▁to ▁Sh a olin ▁in ▁ 5 2 7 ▁AD . ▁His ▁Chinese ▁dis ci ple , ▁H ui ke ▁( ), ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁highly ▁trained ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁expert . ▁There ▁are ▁imp lications ▁that ▁these ▁first ▁three ▁Chinese ▁Sh a olin ▁mon ks , ▁Hu igu ang , ▁S eng ch ou , ▁and ▁H ui ke , ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁military ▁men ▁before ▁entering ▁the ▁mon astic ▁life . ▁ ▁Sh a olin ▁and ▁temple - based ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁ ▁The ▁Sh a olin ▁style ▁of ▁k ung ▁fu ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁institution al ized ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts . ▁The ▁oldest ▁evidence ▁of ▁Sh a olin ▁participation ▁in ▁combat ▁is ▁a ▁ste le ▁from ▁ 7 2 8 ▁CE ▁that ▁att ests ▁to ▁two ▁occasions : ▁a ▁defense ▁of ▁the ▁Sh a olin ▁Mon aster y ▁from ▁band its ▁around ▁ 6 1 0 ▁CE , ▁and ▁their ▁subsequent ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁defeat ▁of ▁Wang ▁Sh ich ong ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁H ula o ▁in ▁ 6 2 1 ▁CE . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁centuries , ▁there ▁are ▁no ▁ext ant ▁documents ▁that ▁provide ▁evidence ▁of ▁Sh a olin ▁participation ▁in ▁combat . ▁ ▁Between ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries , ▁at ▁least ▁forty ▁sources ▁exist ▁to ▁provide ▁evidence ▁both ▁that ▁mon ks ▁of ▁Sh a olin ▁pract iced ▁mart ial ▁arts , ▁and ▁that ▁mart ial