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Kung fu or gongfu or gung fu (功夫,Pinyin: gōngfu) is a Chinese term often used by speakers of the English language to refer to Chinese martial arts. Its original meaning is somewhat different, referring to one's expertise in any skill, not necessarily martial.

Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese martial arts.However the Chinese terms kung fu (Chinese: 功夫 pinyin: gōngfū) and wushu ( traditional Chinese: 武術; simplified Chinese: 武术; pinyin: wǔshù) have very different meanings. Wushu can describe greatly varying martial arts traditions. Kung fu can be used in a context without any martial arts whatsoever. Colloquially, kung fu (or gung fu) alludes to any individual accomplishment or cultivated skill obtained by long and hard work. In contrast, wushu is a more precise term that refers to general martial activities. The term wushu has also become the name for a modern sport similar to gymnastics involving the performance of adapted Chinese bare-handed and weapons forms (tàolù 套路) judged to a set of contemporary aesthetic criteria for points.