Showing posts tagged bending arts

sifu-kisu:

;)

(Reblogged from sifu-kisu)
The Document at the end of “The Avatar and the Firelord” There are only four characters visible on the document. The things is, I do not know if that is one word, or the end of a word and the beginning of a second word. So, I’ve listed some of the possibilities. Oddly enough the message does not change much, no matter which way you read it. On the right: Together: 威胁to threaten; to menace Alone:    威power; might; prestige As the end of a word:示威to demonstrate (as a protest); a demonstration; a military show of force 权威authority; authoritative; power and prestige 助威to cheer for; to encourage; to boost the morale of 国威national prestige Alone:胁 flank (the side of one’s torso); to coerce; to threaten As the beginning of a word: 胁迫coerce; compel 胁持to hold under duress 胁从犯induced accomplice; coerced accomplice; accomplice under duress On the left: 功师 功 is the end of ‘bending’, 师 means teacher/master It is (presumably) referring to the Air Nomads. 神功 bending 水神功 Waterbending 血神功 Bloodbending 土神功 Earthbending 冶金神功 Metalbending 火神功 Firebending 气神功 Airbending More: Click me View high resolution

The Document at the end of “The Avatar and the Firelord”

There are only four characters visible on the document. The things is, I do not know if that is one word, or the end of a word and the beginning of a second word. So, I’ve listed some of the possibilities. Oddly enough the message does not change much, no matter which way you read it.

On the right:

Together:
威胁to threaten; to menace

Alone:
    威power; might; prestige

As the end of a word:
示威to demonstrate (as a protest); a demonstration; a military show of force

权威authority; authoritative; power and prestige

助威to cheer for; to encourage; to boost the morale of

国威national prestige

Alone:
胁 flank (the side of one’s torso); to coerce; to threaten

As the beginning of a word:
胁迫coerce; compel

胁持to hold under duress

胁从犯induced accomplice; coerced accomplice; accomplice under duress

On the left:

功师


功 is the end of ‘bending’,

师 means teacher/master

It is (presumably) referring to the Air Nomads.


神功 bending

水神功 Waterbending

血神功 Bloodbending

土神功 Earthbending

冶金神功 Metalbending

火神功 Firebending

气神功 Airbending


More: Click me

sifu-kisu: I love this one 截水神功練習第一式 translates as “Waterbending, Exercise One”  水單鞭 translates as “single water whip” View high resolution

sifu-kisu:

I love this one

截水神功練習第一式 translates as “Waterbending, Exercise One” 

水單鞭 translates as “single water whip”

(Reblogged from sifu-kisu)

Sparky Sparky Boom Man aka Combustion Man controls his bending via his ‘third eye’.

The third eye (also known as the inner eye) refers to a dharmic spiritual tradition (e.g. in Hinduism) where the third eye also known as ajna chakra. The anja chakra stands for ‘command’ or ‘summoning’. It is located around the middle of the forehead, slightly above the junction of the eyebrows. The third eye is often associated with religious visions, clairvoyance, the ability to observe chakras and auras, precognition, and out-of-body experiences.

Fun fact: Some animals (like bullfrogs) have a non-spiritual version of a third eye called parietal eye.

Image source: One

Air Bending: Fighting

All Bending Arts in ATLA contain defensive and offensive moves:

When Aang fights with Hi De, On Ji’s boyfriend, he defends himself using Ba Gua Zhang i.e. Wu  Dang style martial arts. This style is famous for its ‘circle walking’ i.e. avoiding the opponents strikes by staying behind their back. Aang demonstrates it rather well in the gifs.


The Bending Arts: Airbending

Airbending is based on Ba Gua Zhang

Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice (or neijia gong). Bāguà zhǎng literally means “eight trigram palm,” referring to the trigrams of the Yijing (I Ching), one of the canons of Taoism.[1]

Look, it’s the creators talking:


How does bending work?

Regarding a previous anonymous question, how can you you be sure that genetics is not at all involved in bending? It seems kinda unrealistic to say that it’s completely based in spirituality. I know that there is a blogger who creates a very interesting genetics theory for bending that would explain how non-benders could produce benders and how benders could produce non-benders. What makes you so sure that genetics aren’t at all involved?

One more time:

A) Bending is not based on real world science, it works how the creators say it works. It is not gravity. 

B) It is genetic as in that humans can do it, just like badgermoles and dragons and sky-bisons can, but rabbaroos cannot.

The creators point out multiple times that it is linked to spirituality and learning/developing it. Everyone has the spark, it is up to ‘you’ to develop it. It is important to them that it cannot be lineage.

Interview

BK: Mike and I just got new puppies. They’re brothers. They have the same mother and father. Same litter. Mike’s dog can just sit in a crate and be happy as a clam. My dog just loses all control…everything. Who knows why these things happen? They’re beyond our full understanding.

