▁training ▁in ▁Chinese ▁stone ▁painting ▁going ▁back ▁at ▁least ▁to ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Han ▁D ynast y . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁what ▁has ▁been ▁passed ▁on ▁by ▁the ▁older ▁gener ations , ▁the ▁approximate ▁ratio ▁of ▁contact ▁sets ▁to ▁single ▁sets ▁was ▁approximately ▁ 1 : 3 . ▁In ▁other ▁words , ▁about ▁ 3 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁' sets ' ▁pract iced ▁at ▁Sh a olin ▁were ▁contact ▁sets , ▁du i ▁li an , ▁and ▁two - person ▁dr ill ▁training . ▁This ▁ratio ▁is , ▁in ▁part , ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁the ▁Q ing ▁D ynast y ▁m ural ▁at ▁Sh a olin . ▁ ▁For ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁history , ▁Sh a olin ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁was ▁mostly ▁weapon - f oc used : ▁st aves ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁monaster y , ▁not ▁bare ▁hands . ▁Even ▁the ▁more ▁recent ▁military ▁explo its ▁of ▁Sh a olin ▁during ▁the ▁M ing ▁and ▁Q ing ▁D ynast ies ▁involved ▁weapons . ▁According ▁to ▁some ▁trad itions , ▁mon ks ▁first ▁studied ▁bas ics ▁for ▁one ▁year ▁and ▁were ▁then ▁taught ▁staff ▁fighting ▁so ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁protect ▁the ▁monaster y . ▁Although ▁wrest ling ▁has ▁been ▁as ▁sport ▁in ▁China ▁for ▁centuries , ▁weapons ▁have ▁been ▁an ▁essential ▁part ▁of ▁Chinese ▁w ush u ▁since ▁ancient ▁times . ▁If ▁one ▁wants ▁to ▁talk ▁about ▁recent ▁or ▁' mod ern ' ▁develop ments ▁in ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁( including ▁Sh a olin ▁for ▁that ▁matter ), ▁it