Bending arts

**The bending arts,** or simply known as **bending,** is the uncommon ability to perform supernatural manipulation of properties found on earth - generally fire, water, earth and air, as well as other sub-types similar to these elements. It significant to many aspects of life in the world.

There are five known bending arts; four of them bend a specific physical element while the fifth bends the energy within the human body itself. The four elemental bending arts are based on the four classical elements, **water, earth, fire, and air,** each being manipulated through certain martial art styles that are reminiscent of the qualities of the element itself.

## Bending Types

### Earthbending

**Earthbending**, one of the four elemental bending arts, is the geokinetic ability to manipulate earth and rock in all their various forms. Earthbenders need to have the correct stance and mindset in order to Earthbend. They need to be strong, unrelenting and enduring - much like a rock. They need to be able to endure their enemies attacks until they can counterstrike. Earthbenders are capable of bending rock, stone, and mud as well as other forms of earth that have been 'purified'.

It also includes several sub-types: glassbending, the ability to manipulate glass and transmute sand into glass; lavabending, the ability to manipulate and create lava formations in the earth; metalbending, the ability to manipulate the raw earth found inside of purified metal; and sandbending, the ability to manipulate sand.

### Firebending

**Firebending** is the pyrokinetic ability to control fire. Firebenders are unique as they can conjure the element themselves without needing an external source, and rely on the sun for their flames. Firebenders require a strong will and unflinching desire to accomplish tasks. Many Firebenders rely on a drive that keeps them going, which they use as power for their bending. It is known for being one of the most offensive bending techniques, utilising offensive moves to deter their opponent.

It's most notable sub-type is lightning bending, which is the ability to generate and manipulate lightning bolts. Some Firebenders can also perform energy readings to diagnose and heal spiritual damage.

### Airbending

**Airbending** is the is the aerokinetic ability to control and manipulate air. Airbenders are typically pacifistic and peaceful types, using Airbending for everyday life and is usually utilised for support and defence in combat. The best Airbenders tend be dexterous and have high agility, allowing for dynamic and fast moves. Airbenders can manipulate everything from wind to hurricanes to clouds.

It's sub-types include: soundbending, the ability to generate and amplify soundwaves; cloudsurfing, the ability to generate clouds that an airbender can use as transportation; flight, the ability to levitate from the ground without assistance; spiritual projection, the ability to project one's spirit from their body and travel with permeance; and empathy, the ability to read and sense someone's spirit to discern emotions, motives, and thoughts and memories.

### Waterbending

**Waterbending** is the hydrokinetic ability to control water in all of its various forms. Waterbenders use the moon to power their abilities and are dynamic for being great at both offensive and defensive techniques, by turning their opponents own forces against them. Waterbenders should be trained for its versatility and strength to employ defensive techniques and turn them into offensive. Many properties can be waterbended, from ice to clouds to mud, even plants and sweat.

It's sub-types include: healing, the ability to speed up the healing process of physical wounds; bloodbending, the ability to control the blood within a person's body; and plantbending, the ability to manipulate the water found inside and control plants.

## Amplification

Bending is fragile and requires training of the inner sense in order to utilise properly. In the proper circumstances, bending could be amplified to varying degrees of strength - which can be good, but also dangerous and difficult to control - whilst other situations can lead to a loss of strength in bending or complete loss overall. The latter is based upon the elements source of power and its meaning.

All bending can be amplified by various situations and circumstances. Spiritual events can increase strength of bending power, with circumstances such as Harmonic Convergence, or cosmic events such as Sozin's Comet that amplifies Firebending.

In addition, emotion is a key part of bending strength - particular for fire and water. If a bender is subjected to high emotional turbulence - from anger to grief to sadness to fear - then powers could be increased. Airbenders may find themselves conjuring high winds or small tornadoes; Waterbenders may break ice around them or create strong current in the waves; Earthbenders could smash chunks of walls or form cracks under feet and hands; Firebenders could increase the augmentation of fires in front of them, or even create fire on accident through their nose or breath.

## Loss of Ability

In terms of loss of power, this is dependent on circumstances and situations that occur to the bender.

Airbenders lose their powers when they have freedom taken away. This could be literally or metaphorically. Those forced into cells or chained up may find their strength drain the longer they are there. Other things metaphorically could lose their powers - such as restrictions placed upon them by themselves or other people, or things holding them back from their potential. In addition, Airbenders can also lose their powers by losing touch with their spiritual side and becoming more 'grounded' into materialistic things or violent ways (as displayed by rogue Airbender Jesa, Avatar Kyoshi's mother).

Waterbenders lose their strength when they have their ability for change removed. The key part of Waterbending is to be able to change and adapt to circumstances that occur. If a Waterbender essentially comes to a standstill in life, never pushing forward, then they cannot bend water. If they give up on circumstances and cannot adapt to the change of the world, then their powers begin to weaken. The Waterbenders rely on the push and pull of the waves - if they cannot push, they cannot pull, so they cannot bend.

Earthbending is based on substance, and their bending works by having the same stubbornness of a rock. If an Earthbender loses their confidence that they WILL move that rock, they lose their powers. Confidence in their abilities is key to Earthbending and without it, they cannot force the stubborn rock to move.

