| ca. 800 B.C. |
Boxing in China can be traced back reliably to the Chou Dynasty |
| 700 B.C. |
Wrestling in China can be traced to at least this time |
| ca. 500 B.C. |
During the Chou dynasty. Taoist monks developed a series of health
and meditation exercises |
| 1st century A.D. |
"Six Chapters of Hand Fighting", in Han Book of Arms
written by Pan Kuo (39-92 A.D.) |
| ca. 220 A.D. |
Hua To, "Five Animals Play" - tiger, deer, monkey, bear,
and bird |
| 5th century A.D. |
Shaolin Temple at Honan built |
| ca. 520 A.D. |
Tamo (Bodhidharma) to China |
| 8th century A.D. |
Go-ti exported to Japan from China, develops into Sumo
Earliest formal exportation of kung fu. |
| 1100-1300 |
Shaolin "heroic period". Esoteric nature of kung fu
begins to collapse
Several burnings of Shaolin temples during this period |
| 1300s |
Period of Shaolin resistance to Mongols. Chang San-feng, Taoist
monk, adds softness to kung fu
Shaolin arts reached a zenith during the Ming dynasty |
| late 1400s |
White Crane developed in Tibet during Ming dynasty, introduced to
China ca. 1840 |
| 1522 |
Five Form Fist |
| 16th century |
Kwok Yuen expands Tamo's 18 exercises into 72
Dragon style: ca 1565
Mantis style: ca. 1600
Chin na: ca. 1607 |
| 17th century |
Hsing-I |
| 18th century |
Wang Tsung-yuen introduces T'ai Chi Ch'uan into Honan (early
1700s)
Pa Kua
Wing Chun: ca. 1776 |
| 19th century |
Choy Li Fut: 1830s
Monkey style: ca. 1842 |
| 20th century |
1900-aftermath of Boxer Rebellion, attempted purge of martial arts
from the Middle Kingdom
1928: wu shu renamed to kuo su (martial arts)
1967: Jeet Kune Do
1972: "Kung Fu" TV series
1973: death of Bruce Lee |