guidance of Thomas B. Mitose.

From father to son, a rich tradition passed down from generation to generation continues to this day. From James Mitose to his son Thomas; and on to his son Mark, the spirit of Kosho Ryu will continue on from yesterday, to today, and on to tomorrow.