Non-Combat Arts

Seismic Sense

Seismic sense is a sub-skill of earthbending that constitutes for physical sense. This skill enables earthbenders to detect vibrations in the ground to perceive objects, people, and other aspects of their environment, essentially acting as sonar, but through the earth. As the badgermoles were the original earthbenders, they were also the first users of seismic sense. Naturally blind, these creatures used this ability to navigate their dark world.

The first and foremost of seismic sense's applications is the ability to perceive surroundings. By sensing vibrations in the ground, earthbenders can perceive their surroundings as precisely as normal sight, and in some cases with even greater clarity. The advantage of the sense over normal sight is that practitioners are able to pick up things that are barely visible or even imperceptible to the naked eye as well as things out of their line of sight. Obstacles that would normally obstruct regular vision, such as walls and thick dust clouds, are rendered ineffective against seismic sense. Seismic sense does not only provide surface vision, as the vibrations also travel underground, enabling the user to effectively detect caverns and other deep subterranean cavities.


Secondary Uses

While originally the basis of Metalbending, this is no longer the case; as the training for Metalbending has evolved to such a point that Seismic Sensing skills are no longer required.

Since humans have a physical reaction when they lie, such as a heightened heart rate, earthbenders who have perfected this skill are able to lock on to those physiological changes and tell whether or not a person is lying.[5] However, these reactions can be suppressed by individuals with great control over their emotions, rendering even the most skilled seismic sense practitioner unable to tell if a statement is a lie.


Limitations

Seismic sense is not without its limitations. The practitioner must always be in direct contact with solid earth to use the sense at all and the ability only detects things if they are in contact with the same mass of earth the user is contacting, or made of earthen materials. Non-earthen objects floating in water or thrown into the air are undetectable, unless by extrapolation from the detected positions of the launching point. If the user is in the air or water, or even standing on a non-earth solid such as ice, the bender will be unable to sense anything through that substance. Although allowing the user to detect their surroundings in detail, the sub-skill does not allow for perception of facial features or written characters, due to the fact that they are not made of or in contact with earth. Sand, although an earthern substance, is not firm like normal earth, and renders seismic sense "fuzzy" and very imprecise for earthbenders who are not used to bending it. Uninterrupted contact with the ground is preferred for the user - an object such as a shoe sole interferes with the sense. Lie detection is not possible on a sandy surface.


Requirements

• Must be an Earthbender to self-teach or learn from the Badgermoles.
  
• Must be taught by either an Earthbender or the Badgermoles.
  
• Can be unlocked at Acolyte.*
  
• Training: 2000 words (Human Teacher), 4000 words (Badgermoles)
  

*Blind Earthbenders may start with Seismic Sense as a Novice; however this is only allowed if they undertake a Flashback or Current time quest to learn from Badgermoles or a Master-level or higher Earthbender with Seismic sense.

Chi Blocking

Chi Blocking is an ancient technique that has been practiced in secret for centuries. It is a special ability that Ty Lee, and later the Equalists, utilized in combat against their enemies. Blocking someone's chi renders the victim's muscles useless and temporarily disables a bender's abilities. This earned Katara's fear and spite after Ty Lee blocked her chi in Omashu. Chi blocking is mainly used by non-benders as a way of self-defense or even an attack form.

Method
Chi blocking is utilized by hitting pressure points with quick jabs and punches, and must be done rapidly, often giving little time for the recipient to react. A master of this fighting style can attack those pressure points with relatively light jabs using thier fingers and knuckles. Even people wearing strong, but not necessarily heavy, armor are not spared from its effects. Any fingers can be used, such as a index or thumb; with practice, one could even use thier feet to disable others' chi flow with a swing of the foot.

Although a very useful method of fighting, chi blocking is most effective against an opponent not expecting such a light blow to be so devastating. It is less effective against someone who either knows chi blocking or who has battled a chi blocker in the past. Additionally, chi blocking cannot work against an opponent wearing specialized armor.

Effects
Chi blocking stops a bender's chi flow, reduces their muscular strength, and disables their bending abilities temporarily; this would be particularly devastating for people who rely solely on their bending to fight.

Depending on the level of mastery, it is possible to block the opponent's chi to certain degrees: It is very possible to block someone's chi to the point of simply disabling thier bending, or to the point of disabling thier bending and preventing them from moving the attacked limb. It stands to reason that if the latter method is used on the spine, it is very possible to to paralyze the entire body.

Though non-benders can also have their chi flow blocked, there are some differences in effect. Whereas chi blocking would temporarily stop a bender from bending, performing the act upon a non-bender in certain spots results in the loss of voluntary movement in that part of their body. The effect occur slower, and only afflict the struck areas.

Chi Blocking in Combat

Chi blocking is in many ways the civilian's answer to countering element benders. By utilizing knowledge of the human body and the flow of the ki throw the body's chakra network, a person is able to paralyze both muscle and bending ability via a series of precisesly delivered strikes to pressure points and chakra gates. While a powerful tool, Chi Blocking is not perfect; the user's skills determine the sucess of the blocking; and without the practice needed to create perfect muscle memory of the movements needed to block, the chi blocker is inefficient and unable to block large numbers of people quickly. Chi blocking is only effective if you are able to make physical contact with the target; and as such, it is rarely, if ever, effective on anyone of a higher rank then yourself. If the situation allows, and an adequate (as determined by staff) description of how you were able to do so is given, a chi blocker will be allowed to effect, within the confines of thier own rank abilities, someone of a higher rank.

The currently accepted site standard for the number of people able to be chi blocked by one chi blocker per post are as follows:

Novice: 1
Adept: 2
Acolyte: 4
Master: 6
Grandmaster: 8

To reitterate, the preceding numbers are merely the number of people able to be chi blocked in any form by a single chi blocker of each rank. The following guide will give the level of chi blocking; the amount of paralysis over the body or the level of bending blocking possible for each rank.

Novice: Single limb effect: they are only able to paralyze or remove the bending from a single limb
Adept: Two limb effect: the chi blocker can paralyze or remove the bending from any two limbs of the body
Acolyte: All limbs: the four limbs can be paralyzed and bending stopped; however this will not effect bending via the mouth or the Grandmaster able to bend via small movements not tied to the limbs
Master: Body: the chi blocking Master can paralyze the entire body from the neck down, without effecting the ability to breathe
Grandmaster: Perfect paralysis: The entire body, facial movements, and throat based bending are completly stopped. No movement is possible, no bending is possible. Can be lethal if the blocker stops the heart or lungs.