So, let's take a look at a snip from Sal's opening quote:
There is much controversy surrounding the origin of Shaolin Taizu Chang Quan - 少林 太祖 长拳. People from China 's Henan ( 河南 ) area believe that Taizu Chang Quan was developed in the early Song ( 宋) Dynasty era, under the sponsorship of first emperor Zhao Kuangyin - 趙匡胤. Others believe it was developed during the Ming ( 明 ) dynasty era and is only named ‘Taizu'- 太祖 in honor of either the Song Emperor or even the first Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang - 朱元璋 , who was known as Ming Taizu - 明太祖 and also as ‘Hong Wu' - 洪武 .
So the controversy being that we don't know when it was created or named after what guy, Taizu of the Song or Taizu of the Ming.
The above statement is incorrect in terms of who it was named after and what period it descends from.
Let's start with the who;
The Ming dynasty is full of information on Song Taizu's martial prowess. The list is long indeed and I won't go into it here.
There are novels and plays and historical fiction, not to mention actual recorded history itself that points to Song Taizu as the well known fighter. Troops of the Ming dynasty were being taught martial arts named after Song Taizu as well as weapons forms. For those that could read, they were reading the stories, and for those uneducated they were watching the story on stage.
And the When.
If it is indeed something passed down from Song Taizu he would have learned it, not made it up. Since their method of warfare had been in practice for hundreds of years, they would have thought of it as coming from the last legitimate dynasty as seen from their eyes, the Tang.
Interesting to note that Karate-originally means "Tang Hand."
And the where:
Definitely not Shaolin.
Military didn't go to a temple to learn how to fight from monks. Fighting was conducted on horseback and practiced all day. Monks were in the temple concerned with temple affairs.
Not until after the final fall of the Song Dynasty does Shaolin start a legend of their stick dating to the Mid-1300's.
There is a reliable account of Shaolin Monks in battle , but that was several dynasties and hundreds of years prior.