Lesson Five
Earthbending
Earth is the element of substance, strength, persistence and stamina. Earthbending as a skill is the art of manipulating rock and earth, making it change form, density and so on. It is mostly practised in Earth Kingdom.
Unlike Water’s, Earth’s source of bending is an animal, a badgermole. The badgermoles are blind animals that live underground; they make tunnels with their Earthbending skills in order to move around. Since they cannot see anything, they use the ability of “seismic sense”. The main key to Earthbending is listening and waiting for the right moment.
Unlike Water’s, Earth’s source of bending is an animal, a badgermole. The badgermoles are blind animals that live underground; they make tunnels with their Earthbending skills in order to move around. Since they cannot see anything, they use the ability of “seismic sense”. The main key to Earthbending is listening and waiting for the right moment.
Humans learnt Earthbending by watching the badgermoles, they tried to imitate them in order to shift earth or rock. The first human Earthbenders are Oma and Shu, you could have seen their legend in the previous lesson.
We have many Earthbending styles; some of which are: Rockbending, Mineralbending, Lavabending, Sandbending, Metalbending and Seismic Sense.
Rockbending
Rockbending allows a person to control stone, rock… actually any kind of earth. It is the major and most common technique of Earthbending. It requires strong stance and good support. Waterbenders use a similar technique to bend ice.
Mineralbending
Mineralbending is the art of bending minerals. That term has a really large range of meanings. For example: bending crystal, minerals inside plants, ores and coal. When I say crystal I don’t mean crystal glass, I mean jennamite and untreated crystals. Coal, even if it is made of wood is an Earthbending source, because it has changed its chemical structure, it is more earth and stone-like, the older the coal is the easier it is to work with it.
Metalbending
Metalbending was invented by Toph Beifong, it is tightly connected to Seismic Sense. You have to feel the presence of earth inside metal to be able to bend it. That’s why it’s really hard to shift it, and yet, you cannot use all the moves and techniques you use while Rockbending.
Lavabending
When I say Lavabending I think it is really clear what I mean. Lavabending is the ability to direct, shape, move and control lava, since it is only molten rock, some Firebenders can control lava too. This doesn’t mean that Earthbenders can only control lava, any molten rock, stone, mineral, crystal or similar counts as Lavabending, too.
Sandbending
Sandbending is really popular among the people who live in deserts; the people of the Shi Wong Desert are great Sandbenders. Sandbending itself is very similar to Airbending, since it doesn’t require strong stance, and it doesn’t really work like Rock or Mineralbending.
Seismic sense
Seismic sense represents the skill of “feeling” the earth. Master Beifong invented this technique by observing badgermoles who are completely blind; they sense the earth and shift it as they wish. It is one of the most advanced Earthbending techniques and it belongs to avatar – master category.
The greatest Earthbender was Toph Beifong. Master Beifong was born blind, and at young age she run away from home, she managed to get to a cave and meet badgermoles, very soon after, she imitated them, and learnt to “see with her feet”. She could actually feel every vibration, every step and every voice, that’s that Earthbending is about – Listening and waiting.
Last Earthbender Avatar was Avatar Kyoshi.