Firebending is the element of power and is fuelled by a drive - the will to achieve something. If a Firebender loses their drive, their passion and their will to accomplish something, then they lose their Firebending strength. A Firebender must always have passion in something - whether in a person, or in a goal or task - and use the passion to succeed to fuel their flames.

## Awakening

Awakening is an extremely rare phenomenon that occurs when a person finds their bending powers suddenly evolve and achieve greater feats of strength and power than before. This feat is rare as it can only occur under extreme conditions and catalysts, usually being life-threatening situations that can cause extreme emotional stress. An Awakening could be as sudden as a snap of fingers, or an eventual process, or could occur days - or even weeks - after the trauma itself.

When an Awakening occurs, powers related to bending will suddenly be increased. Bending strength may drastically improve with almost no warning, or they may able to access powers or sub-types of bending they haven't had little or even any practice in before. Many who undergo an Awakening will claim as though they are ‘reborn’, and may be subjected to feeling alienated or have complete overhauls to their personality and motivations.

An Awakening almost always occurs after spiritual awakening and the unblocking of the chi, as it allows the chi to flow better through the body and amplify powers.

An example of an Awakening is Katara, who found herself becoming an adept Bloodbender despite having no prior training and even overpowered the creator of Bloodbending itself, Hama. Another example as part of the roleplay includes Nico Tshomo, who experienced an Awakening after a near-death experience in the Boiling Rock and was able to harness his Empath powers.

Genji Yamada also experienced an Awakening after unblocking his chakras, thus giving him controlled access to the Avatar State.

## The Avatar

The Avatar is a rare exception to the bending arts, as they are the only one who is able to bend all four elements (as well as Energybending, if obtained). The Avatar contains a spirit within themselves, known as Raavaa, who 'holds on' to the bending abilities so the Avatar has access to it.

The Avatar is a unique individual born in immediate succession in a complete sequence of the four original nations - the Fire Nation, the Air Nation, the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom. Typically, an Avatar will be revealed of their true identity once they turn sixteen so they may begin their training - although this has not been the case for the past three generations, where the Avatar has learnt of their identity at a different age instead (12 for Aang, 4 for Korra, 20 for Genji).

Citizens of the nations regard the Avatar in high honor, viewing them as a herald for peace keeping and resolving disputes, wars or political problems due to their status and raw power.

## Real Life Combatative Counterparts

### Airbending

Airbending is based on the Baguazhang style of martial arts. Bagua fighters are known for moving in a circle and constantly spinning back and forth which can create tornado-like Airbending moves. It makes it difficult for opponents to attack directly or land a blow, a philosophy that is prevalent within airbending as well. he staff techniques are derived from Chinese northern staff or gunshu. The northern staff style includes lots of swinging, flowering, and slicing movements.

### Waterbending

Waterbending, specifcally Northern and Southern Waterbending, is based on a style of *taijiquan* martial arts, or usually known as *tai chi.* It features slow movements and elegant forms that evoke the feel of flowing water. In taijiquan, the qi must flow through the body like water, and the energy is driven from the internal balance and by breathing. The waterbender's main advantage is the ease with which he or she can control his or her opponent, not simply harming them.

Republic City style is similar but invokes more mixed martial arts fighting which is likely unique to the user. Foggy Swamp style isn't really known but is guessed to be similar to tai chi, instead utilising a style of waterbending that features rigid and straight motions rather than smooth and flowing ones.

Wayfinder style is unique to this server and utilises a different form altogether, using a mix of Capoiera and tai chi. The core of Wayfinder Style is still reminiscent of Northern or Southern Style of Waterbending, with an emphasis on turning the opponent's energy against them, but utilizes almost dance-like movements, keeping to that "core" of flowing between offense to defense, while emphasizing offense.

### Earthbending

Earthbending usually utilises Hung Gar style of kung fu by featuring "heavily rooted stances and strong kicks and punches that evoke the mass and power of earth." Hung Gar itself parallels animal movements such as the tiger's hard blows and the crane's affinity to landing gracefully on the earth.

Some Earthbenders may utilise Chow Gar, better known as Southern Praying Mantis, which is a more he aggressive, close-range style whilst allowing a precise stepping skill which Toph, the first known user, uses to maintain constant contact with the ground and "see". Those utilising Sesmic Sense will use this style for the aforementioned reason.

Both Earthbending stances utilise something called neutral jing, which enables the practitioner to predict their opponent's next move and subsequently move accordingly to either strike before the attack is made or move in the same direction with the attack and effectively neutralize it.

### Firebending

Firebending is based on Northern Shaolin style known as shaolinquan. It is an external style that uses long, aggressive techniques that explode and drive through the opponent whilst it emphasizes "kicking over hand fighting", or prioritizing one's legwork as opposed to the arms. Aspects of the firebending combat style can be seen through a similar emphasis on highly technical kicking strikes, fundamentally strong movements, and the usage of swift, direct maneuvers.

Close quarters firebending and distanced firebending combat use completely different styles of the bending art. This ranges from Changquan, which uses  acrobatics and agile, graceful movements, Southern Dragon Claw, used to mirror a dragon 'swooping down on its prey' with close-range techniques that utilises hands, and Xingyiquan which incorporates the classic 'Seven Stars' of the body - hands, feet, elbows, hips, knees, shoulders, and head.