Bending Disciplines

Bending Disciplines

This thread will cover the four bending arts, energybending, and non-bending arts.

Since the dawn of man, fighting and war has been a part of human culture. At first, man waged war upon man, and then when Vaatu broke through the spirit portals and spirits roamed the human plane, man warred against spirits. Over time though they were forced apart and soon mankind lived sheltered lives atop lion turtles, their guardian spirits. The Lion Turtles bestowed the elements to man temporarily so that they could venture into the spirit wilds for food, and eventually mankind left the guardians and began living together and roaming the earth after the Avatar separated man from spirit. That is when the common discipline known as "bending" started.

The principle of jing is the essence of battle strategy of all bending arts, with a total of eighty-five possible actions. Positive jing occurs when one chooses to fight, while negative jing is when one chooses to evade.

Non-Bending

Skills generally practiced by non-benders, typically involving weapons or their bare fists and feet. Non-benders said to be at a natural disadvantage to benders as they lack the ability to wield one of the four elements. Most wield weapons and hone their skills with these to the point they can wage battle against benders on equal ground one-on-one. However there are also benders who practice non-bending skills as a means to either hide their identity when they become drifters and nomads, or as a crutch to enhance their own bending. Firebenders may use a dao in order to send quick bursts of fire along the metal, or airbenders may use fans to create bigger gusts of wind.

Firebending

Firebending is the bending art of the Fire Nation. It's source is the Sun and its original teachers are the Dragons.

Firebenders use their chi as a source for their bending. This facet of firebending is a sharp contrast to the other bending arts, which manipulate already present sources of their element, though firebenders can also control or enhance flames nearby. Unlike other bending disciplines, firebending has few defensive moves aside from blocking and dodging, although master firebenders are able to create walls of fire to absorb incoming attacks or shoot down approaching projectiles.

Firebending uses concentrated barrages of fire to overwhelm opponents before striking a fatal blow. Swift, whirling kicks and punches generate diverse shapes for offensive attacks.

Firebenders draw energy from heat and the Sun. On the average day a firebender is at their strongest at noon, and their weakest during the middle of the night. As consequence, their firebending diminishes in the cold, such as arctic weather, rain, and night time. Firebenders are also stronger when near the equator due to its near constant hot temperature, near volcanos, deserts, or during lightning storms. They can also receive a giant boost in bending power from passing extraterrestial objects passing closer to the Earth than the Sun, such as Sozin's Comet. During this time a firebender's power is increased 100 times, and they can perform bending feats otherwise impossible.

Due to the Firebender's solar sympathy, they will lose all of their bending during a Solar Eclipse. While only temporary, this can leave them completely defenseless. Poor breath control, self control and a lack of drive can also ruin a firebender's ability to bend. A firebender's strength also comes from the breath, so if one has poor breath control they cannot release their fire as easily or as strong as they could. Self control can lead to a firebender's own demise, as they will lose control of their own fire which can burn out of their control, hurt others or themselves without their intention. Lastly, a firebender's skill comes from their drive. If a firebender's drive is rage and anger, if they were to choose a different way of life, say love and peace, over the course of a couple days their firebending will weaken until it goes away completely. Once this happens, the only way to restore their bending would be to see true firebending from the dragon's fire.

Airbending

Airbending is the bending art of the Air Nomads. It's source is the air around them and its original teachers are the Sky Bison.

Airbenders use the air around them as their source of bending. Airbenders use circular movements with their individual limbs and their whole bodies to generate currents of air which can be used for a multitude of bending possibilities.

Though deemed the most dynamic of the bending arts, the most controversial aspect of airbending is its supposed lack of fatal moves, being a more defense-inclined art. This aspect in itself is a reflection of the principles held by the Air Nomads, which preaches the preciousness of all life and avoidance of violence whenever possible. Dsepite this, there are a handful of airbending moves that can deal fatal damage even when not used by an Avatar, but such moves are discouraged and rarely practiced.

Waterbending

Waterbending is the bending art of the Water Tribe. It's source are the Moon and Ocean spirits, and its original teacher is the Moon.

Waterbending's strength is its great versatility. Rather than supporting a separate set of offensive methods, waterbending employs defensive techniques that can be transformed into attacks and counters - defense into offense. Instead of simply deflecting an attack, waterbending's defensive maneuvers focus on control, achieved through turning an opponent's own strength against them, rather than directly harming the opponent.

Waterbending is strengthened during colder conditions and during the night, due to its lunar affinity. Like Firebending and warmer temperatures, waterbending is strengthened in the polar regions of the world and is weakened in warmer climates and during the day time. Because of its lunar affinity, waterbenders completely lose their ability to bend during a lunar eclipse. This too is only temporary however it can be critical during certain situations. On the other hand, a waterbender is at their strongest during the full moon, which allows even a single waterbender to take on multiple foes at once without hindrance, and given the right conditions. The biggest weakness of a waterbender is when they are in areas with little to no water to bend. To get past this huge disability, waterbenders often carry pouches of water to use, however they too are limited in how much they can use before it runs out.

Earthbending

Earthbending is the bending art of the Earth Kingdom. It's source is the earth and soil and its original teachers are the badgermoles.

Earthbending is one of the most diverse of the bending arts, ranging from the rigid and collectively learned earthbending of the Dai Li, which is the most commonly used earthbending style, to the individually taught styles. Earthbenders are generally muscular, tough and direct, and like all benders their technique reflects on their individual personalities.

Earthbending differs from the other bending arts in that it maintains a distinct balance between offensive and defensive capabilities. Earthbending uses a balance of strength and defense to overwhelm opponents. The earthbending discipline stresses neutral jing, which involves listening, waiting and attacking at the right moment.

The biggest weakness for earthbenders is their reliance on having earth present to bend. Most earthbenders are not metalbenders (as only 1 in every 100 earthbenders can become a metalbender), thus locking an earthbender into a metal cage or box, or keeping them in a prison made entirely out of metal is one way of stopping an earthbender from bending. The other is doing the same except with wood, as wood cannot be subject to earthbending. Another minor weakness is being in contact with the earth itself. A number of earthbenders rely on being in direct contact with the ground in order to earthbend effectively. However skilled earthbenders can get past this vulnerability.

Energybending

An art practiced only by great spirits and the Avatar themself. It's source is the bender's spirit.

Predating even the avatar spirit, Lion Turtles would bend the energy within people and themselves. By bending the energy within a person, one can impart on them knowledge instantly, take away their bending or restore one's bending. When used by lion turtles, they are even capable of giving one the ability to bend a specific element.