We know this by looking at the evolution of the art and its various styles which not only pertains to just Shaolin (as we shall see later) but also spread throughout mainland China. Even if we buy into the premise that Bodhidharma indeed taught Kalaripayattu to the monks of Shaolin, it still cannot be attributed as the mother of all modern martial arts, especially Chinese wushu. Hence it is not clear whether he introduced martial arts to Shaolin or someone else did after him. Besides, resemblance, if at all any, is not proof of origin since it is poorly recorded whether Bodhidharma had any sort of martial arts training at all. But those comparisons are often skewed and inaccurate. This theory led people to analyze Shaolin systems and compare the movements with kalaripayattu. This combined with the fact that Shaolin has been a famous branch of Chinese Wushu led people to believe that Bodhidharma had experience in Kalaripayattu which he taught the monks of Shaolin thereby giving birth to the Chinese martial arts as we know today. The story originated probably with the knowledge that Bodhidharma, an Indian monk traveled to Northern China in the 6th century AD, where he established the earliest form of Zen Buddhism in the Shaolin Monastery. Another resemblance cited in many websites is the “ eighteen hands of Buddha” and the “ eighteen arms of wushu” which is claimed to have been derived from the “eighteen techniques” or “ pathinettu adavu” of Kalaripayattu. However, those few movements portrayed probably are the only forms of resemblance to wushu has to Kalaripayattu. The video shows practitioners of Contemporary Wushu and Kalari performing a few movements which according to the creator of the video, are similar. I will give a brief account on all these aspects and then move on to attacking this inaccurately expressed theory. In order to counter the hypothesis that kung fu originated in India than in mainland China, we need a thorough understanding of what kung fu is, how the art originated and flourished and its various techniques and philosophies. When I viewed these videos, I found many logical inconsistencies and historical anomalies.
![is kung fu yoga movie play with real hynas is kung fu yoga movie play with real hynas](https://www.bostonherald.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2017/01/26/012717kungfuyoga3.jpg)
I was stimulated into writing this because recently I happened to watch a two-part video in YouTube titled “ Birthplace of Kung fu: China? Wrong! Guess Again!” that attributes kalaripayattu as the mother of all modern fighting arts. I request the reader to read the article completely before making comments. In this post, I would like to debunk the belief that kung fu came from kalaripayattu, especially the accounts pertaining to Bodhidharma (or Bodhidharman if you prefer) and his contributions to the Shaolin monastry based on all available information.
![is kung fu yoga movie play with real hynas is kung fu yoga movie play with real hynas](https://venturebeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018052809373700-e7260330e4b7d47c63ff99ba9689d77c.jpg)
I feel it is a shame that despite the advent of the information age, people still entertain inaccurate notions about kung fu and its origins. The origin of this incredible martial art is poorly recorded and often subject to many debates especially by scholars studying the Indian arts who claim inaccurately that it is a direct descendant of the South Indian martial art Kalaripayattu. “ Kung fu” or “ Wushu” is one of the most lethal methods of unarmed combat in existence.