Wales & West Tae Kwon-Do : Pattern : Ul-Ji

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Ul-Ji
Ul-Ji is named after general Ul-Ji Moon Dok (or Eulji Mundeok) who successfully defended Korea against a Tang Dynasty invasion force of nearly one million soldiers led by Yang Je in 612 A.D. Ul-Ji employing hit and run guerilla tactics, was able to decimate a large percentage of the force.

The diagram represents his surname. The 42 movements represent the author's age when he designed the pattern.

Number of movements:	42
Starting position:	Parallel stance with an X-back hand (Narani Chunbi Sogi) on X facing towards D.
Move the left foot to C forming a right walking stance toward D while executing a horizontal strike with twin side fists Move the right foot to C to form a left walking stance toward D while executing a pressing block with an X-fist Execute a rising block with an X-knife-hand while maintaining a left walking stance toward D. Perform 2 and 3 in a continuous motion Execute a high front strike to D with the right knife-hand bringing the left palm on the right elbow joint while maintaining a left walking stance toward D Move the left foot to C to form a sitting stance toward B while executing a horizontal strike to C with the left back hand Execute a middle crescent kick to the left palm with the right foot Lower the right foot to C, forming a sitting stance toward A while striking the left palm with the right front elbow Thrust to B with the left back elbow placing the right side fist on the left fist while maintaining a sitting stance toward A Execute a side back strike to B with the right back fist and extending the left arm to the side-downward while maintaining a sitting stance toward A Bring the left foot to the right foot, forming a close stance toward D, at the same time thrusting with a twin side elbow Cross the left foot to the right foot, forming a close stance toward D while turning the face to A, Keeping the position of the hands as they were in 10. Perform in a fast motion Execute a middle side piercing kick to A with the right foot keeping the position of the hands as they were in 11 Lower the right foot to A, and then cross the left foot over the right foot, forming a right X-stance toward D while executing a horizontal thrust with a twin elbow Move the right foot to A to form the sitting stance toward D while executing a right horizontal punch to A Execute a high front strike to D with right knife-hand, bringing the left back hand in front of the forehead while standing up toward D Execute a twin knife-hand block to B while forming a right L-stance toward B, pivoting with the right foot Jump to execute a mid-air kick to B with the right foot while spinning clockwise Land to B forming a right walking stance toward B while executing a middle block to B with the right double forearm Bring the left foot to the right foot to form a closed ready stance B toward D Jump to D forming a right X-stance toward BD while executing a high side strike to B with the right back fist bringing the left finger belly to the right side fist Move the left foot to C to form a right walking stance toward D while executing a rising block with the left forearm Execute a middle front snap kick to D with the left foot keeping the position of the hands as they were in 21 Lower the left foot to D forming a left walking stance toward D while executing a high punch to D with the right fist Move the right foot to D to form a right walking stance toward D while executing a middle thrust to D with the right straight fingertip Move the left foot to D turning counter-clockwise to form a sitting stance toward A while executing a high side strike to D with the left back fist Move the right foot to F turning counter-clockwise to form a right walking ready stance toward F Jump to execute a flying high kick to F with the right foot Land to F to form a right fixed stance toward F while executing a checking block to F with an X-knife hand Move the left foot to F forming a right L-stance toward F while executing a pressing block with an X-fist Execute a middle side front snap kick to F with the left foot while executing a middle wedging block with the inner forearm Lower the left foot to F forming a left walking stance toward F while executing a high vertical punch to F with a twin fist Move the right foot to F to form a right fixed stance toward F while executing a middle outward block with the right knife hand and a middle pushing block with the left palm Slide to F forming a right L-stance toward F while executing a middle punch to F with the left fist Move the left foot to the side rear of the right foot and the right foot to E to form a right L-stance toward F and then jump to E maintaining a right L-stance towards F while executing a middle guarding block to F with the forearm Execute a middle turning kick to DF with the right foot Lower the right foot to F and then execute a middle back piercing kick to F with the left foot Lower the left foot to F to form a right L-stance toward F while executing a middle guarding block to F with the forearm Move the left foot to E forming a left l-stance toward F while executing an upward block to F with the right palm Move the right foot to E forming a right walking stance to E while executing a circular block to ED with the left inner forearm Execute a circular block to DE with the right inner forearm while forming a right walking stance toward DF Move the left foot on line EF to form a sitting stance toward D while executing a middle punch to D with the left fist Execute a middle punch to D with the right fist while maintaining a sitting stance toward D
When finished:	Bring the left foot back to a ready posture.

