There had been many myths and misconceptions surrounding this legendary Indian monk named Bodhidharma (Da-mo in his Chinese name). For 6 years of research in order to preserve a more accurate account for our generation, I felt that it is necessary to put away the myths. I give a big special thanks to my mother for giving me insight and revitalizing my interest in researching on African History and for being a thinker in order to find the answers myself. There is a great deal of information being revealed about the great contributions of African people, which gave me an interest in looking into my past. I have been researching articles and watching lectures of these great people in the many fields of study of African History. Martial Artists such as brother Abraham Hardy, Kilindi Iyi, Baba Fasegun, Oyo-Tayari, Master Bakari, Balogun, Nestor Capoeira, and many Capoeira players worldwide for preserving History with truth and justice. I give thanks to many field researchers, lecturers and professors of African Studies such as Dr. Booker T. Coleman, Dr. Jose Pimenta Bey, Dr. Ray Hagins, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, Dr. Runoko Rashidi, Khalifa A. Khaliq, Ashra and Mereira Kwesi and many others I can’t name all at once. What I write about in this blog, I’m not expecting everybody to believe what I write overnight, just to make you people think.
There had been a long History in China stretching back at least 7,000 years. On the subject of Martial Arts History and Origins, there have been many schools that believed, and indoctrinate a half myth about the Martial Arts being invented by one man out of one nation and spread in each nation over different centuries in a period of time. Those that say that, (and no offense) have a poor understanding of world History. The sad thing is that it has been propagated through many Asian Martial Arts books, documentaries related to the Chinese Martial Arts and the internet. An Indian Monk who lived around the 500’s CE, named Da-mo traveled from southeast India to Honan province in China. It was there that he taught the monks Chan Buddhism (Zen Buddhism in Japan) through long periods of meditation, and he found that the Shaolin monks were falling asleep in meditation. Da-Mo noted that the monks were strong mentally, but weak physically and they were constantly being attacked by bandits. So Da-mo taught the Shaolin monks breathing exercises and Martial Arts which became the foundation of Chinese Kung fu. From there the Martial Arts spread to Okinawa, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and into North America.
That’s the vague, inaccurate story. The Da-mo story is mostly fictional. Where I’m going with this is that I’m not saying that Da-mo didn’t exist at all, there had been proof that this legendary monk existed, all that I am saying is that I don’t consider him the great creator of the Martial Arts and that the fighting systems originated in India. All I can say that the story had been misunderstood by many Westerners. By the time I was green belt in Karate, I had begun to question to myself with many questions such as how were there many centuries of wars throughout the world while many devoted Martial Artists claimed that Da-Mo who lived during the dark ages be considered the originator of the Martial Arts? How China didn’t have Martial Arts disciplines until Da-Mo’s arrival in the 6th century CE? Until now there had been Archaeologists that had been investigating and restoring China’s long history. There had been evidence that the Chinese Martial Arts had existed for many centuries before Da-Mo’s arrival to China during the Liang Dynasty. One who has known so much about Asian History have to study the long military history of China. There had been numerous rises and falls of many Dynasties of China through war and conquests.
Furthermore, I have come across more surprising revelations about China’s history. According to field researchers there are two theories of how human life began. One is the Out of Africa theory and the other is the Multi-regional theory. The Multi-regional theory is that the belief that early humans were born all over the world with different skin tones and phenotype features. The Out of Africa theory is that the one Human race came from the Nile Valley of Kemet (modern-day Egypt) then throughout the Paleolithic age, humans began to branch out throughout the African continent and outside the African continent and settled in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas before the last ice age. According to the staggering amount of my research, the Out of African theory is the most popular out of the two. My mom told me, that “We, and I mean our people were the first to go out into the world and build civilizations.” All I did was to do my own research to find answers that make sense to me. There are pyramids established in many parts of the world, it’s not only in Egypt and Sudan, there are pyramids built by Africans in Australia, Mexico and parts of South America and there is one in China. The Africans had the ability to read and write, do mathematics, study the stars, study medicine, and military combat before the people up north got out of their caves after the end of the last ice age.
