Unfortunately, we do not know enough about the ancient history of martial arts although we have come a long way learning the fighting techniques that have emerged in East Asia and have become professional sports today. For most of use yoga and the martial arts have nothing in common, but if you pay some attention to the movements you will notice a great similarity. Furthermore, there is historic evidence that yoga lies in the foundation of these practices.

China and India had had extensive historic relations, which were intensified after 600 BC. This resulted in an exchange of ideas that allowed for the yoga techniques to be incorporated in fighting. The spread of Buddhism throughout China in the beginning of the new era is believed to have brought about a wider spread of the Indian martial arts. There is little written evidence on the exact initiation of the process, but there is a legend that has been spread around for centuries presenting a somewhat romantic version.

The saying goes that the Buddhist monks had already devised meditation techniques, but they had not found a practice, which allows them to stay healthy. Around 5^th AD a mythical figure emerged – a prince who had become a Buddhist monk known as Bodhidharma. He is believed to be the founding father of Kungfu in Shaolin. After arriving at the Buddhist sanctuary Bodhidharma taught the monks to use an ancient Indian technique that strengthened the mind, body and spirit allowing them to be in perfect unity. Still, the monastery’s records claim that there were monks mastering the marital arts techniques years before the arrival of the legendary prince.

We might never know what the exact story was, but the reality is that both the Indian and Chinese martial arts codes have common principles, which suggests common history between the surviving fighting techniques and yoga.