murder but took responsibility as his martial arts instructor. Lee claimed Mitose had suggested on numerous occasions that Lee commit murder. Lee also testified that Mitose and his wife Dorothy had given him a rope, a knife, a screwdriver and an air pistol in order to carry out his actions. Mr. Namimatsu was killed by Lee 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 Lee was wearing. After the assault, Lee testified he had left Namimatsu breathing. As a result of Lee's testimony, Mitose was sentenced to life in prison. He served the majority of his sentence at Folsom State Prison but when his health deteriorated, he was transferred to San Quentin State Prison and died there of complications from diabetes on March 26, 1981. The actual murderer, Lee was given three years for testifying against his teacher/employer. 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." In later years after Mitoses' passing, Golub would insist that Mitose intended him to oversee Kosho, not Juchnik. He would ultimately support Thomas as the 22nd Great-Grandmaster and inheritor of the art, and be given a high position in the MKKI. In James Mitose's final days he was visited by his wife Dorothy, son Alvin, and Bruce Juchnik. Mitose's last will and testament is still being debated and argued about to the present. James Mitose maintained his innocence until his death. The details of the crime and Mitose's role remain controversial in the martial arts community. References External links 1916 births 1981 deaths Deaths from diabetes American martial artists Kenpō Hawaii National Guard personnel American people of Japanese descent