Karate great Mas Oyama in meditation in front of Mt. Fuji. The origin of Karate has been lost to time. Various methods of self defense developed simultaneously in the ancient world. According to Mas Oyama, the oldest known records of combat techniques are found on hieroglyphic scrolls from the Egyptian tombs dating to 4000 B.C. Artifacts from 3000 B.C. indicate that boxing and wrestling were practiced in the Sumerian kingdom of Mesopotamia. In ancient Greece, boxing and wrestling were popular and were included in the Olympic games.
Yoga is said to have originated as a meditative practice in ancient India.
Meditation was usually performed while seated under a tree . Notice the similarity between this posture and a wrestler's sprawl.