MDD: Yeah, Katara’s mom and dad weren’t benders. Maybe it’s a recessive gene. I’ve always seen it as more spiritual connections, though. A little bit mysterious…

BK: I mean we’ve definitely talked about it. I think, again, sometimes we might not know…it’s more of what we don’t want it to be. We didn’t want it to be like there is a lineage…a royal family or something…and these people can bend and then there’s everyone else as non-bending, people who never will. Some sort of caste system. Mike and I are more attracted to more of the flux type universe. The only constant is change, variation, that sorta thing. I’m sure it’s a bunch of factors.

***Interviewers note: About 20 mins after the interview, Bryan came back to me and we spoke a little more about the basis of bending off recorder. He described bending as more of a talent. You have some genetic basis for potential, but you could go your whole life without developing the talent into ability. Some people have more inherent talent than others, while others with minimal inherent talent can still develop it through hard work and practice. He reiterated a connection to the spiritual energies is the underlying basis. How it manifests is based on upbringing and experience.


So, bending is related to spirituality i.e. anyone can theoretically learn how to bend. And yes, I think this is important and will potentially be the solution to the Amon issue.

Avataraang has a nice little list:

HOW DOES BENDING WORK? — Three important things to know about bending, first it’s not genetic, second spirituality is key and third you must have parents from the nation that element is native to. Also only the Avatar can bend 4 elements, and no, Aang’s children can’t inherit that. 

1) Bending is not genetic as it is shown in 1x14 that two identical twins (i.e. share the same genetic code) do not both bend. One can Earthbend, the other cannot. This eliminates the genetic factor. 

2) The key factor is spirituality. The Air Nomads had a 100% bending rate because their culture was so steeped in spirituality.

3) You must have parents from that nation. While I said it’s not genetic, you must obviously have the parents from a particular nation to be able to bend the element. Aang and Katara could never have a firebending kid because neither of them are from the Firenation. 

4) Children from a multicultural family can bend different elements. Aang and Katara’s children could be Airbenders, Waterbenders or non-benders. Mako and Bolin are brothers, but bend different elements.

Anonymous asked: Regarding a previous anonymous question, how can you you be sure that genetics is not at all involved in bending? It seems kinda unrealistic to say that it's completely based in spirituality. I know that there is a blogger who creates a very interesting genetics theory for bending that would explain how non-benders could produce benders and how benders could produce non-benders. What makes you so sure that genetics aren't at all involved?

Because. the. creators. said. so.

One more time: A) Bending is not based on real world science, it works how the creators say it works. It is not gravity. 

B) It is genetic as in that humans can do it, just like badgermoles and dragons and sky bisons cans, but rabbaroos cannot.

The creators point out multiple times that it is linked to spirituality and learning/developing it. Everyone has the spark, it is up to ‘you’ to develop it. It is important to them that it cannot be lineage.

Interview

BK: Mike and I just got new puppies. They’re brothers. They have the same mother and father. Same litter. Mike’s dog can just sit in a crate and be happy as a clam. My dog just loses all control…everything. Who knows why these things happen? They’re beyond our full understanding.

MDD: Yeah, Katara’s mom and dad weren’t benders. Maybe it’s a recessive gene. I’ve always seen it as more spiritual connections, though. A little bit mysterious…

BK: I mean we’ve definitely talked about it. I think, again, sometimes we might not know…it’s more of what we don’t want it to be. We didn’t want it to be like there is a lineage…a royal family or something…and these people can bend and then there’s everyone else as non-bending, people who never will. Some sort of caste system. Mike and I are more attracted to more of the flux type universe. The only constant is change, variation, that sorta thing. I’m sure it’s a bunch of factors.

***Interviewers note: About 20 mins after the interview, Bryan came back to me and we spoke a little more about the basis of bending off recorder. He described bending as more of a talent. You have some genetic basis for potential, but you could go your whole life without developing the talent into ability. Some people have more inherent talent than others, while others with minimal inherent talent can still develop it through hard work and practice. He reiterated a connection to the spiritual energies is the underlying basis. How it manifests is based on upbringing and experience.

Anonymous asked: Hello how are you? :) I have a question regarding the bending in ATLA, I was wondering if everyone in the 4 nations 'born' with the ability/power to bend or if it's something that people can learn? and also why some people can do this bending and other no, like Sokka and Katara that despite being brothers connected by the same blood just one them can do waterbending? why? Sorry for my English I hope the questions are not too confusing!

Bending is related to spirituality i.e. anyone can theoretically learn how to bend. And yes, I think this is important and will potentially be the solution to the Amon issue.

Avataraang has a nice little list:

HOW DOES BENDING WORK? — Three important things to know about bending, first it’s not genetic, second spirituality is key and third you must have parents from the nation that element is native to. Also only the Avatar can bend 4 elements, and no, Aang’s children can’t inherit that. 

1) Bending is not genetic as it is shown in 1x14 that two identical twins (i.e. share the same genetic code) do not both bend. One can Earthbend, the other cannot. This eliminates the genetic factor. 

