Kung Lek wrote:

>The seperation of religious and martial monks occured in the late 1300's with the installation of the Ming dynasty. The distinction was made deeper with the incoming Ching dynasty in 1644.<

The first tangible record of a distinct 'warrior monk' rank at Shao Lin Si goes back much further back than that.

Emperor Tia Zong granted Shao Lin Si the legal right to maintain a defensive army of monks at Shao Lin Si. The record of this decree is on a stone stele written in the Imperial script and dates to approximately 620 A.D..

This decree had far reaching implication on subsequent dynasties and Emperors.E