There are three of my valid theories of the Origins of the Martial Arts:
1) All human civilizations developed their fighting systems
2) The Martial Arts originated in Africa where life began
3) The caveman or early tribes of cavemen developed indigenous fighting systems
All three of these theories are interrelated. The Chinese Martial Arts had been influenced by both African and Indian fighting systems for many centuries before Da-Mo’s arrival during the Liang Dynasty. During the pre-dynastic period of China in c.2696BCE, it was Huang-di, the Yellow Emperor who recorded China’s earliest fighting system called Shuai-Chiao, China’s wrestling discipline taught by the military. Some more of his talents was that Huang-di introduced into China medicine, music, poetry, mathematics and many other subjects. It is interesting to note, that Dr. Khaliq pointed out that Huang-di’s alias names were Yuhai Huandi (in old Chinese) and Hu Nak Kunte.
If you break down the name Hu Nak= One who is Black
The Nak-hi is a Chinese word = Nak – Black/dark Hi - Man
Then take Kunte= Kunte tribe out of Africa
Huang-di was of African descent and one of the early pioneers who brought about civilization to China. He was considered of sorts the father of Chinese Martial Arts according to Sun Tzu who mentioned his name a few times in his famous book the Art of War, written during the time of China’s infamous Warring States era in c.500’sBCE, being the one who started the Martial Arts in China. Huang-di had been deified in the line of the likes of Imhotep for being a multi-genius. Huang-di was China’s Imhotep. The first Emperor before Hu Nak Kunte’s (Huang-di’s) time was Emperor Fu Hsi, a wooly haired African who had written the first spiritual text ever written outside of Africa called the I-Ching – The Book of Change, he lived in the 29th century BCE. The earliest spiritual text was the Kemetic (Egyptian) text written carved on the Heiroglyphics called The Coming Forth by Day and by Night (Book of the Dead), which predates other spiritual religious texts such as the Vedas, The Septugiant, the Talmud, various versions of the Bible, and the Koran combined. Hu Nak Kunte’s lengthy treatise of Martial Combat predates the Art of War, the Bubishi, and the Muscle Tendon Changing Classic written by Da-Mo’s disciples. Until this day Shuai-Chiao which is now called Jiao-li is practiced as a national sport amongst the Chinese people, and the grappling system has an influence to Mongolian wrestling and the Okinawan wrestling art Tegumi amongst other Asiatic grappling systems. Shuai-Chiao is derived from Nubian Wrestling and other African grappling systems.
The first recorded Chinese dynasty was the Shang Dynasty. The first Emperor of the Shang dynasty (c.1500-1100BCE) was of African/Moorish descent named King Tang. Before and during the Shang Dynasty, there were two tribes of African people that settled in China, the Pygmies and the Kunte Clan. The Pygmies were dark skinned dwarves standing 4 feet to 5’2 tall. The Shang people considered themselves to be called the Li-min.
Li = Dark/black and Min = people
Also to note, some people believed that Confucius the philosopher descended from the Shang line. The Shang Dynasty, the first Chinese dynasty were ruled by the dark kings according to a few surviving Chinese documents. There are carvings of images of African people in China being found. These statue carvings were unearthed during the dark ages of the Tang Dynasty. If one has to look at the image, it is broad nose and thick lips and curly hair and you can’t go about doubting it. There are also statue carvings of African people in the Shang Dynasty and Chou Dynasty. In c.1100BCE, the Shang Dynasty fell to the Mongol invaders. The Mongols have founded the Chou Dynasty, thus learning the art of Shuai-Chiao, becoming Mongolian Wrestling. Shuai-Chiao ended up being recorded into the Classic of Rites in c.12th century BCE. During the establishment of the national religions of Confucianism and Taoism, the Taoist monks who dwelled in temples learned the fighting arts from war veterans who retired and were invited to teach the monks Martial Arts, around the Chou Dynasty.
