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Ba Tuo had a keen interest in Wushu and as such Shaolin Temple became a tolerant haven for the practice of martial arts. It was some 60 years after its founding that the Temple received a visitor largely regarded as the father of Shaolin Martial Arts, an Indian Monk named Tamo.
Tamo, or as he is also known, Bohdidharma, came to Shaolin to introduce a new form of Buddhism we know as Chan Buddhism (Zen in Japan). Upon his arrival at the temple he found the monks in poor health and unable to endure the long sessions of meditation he introduced. Tamo retreated to a nearby cave and meditated for 9 years. (There are multiple versions of the Tamo story, this is merely one). During this time Tamo created two exercise regimens: The "Muscle Tendon Change" and "Marrow Purification" forms. One for strengthening the physical self the other for strengthening the spiritual self.
The monks of Shaolin combined the movements of Tamo's forms with those of the existing martial arts of the area. This was the birth of what is known as "Shaolin Quan". Over the following centuries it evolved and today is one of the most influential schools of martial art in the world, said to have directly influenced many other widely practiced styles, such as Karate and Taijiquan.
Shaolin Wushu began to take the shape we see today during the Ming Dynasty (14th-17th centuries AD). Typically within the Shaolin system, there are ten empty hand "sets" and many different weapons. Weapons training will vary from school to school. Shaolin practitioners are historically well known for their ability to endure hardship as well as their training with the distinctive steel "monk's spade," iron staff and spear. Shaolin also became famous in legend for its Five Animals and the styles adapted from imitating their motions for martial applications: