The practice,
philosophy, and concept of Kung Fu can be traced back to
ancient Chinese texts such as Zhuang Zi, Dao De Jing, and
Sun Zi Bing Fa (Art of War written by Sun Zi), all written
between 1111-255 BC. These texts contain passages related to
the practice, propagation, and principles of Chinese martial
arts, or Kung Fu as it is known today.
One theory
regarding the first written history of Kung Fu suggests that
the Yellow Emperor, who reigned from 2698 BC, wrote the
first treatise on Chinese martial arts. Others give credit
to Taoist monks for introducing an art form that resemble
modern Tai Chi around 500 BC. Then in 39-92 AD, Pan Ku
included "Six Chapters of Hand Fighting" in his discourse on
the history of the Han dynasty (Han Shu). As the popularity
of martial arts progressed, a physician named Hua T’uo also
wrote his own treatise entitled, “Five Animals Play" in 220
AD