The Martial Arts/Sciences in China no doubt had an African and Indian influence. Da-Mo wasn’t the only Monk that journeyed into China. He was in a long line of Buddhist Monks and traveling warriors before and after him stretching back to at least 500BCE. The Shaolin Monastery was established under the leadership of the Indian Monk under the Chinese name Ba-tuo who came shortly before Da-Mo’s arrival. He also became the first Abbot of the Shaolin Monastery during the Liang Dynasty. Shaolin is Chinese for Young Forest, the Japanese word is Shorin. Around this time, it is called the dark ages because of the chaos going on in Europe and Asia. Many Barbaric tribes made an uprising and destroyed the Christianized Roman Empire leaving many lands in the wake of devastation, along with famine, cannibalism, deadly diseases, and many other atrocities, especially the decline of education. Many African Historians pointed out that 99% of Europe cannot read and write including members of the Royal Family bloodline excluding the Catholic Monks and members of the priesthood. If you are interested in knowing about the Dark Ages there is a documentary from the History Channel titled the Dark Ages, and it’s on youtube. Also Asia had on and off conflicts. It is important to note that India did not exist until the British occupation in the 1600’s. India was during and after the collapse of the Roman Empire was split up into warring states. You have the Cholas, the Muaryas, the Tamils, the Keralans, the Pallavas etc. trying to have supremency over each other including resisting the Islamic forces. So it wouldn’t make sense that there was no Martial Arts in-between the time of Alaric I’s brutal attack on Rome and the Islamic movement.
India’s exercise of Yoga and breathing techniques are a common practice and was introduced in East Asia for many centuries, but India’s influence of these exercises were of Kushitic African origins. The Eastern African’s crossed over Hindu Kush into the Indus valley. There were also African’s from Australia who migrated into Sri Lanka and India and merged with the Kushites to make the Indian/Hindu race. There were also Europeans from the North who called themselves Aryans who invaded the Indus Valley 4,000 years ago and created a Caste system in the Hindu religion. The Aryans merged with the Indians, and that’s where we have lighter skin Indians and we have darker skin Indians. In the Buddhist and Shaolin Monastery’s there are mural paintings and both dark/brown skinned monks training in Martial Arts with Chinese monk. There is also a picture of a monk of dark complexion sparring with a Chinese monk in Patrick McCarthy’s translations of the Bubishi. Kung fu is not just classified as a Martial Art discipline it is a goal to excel in every skill trade such as calligraphy, astrology, study of medicine, carpentry, arts and crafts, mathematics, biology and chemistry etc. and no doubt that China’s civilization has been an influence of Africa, that the earliest rulers were of African origins as much as they were in Kemet (Egypt). Many African Historians claimed that until this day there are black people living in India and in China (the Nakhi), especially in Europe amongst the populace, but not shown by the media.
Early primitive weapons such as the bow and arrow, the spear, mace and club originated in Africa. The Nubians were great archers of their time, serving the Kemites in military campaigns. There region called Nuba was nicknamed Land of the Bow. There were many Martial Arts disciplines that put their nation’s or tribe’s name in front of their Martial Art name and that concept originated in Africa for the nation’s identity. There are numerous examples and connections. The oldest grappling system Nubian wrestling was practiced by the Nubian people. There are numerous grappling systems throughout Africa such as the Gambian type, the Senegalese type, etc. The Greeks learned the grappling art, took it back to their kingdom and changed the name to Greek/Hellenic wrestling. Then there is an Egyptian art called Kuta translated as Defender of the Pharaoh, which probably dates back to the 30th century BCE during the first recorded Pharaoh named Narmer from Lower Kemet conquered Upper Kemet to unite the kingdom. Kuta was passed down to the Akkadians and Elamites who went on to become rulers of Malaysia, Borneo, and Cambodia which became Kuntao – Way of the Fist, in China it is called Quanfa (Cantonese)/Chuan’fa(Mandarin). During the modernization of Tode, it was changed to Karate-do, way of the Empty Hand, the change towards that name had some African influence. Another example is the Nigerian fighting art called Dambe Boxing, it influenced Asia with the birth of Khmer Boxing (Bokator Khmer) and Thai (Siamese) Boxing (Muay-Thai).
