▁practice ▁became ▁an ▁integral ▁element ▁of ▁Sh a olin ▁mon astic ▁life . ▁The ▁earliest ▁appearance ▁of ▁the ▁frequently ▁c ited ▁legend ▁concerning ▁Bod h id har ma ' s ▁supposed ▁foundation ▁of ▁Sh a olin ▁K ung ▁Fu ▁dates ▁to ▁this ▁period . ▁ ▁The ▁origin ▁of ▁this ▁legend ▁has ▁been ▁trac ed ▁to ▁the ▁M ing ▁period ' s ▁Y ij in ▁J ing ▁or ▁" Mus cle ▁Change ▁Classic ", ▁a ▁text ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 6 2 4 ▁attributed ▁to ▁Bod h id har ma . ▁▁ ▁References ▁of ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁practice ▁in ▁Sh a olin ▁appear ▁in ▁various ▁literary ▁gen res ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁M ing : ▁the ▁ep it ap hs ▁of ▁Sh a olin ▁war rior ▁mon ks , ▁mart ial - arts ▁manual s , ▁military ▁en cyc loped ias , ▁historical ▁writ ings , ▁travel og ues , ▁fiction , ▁and ▁poetry . ▁However , ▁these ▁sources ▁do ▁not ▁point ▁out ▁to ▁any ▁specific ▁style ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Sh a olin . ▁These ▁sources , ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁those ▁from ▁the ▁Tang ▁period , ▁refer ▁to ▁Sh a olin ▁methods ▁of ▁armed ▁combat . ▁These ▁include ▁a ▁skill ▁for ▁which ▁Sh a olin ▁mon ks ▁became ▁famous : ▁the ▁staff ▁( g ù n , ▁C anton ese ▁g wan ). ▁The ▁M ing ▁General ▁Q i ▁J igu ang ▁included ▁description ▁of ▁Sh a olin ▁Qu an ▁Fa ▁( ; ▁Japanese : ▁Sh or in ▁K em po ) ▁and ▁staff ▁techniques