Shaolin Kung Fu (Chinese: 少林功夫; pinyin: shao lin gong fu) also called Shaolin Wushu (少林武术; shao lin wu shu) is among the oldest institutionalized style of Chinese martial arts.[1] Shaolin kung fu originated and was developed in the Buddhist Shaolin temple in Henan province, China. During the 1500 years of its development, Shaolin kung fu, with its rich content, became one of the largest schools of kung fu. The name Shaolin is also used as a brand for the so-called external styles of kung fu. Many styles in southern and northern China use the name Shaolin.
Chinese historical records and other sources document the existence of martial arts in China for thousands of years. For example, the Chinese martial art of wrestling, Shuai Jiao, predates the establishment of Shaolin temple by several centuries. Since Chinese monasteries were large landed estates, sources of considerable income, monks required protection. It is known that even before the establishment of Shaolin temple, monks have had arms and have practiced martial arts. The establishment of Shaolin kung fu is, however, the most important one of these stories. In 1784 the Boxing Classic: Essential Boxing Methods made the earliest extant reference to the Shaolin Monastery as Chinese boxing’s place of origin. This is, however, a misconception, but shows the historical importance of Shaolin kung fu.
In 495 AD, Shaolin temple was built in the Song mountain, Henan province. The first monk who preached Buddhism there was the Indian monk Buddhabhadra (佛陀 跋陀罗; fo tuo ba tuo luo), simply called Batuo (跋陀) by the Chinese. There are records that Batuo’s first Chinese disciples, Huiguang (慧光) and Sengchou (僧稠), both had exceptional martial art skills. For example, Sengchou’s skill with the tin staff is documented in the Chinese Buddhist canon. After Batuo, another Indian Central Asianmonk, Bodhidarma (菩提达摩; pu ti da mo), simply called Damo (达摩) by the Chinese, came to Shaolin in 527 AD. His Chinese disciple, Huike (慧可), was also a highly trained martial arts expert. There is implications that these first three Chinese Shaolin monks, Huiguang, Sengchou, and Huike, may have been military men before entering the monastic life.[10]
(Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaolin_Kung_Fu)