“one can believe anything one chooses even if not remotely square with the facts.”
Chinese martial arts history has a long and winding road based on myth, innuendo, truth and outright falshoods perpetrated by many different schools, teachers and fans, many of whom just want it to be like the movies. The more accurate version of historical facts is very often lost in the fray. Here is the history of the origins of Wushu as I understand it.
WUSHU
“Wushu ” (武術) a term meaning “martial arts” first appeared in the early sixth century during the Liang Dynasty (502-557 CE). It also appears later in Ming Dynasty sources. The character “Wu” (武) means “military” and that the character “Shu” (術) can mean “skill”, “method” or “tactic”.
In modern times word Wushu ” (武術) in China and in the west has been associated with sport rather than warrior skills. It is important to remember that originally “martial arts” were military skills with practical application in warfare without connection to spiritual, magical or supernormal abilities except in fanciful tales told by street performers.
The idea that Buddhist monks, Shaolin or otherwise, and Daoist priests, Wu Dang or otherwise, had any role in the creation of the original Chinese martial arts is a modern fantasy, a fiction that has no basis in historical fact yet continues to be perpetrated in films, books and magazines and even by the Chinese government. The actual origins of the Chinese martial arts, hand to hand combat, wrestling amd weapons combat are rooted in military and not religious or spiritual practice.
It is true that there were martial arts at the Buddhist Shaolin temple and other monasteries. Buddhist monks were involved in martial arts practice however, Buddhist monks and Daoist priests, incorporated pre-existing military skills developed by soldiers as used in warfare.
They did not invent Wushu of note is the assertion that martial practioners in the Shaolin temple were Buddhist monks. It’s believed that this is untrue and that these men were instead warriors being given shelter by the real monks. These groups were said to be disguised as monks as they were training and plotting to restore the Ming Dynasty. These rebels wanted to restore old Chinese traditions based on Confucian teachings and education destroyed by the founding of the Qing Dynasty by the Manchu’s