Huang Di (first unifier, and regarded as the greatest emperor) reigned around 2700 BC, so 3000+ BC should be the approximate of when martial arts started to flourish
it was during his time that the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Gr..._ancient_China
and the Silk AND the invention of modern chinese characters were developed. a great great man indeed. worthy of his mythological - and deity status.