The African contributions to Asia returned during the medieval times after Da-Mo’s time. The Japanese and Ryukuan (Okinawan) people are descendants of the Southern African tribe called the Bushmen according to Abraham Hardy and Dr. Rashidi. The early inhabitants of Japan were the Ainu who came from possibly Kemet and along the Middle East and settled in eastern Russia and Japan. Then we have nomadic people coming from southern Africa, Australia and the Polynesian Islands and settled in Okinawa and Japan. In Japanese History, there is a Samurai of African descent named Sakanoyoue Tamuramaro. If you look at the surname and break it down it represents the word Moor.
Mura/Maro = derived from the Greek, Italian and Latin words Maures, Mauros, Maranos amongst other names that represent Moor – meaning Black.
Dr. Jose Pimenta Bey and Dr. Booker T. Coleman both said that there are English and Scottish names abroad with names that represent Moor, if it at least starts with M such as McDougal, Macdonald, Morrison, Moore, Margaret etc. Into other European nations there are names such as Maurice, Mario, etc. Furthermore, in Japan there are names such as Moritsune, Mooroku, Morokuzaki, Mooroka, etc. What’s so intriguing is that Dr. Rashidi quoted a Japanese proverb that says, “To be a brave Samurai, one must have some black/Moorish blood in them.” Tamuramaro was a Samurai who lived during the time of the Heian period of Japan (794-1185CE), around the time, in Europe that the Moors, lead by Tariq Ibn Ziyad liberated Spain from the oppressive grasp of the Visigoths and Vandals establishing the Ummayad Dynasty. Tamuramaro was descended from Sakanoue clan and became a popular hero in Japan. He served Emperor Kammu, founder of the Botukuden in 795CE which later, in 1895 became the Dai-Nippon Butoku-kai. He had so many accomplishments in his military career, the article of Tamuramaro here:
The founder of the great Ming Dynasty in China (1368-1611CE) was ruled by Emperor Hung Wu around the time of Almohade Dynasty Moorish occupied Spain. Emperor Hung Wu was Moorish descent and Mongol descent, and was a Muslim, ordering the construction of several mosques in Nanjing, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Fujian province. He was instrumental in overthrowing the Mongoloid Empire and liberated the Ryukyu Kingdom from Mongol control. In 1372CE he established a trading relationship between China and the Ryukyu Kingdom and in 1393CE Emperor Hung Wu allowed Chinese to migrate into Okinawa and give that kingdom an economic boost into the golden age. It is noted by many Martial Arts Historians that the Chinese Immigrants were called the 36 families who settled in Kume Village in Naha, Okinawa making one of the theories of the development of the Okinawan fighting system of Tode-jutsu which is now called Karate.
