When someone says they train in Kung fu, they most likely mean they train in one of the many styles of Chinese martial arts. The original meaning of kung fu is hard to translate as there is no English equivalent, but loosely it means "achievement through great effort" and can refer to one's expertise in any skill, not necessarily just martial.

Kung fu is an outstanding Chinese cultural legacy, and is made up of a system of fighting techniques. It takes mainly the forms of routine exercises and free sparring, aimed at promoting physical health, strengthening will power and refining combat skills.

Kungfu routines, practiced either barehand or with weapons, incorporate kicking, punching, throwing, seizing and joint lock techniques into set routine exercises involving combinations of offense and defense.