Legendary martial arts actor Jet Li has clarified a common misconception about the term "kung fu," explaining that it doesn't actually refer to martial arts in Chinese culture.

According to Li, the Chinese use the word "wushu" for martial arts. The term "kung fu" instead refers to skill acquired through dedicated practice over time.

"Like if you have been painting for many many years, your painting kung fu is good. When you spend a lot of time cooking, your cooking kung fu is very good," the actor explained.

Li attributes the global association between kung fu and martial arts to Bruce Lee's action films in the 1970s.

"In the 1970s, Bruce Lee made action films, and a lot of people said, 'That's Chinese kung fu.' So, everybody around the world think that kung fu equals to wushu and martial arts," he said.

Following Bruce Lee, stars like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen further popularized the martial arts genre worldwide, inspiring generations of fans and drawing many into cinema. Li's 2002 film Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou, remains among the most celebrated martial arts films ever made. The actor's upcoming projects include the martial arts film Blades of the Guardians.

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