In order to gain an understanding of the use of the Baoding ball, it is necessary to explore its history. The Chinese balls get their name the region in which they were invented; Baoding, China. The Baoding balls are first recorded as being used during the Ming dynasty which ruled China from 1368 for three centuries. They were originally presented to the emperor of the dynasty by a blacksmith who gave them as a gift to be used solely by the imperial family.