Danjo
Master Black Belt
from what I understand of Mr. Mitose, from what little I know of what our system has pulled in from him, it seems that he was going down a path that required the willingness to put aside quick gains for further gains down the road. On a superficial level, for someone who doesn't understand the method, it can appear unimpressive. But when it's done well, by someone of high skill, it can be very effective.
If the Hawaiians of post-1940s, including Chow, didn't dig into what he was doing, it wouldn't surprise me that they would have rejected it.
And I'm not trying to diminish what people like Chow were doing either. Everyone chooses their own path, and Chow was very very good. I'm not saying that Mitose's path was better. I'm not trying to elevate him above anyone else.
I'm only saying that Mr. Mitose represented another path, and for those who have chosen to follow it and study it, it does lead to great benefits.
That's always been my point in this debate that always seems to rear its head from time to time. I simply believe that writing off Mitose as a no-account, is myopic. I think he had some good things to contribute, and he did contribute in his own way. But I also understand that many people did not choose his way, and in fact chose to disassociate from him. As I stated earlier, given his criminal troubles and his (possibly pushy) religious leanings, I would have probably done the same. But that doesn't mean he had nothing to offer, for those who were receptive to him.
My point in stating the opinons of those various people is that it is unlikely that they would all share the same need to bash Mitose when they don't seem to need to bash each other. I doubt that they would all come to the same conclusion unless it were true.
I have heard the argument that Mitose was some grand master who hid his true art and one had to get to a high level of understanding to appreciate it. I have also heard that Count Dante and Frank Dux fought in death matches, Larry Tatum can throw chi-sparks across the street to a phone pole, and that Pai Mei could balance himself on the tip of an outstretched sword. There is no evidence for it though, and what evidence there is points to the contrary.