The origins of Kung Fu are rooted in the most ancient forms of warfare. According to one story, the third Emperor of China, the legendary Huang-ti, or Yellow Emperor, defeated a horned monster in battle. Their fight was mimicked for centuries in sport like ritual dances, in which two opponents fought against each other. These mock fights were named Ch'ih-yu Hsi. References to this form of combat date back over four thousand years.

The next mention of a distinctive Chinese art of combat is dated from the Chou Dynasty (1122-255 b.c.). In the Spring and Autumn Annals, our most comprehensive resource from that period, mention is made of archery, wrestling, and fencing. In sixth century b.c. Taoism in China was on the rise and this led to some of these emerging Martial Arts taking on spiritual aspects, which have since become an integral part of the Martial Arts. As China was reduced to numerous warring states, fighting techniques developed more rapidly. Whereas once they were practiced only by nobles, they were now taught even to common foot soldiers.

During the Han Dynasty (202 b.c.-220 A.D.), Hua To, a famous surgeon, incorporated Taoist meditation techniques into a series of exercises based on the movements of five animals: the bear, bird, deer, monkey, and tiger. With the rise of Buddhism in China, the local Martial Arts adopted new ideas based on the need to establish equilibrium between the traditional elements that made up the body: earth, fire, water and wind. These later became the basis of the "internal" and "soft" schools of Kung Fu including T'ai Chi, Hsing-I, and Paqua. The older schools developed modern methods which placed greater emphasis on strength and force; these are known as the "external" and "hard" styles.

The most prominent name in the history of Kung Fu is the legendary Bodhidharma (also known as Daruma or Da Mo), an Indian monk who is believed to have arrived in China in the sixth century A.D. According to later accounts, upon settling in the Shaolin Monastery in the province of Honan, he discovered that the monks were generally thin and feeble because of their rigorous regimen. To improve the Monks' health, he developed a series of eighteen physical exercises, called the Eighteen Hands of Lo-Han, to accompany daily prayer rituals. These exercises also proved useful for fighting; Bodhidharma had formed the basis of Kung Fu. In 1589 they were expanded to seventy-two exercises, then several years later to 170 exercises. The movements were then classified according to five animal-based styles: crane, dragon, leopard, snake, and tiger.

At first, these techniques were highly secretive and taught only to Buddhist Monks. By the time of the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), however, the techniques had reached the Taoist Monasteries. Various forms of martial exercises had been developing in the Monasteries independently, along with Chinese medicine. The Taoists were impressed with the new techniques but considered them far too aggressive and violent. Therefore, several Monks developed their own systems using less force; among them were Chang San-Feng. These new systems were intended to be used only defensively, and were very similar to the contemporary internal system.

Modern systems of Kung Fu first began to appear during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). They reached their peak during the Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1911) when China was ruled by Manchu foreigners. Most Chinese resented the Manchu’s and the students of Kung Fu, which was still taught in secret, formed the core of many of the covert, anti-Manchu societies that flourished. They played an important role in the Tai'ping Revolt of the mid-nineteenth century and were so prominent in the Rebellion of 1899-1900 that it was named the Boxer Rebellion.

By the time of the Boxer Rebellion was crushed, most Kung Fu masters were either imprisoned or dead. However, Chinese Martial Arts enjoyed a comeback during the Republic (1912-1917) and the Warlord Period (1917-1927). In 1928, Chiang Kai-Shek assumed power in China and the Martial Arts, known collectively as Wu-Shu, or Arts of War, were renamed Kuo-Shu, or National Arts. Tournaments and competitions were developed and encouraged. It was common to see people of all ages practicing T'ai Chi Shadow Boxing and other Martial Arts on the streets.

Although there had always been some Western interest in Chinese Martial Arts, one man, Bruce Lee (1940-1973), can be credited with popularizing Martial Arts in the West. His many films, notably Enter the Dragon, became cult classics. They contained actual fighting sequences, many of them choreographed by Lee himself. Countless Westerners attempted to learn and imitate Lee's technique, and Kung Fu schools were opened throughout North America and Europe.