Bodidharma Timelines: History of Karate

In the 6th century an Indian monk named Dharma (Bodidharma), travelled from Asia to China, with the aim to establish the first Zen school of Buddhism.

He finally settled in a Shaolin monestery in the mountains, where he began teaching the monks who lived there. They were very weak and found any type of physical exercise too exhausting. So Dharma devised a teaching method which trained both their minds and bodies. This became known as Shorinji Kempo or Shaolin Fighting (Type of boxing).