With the controversy with Da-Mo (Bodhidharma) was that many Martial Artists that claimed that he invented the Martial Arts and there are Martial Artists that don’t believe that he actually existed. If we say that Da-Mo invented the Martial Arts, then he would have lived back in the Paleolithic age at least 100,000 years ago. However, it is impossible to say that the Martial Arts started with one person. In fact there are no records in India about Da-Mo maybe because of the collapse of the Roman Empire and Europe and Asia were plunged into years of warfare, including the burning of many spiritual and pagan manuscripts c.500CE. Only the oldest accounts of his existence survived in Nepal, and China including other neighbouring Asian countries where Da-Mo’s Buddhists sect Zen spread out to. There are other myths aside from inventing the Martial Arts and encountering lethargic, physically weak Shaolin monks being constantly attacked by bandits was his nine years of meditation in a cave. While he was meditating for long periods of time, he fell asleep, so he cut off his eyelashes to stay awake. His eyelashes having fallen to the ground caused bushes to grow around him creating tea leaves. The story of China’s founding of tea dates back to c.2800BCE where a man was boiling water under a tree and leaves fell into the boiling water creating a tea flavour. Another account of Da-Mo, was while in meditation, stared at a wall so hard that he burned a hole through a wall. Since Da-Mo dwelled in a cave for nine years, it is assumed by Historians that he meditated nine straight years with no food and water. The Da-Mo legend is a very ambiguous story of from all angles. To be real about this is that Da-Mo was a human, flesh and blood and not half-man, half supernatural being of sorts. He dwelled in the cave for nine years, but he did some other activities such as yoga and other exercises. His disciples sent him food and water too.
Da-Mo had been just another significant contributor which further developed Chinese Boxing (Kung fu), he did not invent it, he just came from a long line of other Buddhist monks that arrived in China to introduce their personal sect of Buddhism and their teachings of the Martial Arts. Amongst introducing Chan Buddhism which in Japan called Zen, Da-Mo taught the monks yoga and breathing exercises. The Monks incorporated Da-Mo’s teachings into their Chinese Boxing techniques along with practicing Zen Buddhism. Four generations after Da-Mo’s time, the Lohan Quan forms were formed. In English it is called Monk Fist Boxing.
Da-Mo was born in Kanchipuram, Pallava Kingdom (modern day Tamil Nadu, southeast India) and became a disciple of Prajnatara in the Mahayana school of Buddhism (Zen). He learned the Martial Arts of Silambam, Kuttu Varisai, and pressure points called in Tamil language Kuttu Kalai. The myth and misconception was that Da-Mo learned Kalaripayattu and passed the art on to the Monks. Kalaripayattu is an art practiced in Kerala, India and it was formed in the 12th Century CE, around the time of the second Crusade being launched by the Muslim Saracens. That is approx. 700years after Da-Mo’s arrival to Honan province. Kuttu Varisai looks very similar to Lohan Quan and many Karate disciplines. When Da-Mo died he was buried in Honan province. So he existed. If you don’t believe he existed, travel to Honan province and visit his grave. It’s not about believing in it, it is about knowing that there is evidence.
Many Martial Artists and those that never donned on a Judo gi and trained in the dojo think that the Martial Arts is only an East Asian thing, (and I was one of them) most likely because it’s inspiring goal of the training is going towards peace and a deep spiritual connection. Through my research, spirituality and Martial Arts being one had originally been an African concept in Kush, Nuba and Kemet. The purpose of Martial Arts was born out of violent times where man has to defend himself from thieves and vicious animals. There are drawings carved out on stones in the tombs of Kemet of warriors practicing grappling, boxing, archery, and spear throwing. The ancestors worshipped the gods for their strength in combat, along with wisdom, knowledge and philosophical understanding. They understood the balance of the physical and mental aspects of the Martial Arts, the opposites of life, good and evil, before Asia came up with the yin and yang. There were rules enforced for everything they did in everyday life written in the Medu Neter (Words of the God(s)) in The Coming Forth by Day and Night. The Kemites follow the 42 Laws of Ma’at. I’ll drop some examples that echoes our morals in our Martial Arts training.
I have not avenged myself, nor have I burned with rage
I have not caused terror, nor have I worked affliction
I have caused none to feel pain, nor have I worked grief
I have done neither harm nor ill, nor have I caused misery
I have done no hurt to man, nor have I wrought harm to beasts
I have had no knowledge of evil, neither have I acted wickedly, nor have I wronged the people
I have not stolen, neither have I taken that which does not belong to me, nor that which belongs to another, nor have I taken from the orchards, nor snatched the milk from the mouth of the babe.
