WEBKung fu (term) In general, kung fu or kungfu ( / ˌkʌŋˈfuː / ⓘ or / ˌkʊŋˈfuː /; pinyin: gōngfu pronounced [kʊ́ŋfu]) refers to the Chinese martial arts also called quanfa. In China, it refers to any study, learning, or practice that requires patience, energy, and time to complete. In its original meaning, kung fu can refer to any ...