Martial art techniques were discovered or created during the long and continuous conflicts between humans and animals, or between different tribes of humans themselves. From these battles, experiences were accumulated and techniques were discovered which were passed down from generation to generation. Later, different types and shapes of weapons were invented, until eventually metal was discovered. Following the advancement of weapon making, new fighting techniques were created. Different schools and styles originated and tested one another.

A long time after the birth of Christ around 500 AD, an Indian Buddhist monk named Da Mo(in chinese) came to preach in the Buddhist Shao Lin Temple, a Buddhist monastery. He saw the Shao Lin priests were weak and sickly and sought to help them. He influenced and taught them to do more exercise physically and mentally and formed sort of a martial art which was called Sho Lin where Kung Fu was orignated from. Breathing and mental control techniques in kung fu were also further developed in Da Mo’s teachings.

Since the martial art techniques first developed in very ancient times, gradually they became part of the Chinese culture. The philosophy of these fighting arts and culture has in turn been influenced by other elements of Chinese culture. At first glance, there are three main types of Kung Fu: for fighting, for show, and for health. Classification becomes more complex progressively as advancing.

Thus, Kung Fu is just too extensive, too deeply connected with Chinese culture to be sensibly sketched. It would be highly impractical to include all the techniques, weapons, medicines, historically significant events, personalities, and terminology that have played important parts in the development of Kung Fu into this e-book.