Muscle/Tendon Transformation Exercise (Yi Jin Jing)
This particular practice is said to have originated with Bodhidharma in the 5th
century A.D. Bodhidharma was the said to be the 28th Indian Patriarch and the First
Chinese Patriarch of Chan Buddhism. A popular story is that he arrived at Shaolin
Monastery and found that the monks were not very healthy. Therefore, he devised exercises
to strengthen them -
On his death, it is said that he left two books to his successor Hui ke: the Yi Jin Jing and the Xi Sui Jing (Marrow/Brain Washing).
However, there is no real evidence that Yi Jin Jing originated with Bodhidharma or the Shaolin Temple. There have been various routines with varying numbers of forms but the most respected is that of Wang Zuyuan which is composed of 12 exercises. This is the one promoted by the Chinese Health Qigong Association.