Teppodama are "bullets." The term is used to refer to the occasional need for the lowest-sanked members of a clan, the kobun , to perform tasks like those of a warrior. Kobun are rarely warriors of a degree comparable to members of the Guard, but they may at times be called upon, like warriors, to demonstrate their loyalty to the clan by placing themselves at risk. They may risk injury or death, or perhaps only the chance of arrest and imprisonment. The point is that they must be prepared to prove themselves in ways that go beyond mere words, not only for the clan but for the oyabun, or the Chairman, as Honjowara -sama is properly called.