I have accused no man falsely, nor have I supported any false accusation
I have spoken no lies, neither have I spoken falsely to the hurt of another
I have never uttered fiery words, nor have I stirred up strife
I have not judged hastily, nor have I judged harshly
These rules have an influence of the Dojo rules today having the Integrity, the respect, and honesty. Gichin Funakoshi said Karate Ni Sente Nashi – There is no First attack in Karate. Implying that Karate is for defense never for attack, bullying or harming people. It has an influence on the 42 Laws of Ma’at and other variants of laws in other civilizations.
The oldest European Martial Art originated in Greece called Pankration. Greek for All Force, All Powers. In Latin it’s called Pancratium. The Greeks nicknamed this art as the game of the Gods. It’s a Martial Art that has strikes, kicks and grappling techniques. Pankration is not only a sport which was introduced into the Greek Olympic games in c.648BCE it was battlefield tested by the legendary Spartan warriors while they fought the King Xerxes’ vast Persian Army at the battle of Thermopalye in the 400’s BCE. In Greek myth Haracles (Hercules by the Romans) was the founder of Pankration where he fought a Lion in one of his 12 labours. There’s also Theseus he used Pankration to slay the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. Pankration was a popular sporting event right through the time of the Roman Empire of their violent gladiatorial bouts in the Coliseum up until the collapse of the Roman Empire ushering in the dark ages, where the art was extinct. It’s not until the 1970’s that Jim Arvanitis revived the ancient Greek Martial Art back. Jim is still alive and teaches students Pankration. Pankration is a derivative of the Kushite art of Pan Kau Ra Shen – fighting in the honour of Ra. Ra is one of Kemet’s Gods. So spirituality and philosophy have always played a part in the Martial Arts in all civilizations not just in Asia. Martial Art means Roman God of War Mars, he wasn’t worshipped anywhere in India, but in Ancient Rome. In Kemet the ancients called it the Montu Art Form. Montu was Kemet’s God of War. The Greeks who were mentored by the African people in all aspects of education took the name Montu and have their own family tree of Gods, and we have Ares the Greek god of War. Then the Roman Empire came into being and overthrew the Macedonian/Greek Empire and adopted Greek’s Pantheon of Gods and changed most of the names, calling their War god Mars, thus you have the current name Martial Art. You cannot deny that Martial Arts is based on war, and it then evolved into a sport, and civilian self-defense system. It encompasses everything.
Those who are so hung up on just plain fables; believe in their own hype too much. I have read stories of Martial Artists in North America current and former Martial Artists that have trained in a Martial Arts cult and McDojos. They have trained under egotistical teachers where they make up all these ridiculous stories, saying that they were trained by mystic ninjas, or trained under mysterious monks that master dim mak (death touch), and no touch knockout, and cannot be killed by bullets but has no evidence and never demonstrate those supernatural abilities, and you know what? Most of the students believe in the lie! There are teachers that go so far into self-certifying themselves as Black Belts, yeah, they go out and purchase a Black Belt and teach lousy Karate to students. On top of that teach their students fictional stories of how their lineage goes back to some Shaolin Monk who lived up to over 200 years of age, and most of the students believe in the lie!
Martial Artists got to wake up, and tune into your thinking instead of believing in falsehoods that are being incorporated into world History. If you don’t believe what I wrote, I say you do your own research, the information is out there. We must teach the new generation of people who are lost, and needed a better, comprehensive understanding of factual events instead of fables. The Martial Arts in China goes back thousands of years before Da-Mo’s arrival. The early Emperors until the end of the Shang Dynasty were of direct African Descent. It was African people who introduced the Martial Sciences to China, the earliest account of recorded military treatise in China was written by the Yellow Emperor Huangdi (Hu Nak Kunte) and not Da-Mo during the Liang Dynasty.
Hotep