Prior to Bruce Lee, the term "Kung Fu (功夫)" was nonexistent in the western world. After Bruce Lee propelled to international stardom, Kung Fu has become synonymous with Chinese martial arts.
Kung Fu (功夫) more accurately pronounced as Gong Fu is made of two Chinese characters "功" (Gong) and "夫" (Fu). The character 功 (Gong) is the combination of 2 other chinese characters "工" (Gong) meaning labor and hard work and "力" (Lik) meaning energy and strength. The character "夫" (Fu) depicts a person who is bearing two shoulder carrying poles. Based on the combination of characters used, the kung fu practitioner must work hard and persevere through time in order to achieve success. There are no short cuts.