▁central ▁theme ▁involving ▁mart ial ▁arts . ▁W ux ia ▁stories ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁as ▁far ▁back ▁as ▁ 2 nd ▁and ▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁B CE , ▁becoming ▁popular ▁by ▁the ▁Tang ▁D ynast y ▁and ▁evol ving ▁into ▁novel ▁form ▁by ▁the ▁M ing ▁D ynast y . ▁This ▁genre ▁is ▁still ▁extremely ▁popular ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁Asia ▁and ▁provides ▁a ▁major ▁influence ▁for ▁the ▁public ▁per ception ▁of ▁the ▁mart ial ▁arts . ▁ ▁Mart ial ▁arts ▁influ ences ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁dance , ▁the ater ▁ ▁and ▁especially ▁Chinese ▁opera , ▁of ▁which ▁Be ij ing ▁opera ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best - known ▁examples . ▁This ▁popular ▁form ▁of ▁drama ▁dates ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Tang ▁D ynast y ▁and ▁continues ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁Chinese ▁culture . ▁Some ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁movements ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁Chinese ▁opera ▁and ▁some ▁mart ial ▁artists ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁as ▁perform ers ▁in ▁Chinese ▁oper as . ▁ ▁In ▁modern ▁times , ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁have ▁spawn ed ▁the ▁genre ▁of ▁cinema ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁K ung ▁fu ▁film . ▁The ▁films ▁of ▁Bruce ▁Lee ▁were ▁instrument al ▁in ▁the ▁initial ▁burst ▁of ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts ' ▁popular ity ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Bruce ▁Lee ▁was ▁the ▁icon ic ▁international ▁super star ▁that ▁popular ized ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁with ▁his ▁own ▁variation ▁of ▁Chinese ▁mart ial ▁arts ▁called ▁Je et ▁K une