The Ull Shi Kata

Friday Knight News

Kata was the primary method of instruction when I started martial arts. Later on I moved and switched to a school that utilized kumite (sport sparring) as the main theme with kata being secondary. Over the years I attended various martial art schools and I trained in whatever the instructor had to offer. This was often the only option in rural areas because of limited martial art availability. This was before the Internet and online lessons were available giving the student the opportunity to train in the style of their choice.

Some instructors especially by the mid-1970s began to ignore kata training. They instead focused on learning fighting patterns and routines; such as practicing the boxing old one two. This consisted of a punching patterns called a combo. The first was made of throwing a jab and then a right cross. From there it progressed to a left jab, right cross, and follow with a left hook. Next we added body blows and uppercuts into the mix. Then of course we had to consider the lower art and we would include these same patterns with our kicking techniques. All of these things boiled down to doing a miniature kata.

I have found that it doesn’t matter what style you train in (jujutsu, karate, kung fu, silat, kali, Jeet Kune Do, etc), everyone has a form or forms. It doesn’t matter what you call the prearranged forms or patterns (kata, juro, kuen) they all boil down to the same thing. The trick is to learn how to apply the techniques you learn from your form with application and analysis (Oyo & Bunkai).

After years of searching the sensei I finally found had a background in karate, jujutsu and aiki-jujutsu. He also had either a shodan or nidan in judo at one time but he never gave instructions in its practice. When I came under his tutelage I studied his sogo bujutsu (combined martial arts). His goal was to teach street effective martial arts, as his federation was made up of primarily law enforcement, corrections, parole and probation officers. He taught kata as a set of  fighting moves against a individual in different situations. He taught that kata for the most part was a single response for cutting down the attacker. Each subsequent turn in a form was could be dealing with a different situation or angle of attack. The attack was not necessarily from the direction you were facing; in most situations the bunkai of the form had a overt and a covert analysis to it.

Many of his students studied in just one particular art from him and he told me that over the years karate contest competition had gotten away from doing the classic forms and people began making up flashy routines for eye appeal that would not work in self-defense applications. Things like standing on one leg while doing a 360° set of roundhouse kicks. While this takes a high degree of flexibility and coordination it lacks the elements of Oyo and Bunkai. Since sensei did not want to become a school that changed kata into highly skilled gymnastic dance routines he instead developed the kata Ull Shi for those involved in forms competition at tournaments.

The kata Ull Shi was taught to his black belt level students. It was derived from a combination of each of the best moves from classic karate kata. The name was purely his invention as he had simply arrived at it by deleting the letter B from the beginning and dropping the T from the end of the name. It sounded Japanese and appeared to be classical while giving the students something with a little more pizzazz to compete with in open competitions. More importantly sensei taught the importance of understanding the interpretation of kata.

My stories are about martial arts adventures that are intertwined with paranormal or supernatural events. The following links are to the Kindle version books from the "Dream Walker” series. Our adventurers find themselves on a quest where they are confronted with both conspiracy and mystery. Their challenge is to unite their mind and body skills together utilizing what they have learned in the martial arts with the transcendental power of dream mediation. They attempt to do this while they are trying to make a life for themselves and elude those that seek to use and control them.

Conversations with a Sage (Book 1 of the Dream-Walker)

Conversations with a Sage: This explores Xander Davidson's early encounters with the mysterious fog like Dream Walking martial art sages. He ponders if they are real or if they are only remnants of his dreams. He mainly keeps this secret world to himself as he tries to copes with abuse, growing up without support or guidance and the mystery of his family's past. 

Xander and the Assassins Gift (Book 2 of the Dream-Walker)

The Assassins Gift: Xander Davidson struggles with the conspiracy of his family and the group that is actively trying to manipulate him to join them or die. The young Dream Walkers learns an early lesson to be careful about whom they let into their circle.


Warriors of Perception (Book 3 of the Dream-Walker)

Warriors of Perception: Xander Davidson and his band of friends embark on a mission to free themselves from their oppressors. They bravely face the challenge all the while vying for the right moment to turn the tables.

Jace Lee The Shift (Book 4 of the Dream-Walker)

Jace Lee The Shift: We find a new apprentice, Adam, that is fighting for his life. He is struggling to understand the amazing skills of his mentor, Jace Lee; a younger man that has trained under Xander Davidson. All the while his mentor attempts to reconcile the fact that his skills do not match up with the other Dream Walkers.


Jace Lee No Agenda (Dream Walker Book 5)

Jace Lee No Agenda: Jace Lee attempts to find himself on a self-imposed vision quest of sorts. Instead he finds himself being stalked by the same group that had previously sought after his teacher, (Xander Davidson). Instead of mastering his odd Dream Walking skills he finds love and the potential loss of his powers.

Jace Lee and the Tutelage of Ming Wu: Dream Walker 6 

Jace Lee The Tutelage of Ming Wu: Jace Lee rejoins his teacher Xander Davidson as they cope with a possible combined threat (the mysterious), Ming Wu and the Council that has continuously monitored the Dream Walkers.