花拳 (huā quán) — showy boxing (martial arts techniques that prioritize appearance over practicality)
Definition
A pejorative term for flashy martial arts moves that look impressive but lack real fighting power — usually used to criticize style-over-substance technique. Pairs with 绣腿 (huā quán xiù tuì) as the set phrase meaning 'flashy but useless'.
noun
showy boxing (martial arts techniques that prioritize appearance over practicality)
Measure word · 套
Examples
- 花拳，。Tā liàn de shì huā quán, kàn qǐ lái hǎo kàn dàn bù shí yòng.He practices showy boxing; it looks nice but isn't practical.
- 花拳，。Zhēn zhèng de wǔ shù bú shì huā quán, ér shì zhù zhòng shí zhàn.Real martial arts is not showy boxing; it emphasizes actual combat.
- 花拳，。Zhè tào huā quán dòng zuò suī rán piào liang, dàn quē fá lì liàng.This set of showy boxing moves is beautiful but lacks power.
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