Essential reading for martial arts practitioners and students of BuddhismThis book considers the universal question posed by both martial artists and practitioners of eastern religions regarding the origins of each style or school. It delineates the ancestries of the most famous and popular martial arts worldwide and identifies the legends and the known historical facts regarding the roots of the mainstream arts of Shaolin Kung-Fu, Karate, and Ninjutsu. By doing so it addresses the history of the famous Bodhidharma as the legendary father of Shaolin Kung-Fu and Zen Buddhism. It offers critical analysis of significant historical dates in the three disciplines and links these to modern martial arts practice and culture. The book also reveals facts on the lives of some of the most prominent and famed individuals of these arts from the modern era including Bruce Lee (Kung Fu) and Fujita Seiko (Ninjutsu).