2) The key factor is spirituality. The Air Nomads had a 100% bending rate because their culture was so steeped in spirituality.

3) You must have parents from that nation. While I said it’s not genetic, you must obviously have the parents from a particular nation to be able to bend the element. Aang and Katara could never have a firebending kid because neither of them are from the Firenation. 

4) Children from a multicultural family can bend different elements. Aang and Katara’s children could be Airbenders, Waterbenders or non-benders. Mako and Bolin are brothers, but bend different elements.

Airball - Overlap Between Airbending and Firebending Airbending Airbending is based on bagua zhuang. Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. … Bāguà zhǎng literally means “eight trigram palm,” referring to the trigrams of the Yijing (I Ching), one of the canons of Taoism. The bagua, as a symbol, can also be seen as the mosaic on Air Temple island. Baguazhang practitioners are known for their ability to “flow” in and out of the way of objects. … Baguazhang’s evasive nature is also shown by the practice of moving behind an attacker, so that the opponent cannot harm the practitioner. These flowing movements can be seen in airbending, but also in Aang’s fighting style. Further it is a reference to the avoidant part of Aang’s character and his element i.e. like air that flows around an obstacle, Aang prefers to find another way, instead of facing the problem head on. Airball and Firebending The poles we see are not used in bagua zhuang, but in gongfu. Why is this interesting? Because firebending is based on Shaolin gongfu. Firebending is based on Shaolin Gong Fu Those who practice Shaolinquan leap about with strength and force; people not proficient at this kind of training soon lose their breath and are exhausted. Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin. Aside from a few very well known systems, such as Xiao Hong Quan, the Da Hong Quan, Yin Shou Gun, Damo Sword, etc. after the loss of records during the 20th Century Cultural Revolution it would be almost impossible for a particular style to conclusively establish a connection to the Temple. I find the last sentence interesting, since both, Fire Nation Firebending and Gongfu have lost their connection to their source. Now what could that mean? What we have here is an overlap in martial arts styles in the bending arts. Well, a simple explanation would be a goof, but if you want you could read deeper meaning into it: The overlap between bending Uncle mentions (Him learning from the waterbenders) and the deeper interconnection between the elements. Image source: One More: Greetings and shows of respect in ATLA Airbending Firebending View high resolution

Airball - Overlap Between Airbending and Firebending


Airbending

Airbending is based on bagua zhuang.

Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. … Bāguà zhǎng literally means “eight trigram palm,” referring to the trigrams of the Yijing (I Ching), one of the canons of Taoism.

The bagua, as a symbol, can also be seen as the mosaic on Air Temple island.

Baguazhang practitioners are known for their ability to “flow” in and out of the way of objects. … Baguazhang’s evasive nature is also shown by the practice of moving behind an attacker, so that the opponent cannot harm the practitioner.

These flowing movements can be seen in airbending, but also in Aang’s fighting style. Further it is a reference to the avoidant part of Aang’s character and his element i.e. like air that flows around an obstacle, Aang prefers to find another way, instead of facing the problem head on.

Airball and Firebending

The poles we see are not used in bagua zhuang, but in gongfu. Why is this interesting? Because firebending is based on Shaolin gongfu.

Firebending is based on Shaolin Gong Fu

Those who practice Shaolinquan leap about with strength and force; people not proficient at this kind of training soon lose their breath and are exhausted.

Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin. Aside from a few very well known systems, such as Xiao Hong Quan, the Da Hong Quan, Yin Shou Gun, Damo Sword, etc. after the loss of records during the 20th Century Cultural Revolution it would be almost impossible for a particular style to conclusively establish a connection to the Temple.

I find the last sentence interesting, since both, Fire Nation Firebending and Gongfu have lost their connection to their source.

Now what could that mean?

What we have here is an overlap in martial arts styles in the bending arts.

Well, a simple explanation would be a goof, but if you want you could read deeper meaning into it: The overlap between bending Uncle mentions (Him learning from the waterbenders) and the deeper interconnection between the elements.

Image source: One

More: Greetings and shows of respect in ATLA

Airbending

Firebending

Chi and Healing - Waterbending The healing technique we see Katara learn at the Northern Watertribe is based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine idea of chi and chi meridians. In traditional Chinese culture, qì (also chi or ch’i) is an active principle forming part of any living thing.Chi is frequently translated as life energy or life-force. It is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the body has natural patterns of chi that circulate in channels called meridians. These meridians are what the waterbenders use for healing and which Ty Lee blocks with her chi-blocking moves. Image source: One View high resolution

Chi and Healing - Waterbending

The healing technique we see Katara learn at the Northern Watertribe is based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine idea of chi and chi meridians.

In traditional Chinese culture, qì (also chi or ch’i) is an active principle forming part of any living thing.

Chi is frequently translated as life energy or life-force. It is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the body has natural patterns of chi that circulate in channels called meridians.



These meridians are what the waterbenders use for healing and which Ty Lee blocks with her chi-blocking moves.

Image source: One