law ", ▁" way " ▁or ▁" method "), ▁although ▁as ▁a ▁comp ound ▁term ▁it ▁usually ▁transl ates ▁as ▁" box ing " ▁or ▁" f ight ing ▁technique ." ▁The ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁Japanese ▁mart ial ▁art ▁k emp ō ▁is ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁same ▁han zi ▁characters . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁gen esis ▁of ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁has ▁been ▁attributed ▁to ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁self - def ense , ▁hunting ▁techniques ▁and ▁military ▁training ▁in ▁ancient ▁China . ▁Hand - to - hand ▁combat ▁and ▁weapons ▁practice ▁were ▁important ▁in ▁training ▁ancient ▁Chinese ▁soldiers . ▁ ▁D etailed ▁knowledge ▁about ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁became ▁available ▁from ▁the ▁Nan j ing ▁de cade ▁( 1 9 2 8 – 1 9 3 7 ), ▁as ▁the ▁ ▁Central ▁Gu os hu ▁Institute ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁Ku om int ang ▁regime ▁made ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁compile ▁an ▁en cyc lop edic ▁survey ▁of ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁schools . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁has ▁organized ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁as ▁an ▁exhibition ▁and ▁full - contact ▁sport ▁under ▁the ▁heading ▁of ▁ ▁“ w ush u ”. ▁ ▁Leg end ary ▁orig ins ▁According ▁to ▁legend , ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁origin ated ▁during ▁the ▁semi - my th ical ▁X ia ▁D ynast y ▁( 夏 朝 ) ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁the