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The first documented form of Chinese martial arts, classical Chinese wrestling, is noted in the texts written by and about the legendary Yellow Emperor, Huang Ti, in the first half of the third millennium B.C. Over the ensuing years, other forms of Chinese martial arts evolved.

In about 525 A.D., a man named Bodhidharma left his monastery in Southern India to spread the Buddhist faith to China, later called Ch'an Buddhism. (Ch'an is the Chinese translation for the Sanskrit word "dhyana" meaning yogic concentration. Also known as Zen.). After traveling hundreds of miles to reach Northern China and crossing the Himalyan mountains, he crossed the Yangtze River and headed North to Lo yang, the capital of Honan Province.  In a neighboring forest, he found the Shao Lin Ssu (Young Forest Temple). The temple had been built by Emperor Hsiao Wen of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534 A.D.) and was famous for scholarly translations of Buddhist scripture into Chinese. Bodhidharma located a nearby cave, where he sat in meditation facing a stone wall for most of the next nine years. Various stories have arisen regarding his meditation practices - it was said that he could hear the screeching of ants crawling along the rock face. Another time, he supposedly fell asleep while meditating and cut off his eyelids to prevent that from happening again. At the end of nine years, Bodhidharma's deep blue piercing eyes had apparently drilled a gaping hole in the cliff wall and Fang Chang could no longer refuse him entry into the temple.

Bodhidharma became the first Tsu (patriarch, literally, ancestor) of the Ch'an sect in China. He saw that the monks were weak and could not perform his rigorous meditations so he incorporated some calisthenics into the monks' training. These in-place exercises were transcribed by later monks as "The Muscle Change Classic" or "The Change of the Sinews,"  "The Marrow Washing" and "The Eighteen Hand Movements of the Enlightened One" (The Eighteen Lo Han Shou) and marked the beginning of Shao Lin Temple boxing. Bodhidharma later devised some self-defense movements based on his knowledge of Indian fighting systems. His emphasis on "Chi" intrinsic energy which can be cultivated with breathing exercises and meditation) is still an essential foundation of Shao Lin Kung Fu.

Bodhidharma's teachings were further enriched and refined by succeeding Shao Lin masters to become the powerful and graceful Shao Lin Temple boxing (also known as Shao Lin Ch'uan (Shao Lin Fist) or Shaolin Ch'uan Fa (Way of the Shao Lin Fist ).

Since bandits frequently attacked the temple, the Shao Lin hired kung fu masters to teach the monks to defend themselves. Eventually, the Shao Lin fought off the attacking bandits and became reknown their martial arts prowess.

In a neighboring forest, he found the Shao Lin Ssu (Young Forest Temple). The temple had been built by Emperor Hsiao Wen of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534 A.D.) and was famous for scholarly translations of Buddhist scripture into Chinese. Bodhidharma located a nearby cave, where he sat in meditation facing a stone wall for most of the next nine years. Various stories have arisen regarding his meditation practices - it was said that he could hear the screeching of ants crawling along the rock face. Another time, he supposedly fell asleep while meditating and cut off his eyelids to prevent that from happening again. At the end of nine years, Bodhidharma's deep blue piercing eyes had apparently drilled a gaping hole in the cliff wall and Fang Chang could no longer refuse him entry into the temple.

Bodhidharma became the first Tsu (patriarch, literally, ancestor) of the Ch'an sect in China. He saw that the monks were weak and could not perform his rigorous meditations so he incorporated some calisthenics into the monks' training. These in-place exercises were transcribed by later monks as "The Muscle Change Classic" or "The Change of the Sinews,"  "The Marrow Washing" and "The Eighteen Hand Movements of the Enlightened One" (The Eighteen Lo Han Shou) and marked the beginning of Shao Lin Temple boxing. Bodhidharma later devised some self-defense movements based on his knowledge of Indian fighting systems. His emphasis on "Chi" intrinsic energy which can be cultivated with breathing exercises and meditation) is still an essential foundation of Shao Lin Kung Fu.

Bodhidharma's teachings were further enriched and refined by succeeding Shao Lin masters to become the powerful and graceful Shao Lin Temple boxing (also known as Shao Lin Ch'uan (Shao Lin Fist) or Shaolin Ch'uan Fa (Way of the Shao Lin Fist ).

Since bandits frequently attacked the temple, the Shao Lin hired kung fu masters to teach the monks to defend themselves.