General Ul-Ji Moon Dok (or Eulji Mundeok) was a noted military leader of early 7th century Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Often numbered among the greatest heroes in Korean military history, he defended Goguryeo against the Sui Chinese. Ul-Ji was born in the mid-6th century and died sometime after 618, although the exact dates are unknown. At the time of his birth, the kingdom of Goguryeo was a powerful, belligerent empire, constantly warring with its neighbours: Chinese states to its north and west, and its fellow Korean kingdoms Silla and Baekje to its southeast and southwest respectively. A balance of power was maintained between the three kingdoms until the much larger Tang Dynasty of China finally tipped the advantage to Silla. Ul-Ji Moon Dok (some scholars posit that Ul-Ji is some form of Goguryeo rank or title) was an educated man, skilled in both the "mun" political and the "mu" military sciences. He eventually rose to become Prime Minister of Goguryeo. In the early 7th century, the new Chinese (Sui) emperor, Yangdi mustered an army of over 1,133,800 troops and more than 2 million auxiliaries and personally led them against Goguryeo in 612. They quickly overran Goguryeo's border defenses, camped on the banks of the Liao River and prepared to bridge it. Ul-Ji, commissioned as a Field Marshal, was called upon to assist in the defence of the nation and prepared his troops to meet the vastly superior Sui forces with a strategy of false retreat, deception and attack. After the Sui forces crossed the Liao River, a small contingent was sent to attack the Goguryeo city of Liaodong, but Field Marshal Ul-Ji sent Admiral Gang Yi-sik and his forces to meet them and drove them out. As the rainy season progressed, the Sui forces launched other small probing attacks, but held off from making any large moves before the end of the rainy season. When the rains stopped, Yangdi moved his forces to the banks of the Yalu River in northwestern Korea and prepared for a major battle. Fighting only small engagements at times and places of his choosing, he drew the Sui forces further and further from their supply centers. A Sui advance force of over 305,000 men was sent to take the city of Pyongyang. After allowing the force to approach the city, Field Marshall Ul-Ji ambushed it. His forces attacked from all sides, driving the Sui troops back in utter confusion. His troops pursued the retreating army, slaughtering them at will; records claim that only 2,700 men of the massive force returned alive to the main Chinese army. This battle, the Battle of Salsu, became known as one of the most glorious military triumphs in Korea's national history (it was said that Ul-Ji built a large dam upon the Salsu river, which made the waterbed shallow and, as the Sui troops crossed, the dam was broken down releasing a huge torrent of water upon the unsuspecting troops, thus wiping out nearly the entire force with one blow). After the battle, winter began to set in and the Sui forces, short on provisions, were forced to return home. Ul-Ji Moon Dok had managed to protect Sin Fortress from a Sui invasion force, but he died not long after. The Sui Dynasty was beginning to disintegrate and Yangdi decided that he urgently needed to expand his empire in order to regain power, but two more attacks on Goguryeo the following spring met with similar disaster and, eventually, internal rebellion in China forced the Sui to abandon their desire for Goguryeo. By 618, the relatively short-lived Sui Dynasty was replaced by the Tang Dynasty. Field Marshal Ul-Ji Moon Dok's strategy and leadership had protected Goguryeo from the Chinese. One of the most distinguished military leaders of the Goguryeo period, Ul-Ji's leadership and tactical acumen was the decisive factor in defeating the Sui invasion. Facing vastly numerically superior forces, he developed a strategy that allowed him to secure a decisive victory. Such spectacular tactical success was sufficient to earn him a permanent place among Korea's most famous leaders. A shrine to Ul-Ji Moon Dok was built near Pyongyang and Sukjong of Joseon ordered another shrine constructed in honour of Ul-Ji Moon Dok in 1680. He is still celebrated as a great Korean hero today: a main thoroughfare in downtown Seoul, Euljiro, is named after Ul-Ji Moon Dok (Eulji Mundeok). The second highest Military Decoration of South Korea, Field Marshal Lord Eulji's Order of Military Merit, is also named in his honour. Ul-Ji Moon Dok's literary work, the Ul-Ji Moon Dok Hansi, is one of the oldest surviving poems in Korean literature. One of the annual Combined Forces Command Exercises between South Korea and the United States was called Ulchi Focus Lens (UFL) in honor of Ul-Ji. It has now been renamed to Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG). Ulchi Freedom Guardian is a Command Post Exercise (CPX) with the tactical situation portrayed through the use of computer simulation models and master scenario event lists. UFG is the world's largest computerized command and control exercise. The exercise focuses on how U.S. and South Korean forces would defend against a North Korean attack.