TO THE READER
I would like to share my thoughts pertaining to what you are about to receive in the weeks and months ahead.
Much has been said over the years about James Mitose. About the history of Kempo. About what occurred during the period from 1977 to 1981.
Much of it is wrong. Some of it is misunderstood.
I will attempt to share certain things from my belief system, and I hope my expressions will not be misunderstood.
I am Bruce Juchnik. And I was the last person to see James Mitose alive.
That is not a boast. It is a responsibility.
It is something I have carried with me for over forty years, and it is the reason I am writing to you now.
WHY THIS CHRONICLE EXISTS
During the time I spent studying with Grandmaster James Mitose, many things were taught to me. In addition, there were many things I learned on my own through observation and understanding.
I have written about some of these matters in my previous texts The Last Disciple, To Fall Seven, To Rise Eight, Reflections, and Okuden. But I have never told the complete story of what happened, from the moment I discovered Mitose was alive to the day he died.
It is my wish to write this so the reader may become more involved in the way I project this knowledge, and I hope you will, in turn, continue your journey through the original studies of Kempo.
Remember this:
The things discussed in these pages may first be understood on the surface through reading and basic interpretation of words. But to truly understand what took place and why it matters, you must learn to indulge yourself in sensitivity and feeling.
Only through feeling, and through passion toward that feeling, will you grasp what I am attempting to share.
WHERE THIS CONTENT COMES FROM
The material in this chronicle draws from several sources.
First, from my own recollections and the writings I have produced over the years.
Second, from original documents written by James Mitose himself: letters, manuscripts, and certifications that remain in my possession.
Third, from court proceedings and legal documents pertaining to the crime and trial. These materials are available to anyone who wishes to obtain them from me directly.
In addition, much of what you will read comes from recorded discussions that took place over a weekend at my Honbu Dojo in California. Twenty students were in attendance as we spoke through the history, asked questions, and documented what happened.
These conversations are available on my YouTube channel for those who wish to see them in their original form.
The students who participated, including Trenton Ingles, Greg Ford, Larry Kraxberger, Kurt Van Sickle, and Terry Webb, were present during much of the period I am describing. They asked the questions that needed to be asked. Their recollections appear throughout this chronicle alongside my own and others.
TWO PATHS OF STUDY
This work exists on two levels.
Kosho Reflections is a free monthly newsletter. It contains principles, observations, and insights drawn from decades of training and teaching. It is an invitation. A place to begin. A way to see whether this study resonates with you.
The Kosho Chronicles is different.
This is the deeper work. The complete Mitose story. The original documents. The history that has never been fully told.
New chapters are released weekly to paid subscribers.
One opens the door. The other takes you through it.
WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
Each week, paid subscribers receive a chapter that explores one aspect of the Mitose legacy and the principles that emerged from it.
You may encounter:
Martial principles behind movement, timing, and structure
Reflections on strategy, mindset, and perception
Lineage context that informs why things are taught the way they are
Historical insight when it serves understanding, not argument
Observations drawn from decades of training, teaching, and transmission
Original documents, letters, and manuscripts from Mitose himself
Some weeks may lean philosophical. Some may lean historical. Some may challenge assumptions you have held for years.
The constant is this: principle before personality, understanding before imitation.
The Chronicle is not designed to be consumed quickly. It is written to be returned to over time.
A WORD TO THE MARTIAL ARTIST
The things that hinder a warrior go by many names: ego, greed, selfishness.
The cornerstone of understanding is humbleness. Without it, we will never understand.
This chronicle is not for those who only hear words without feeling.
It is for those who understand that learning never ends. That you never fully arrive. That each morning you wake up as someone different and life begins now.
Nanakorobi yaoki. Jinsei wa kore kara da.
To fall seven. To rise eight. Life begins now.
HOW THIS WORKS
This introduction is available to everyone.
Free subscribers receive Kosho Reflections once per month. Principles. Observations. An invitation into the study.
Paid subscribers receive The Kosho Chronicles every week. The Mitose story. The original documents. The history that shaped everything we do. Access to material that is not often shared and has never been compiled in this form.
If you are here seeking certificates, shortcuts, or arguments without effort, you are in the wrong place.
But if you understand that struggle is the law of growth, and that learning requires participation, I welcome you.
As I have always told my students: please learn. Learn more. Learn deeply.
If you do not take the time to learn, you are gone. If you do not know your history, that is sinful.
The first chapter arrives next week.
Thank you.
Bruce Juchnik Hanshi Sei Kosho Shorei Kai International
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