Loosely translated hamon (破門) means “broken gate.”  In the martial arts, if a person behaves in a severely inappropriate manner hamon can be the result.  The person is denied access to training, the name of the person is removed from the registration of the school and the person is stripped of all ranks and qualifications. Any claims of rank or qualifications made by the individual who has received notification of hamon are false claims.

Who Decides?

A ryūha (流派) is a classical school of martial arts. It is not a democratic organization.  It is the personal property of the highest representative.  Kōburyū is a ryūha. The highest representative of Kōburyū is Kinjō Kaichō, who is not only the highest representative but also the creator of the ryūha.  He decides.

Criteria

The cause of the hamon must be documentable and based on the rules of the organization to which the individual agreed by becoming a member of the organization.

The Kōburyū organization is called Okinawa Kōburyū Karatedō Kobudō Kōbukai. The rules of this organization are clearly spelled out in the Kōburyū Kaisoku (rules and regulations) document. Grounds for hamon are found in Section 11.2 of the Kōburyū Kaisoku. Any individual who did harm or continues to harm the reputation and growth potential of Kōburyū in the US is subject to hamon. Lesser grievances can be dealt with by expulsion from the organization.

Prior to the creation of Kōburyū in the year 2000, the individuals were subject to the rules of the Kōnanryū organization, upon which the Kōburyū Kaisoku was patterned.

A Notice of Hamon Is Issued

In April of 2019, Sensei Tim Snyder withdrew from Okinawa Kōburyū Karatedo Kobudo Kōbukai.  In November of 2019, Sensei Tim Snyder received notice of hamon from Kinjō Kaichō, the highest representative and also the creator of Kōburyū. Not only is Sensei Snyder not a member of the Okinawa Kōburyū Karatedō Kobudō Kōbukai, he no longer bears any rank or titles previously issued by Kinjō Kaichō, including his advanced dan ranks up to and including hanshi jūdan. Any promotion certificates previously issued by Kinjō Kaichō are no longer valid and can be considered fraudulent.

Kinjō Kaichō has requested that all members be made aware of the hamon and the events surrounding it.  While a document summarizing the events that led to hamon can be viewed upon request, it is our hope that this sad chapter be put to rest.

The Four Essays

In 2019, Kinjō Kaichō brought four essays from the Japanese monthly magazine, “Chichi” (致知).  I believe these essays not only express some of Kinjō Kaichō’s beliefs and expectations but also his deep disappointment in Sensei Snyder, in whom he had pinned his hopes for a bright future for Kōburyū in the US.