Talk:Bending arts/@comment-110.55.11.203-20120214045044/@comment-76.24.189.176-20120219045514

Not sure I agree with the fact that the elements or martial arts are good against each other. I think it depends on the one using them and how they choose to do so. At the very least I believe they can be manipulated to be strong against their supposed weaknesses (or at least use their weaknesses to their advantage) and weak against their supposed strengths. If the elements themselves were to be weak or strong against each other than that description would likely be accurate.

However I believe the reverse could also be true. For example, earth's naturally high density could be used to expose air as a lighter, less dense element with less natural weight. Another example would be air controlling the flame's oxygen supply or a disrupting lightning with air density (electricity doesn't like to travel through air, particularly dense air.) Fire could also use heat and lightning to become strong against water, or a waterbender could use high water pressure to break through solid rock. So I believe that weaknesses and stregnths when relating to bending are more based on how most of the benders of that element generally use it, rather than that element's properties. Everything is relative. But again, if there was an order you would probably have gotten it right.

The martial arts are much like bending in that it can be used by the person in certain way and that effects what each martial art can do. Northern Shaolin Kung Fu is also a very high speed and agility based style so it isn't the only martial art in that category, so that is an example of how single characteristics can apply to more than one thing. It really is not that simple as one martial art defeats another. However, you could make the case that the fighting styles of each martial art generally match up in a certain way. You would have gotten the cycle right in that respect. I would exclude Southern Praying Mantis from it as that more more a specialty of a single earthbender (Toph) rather than representing earthbending as a whole.

I did like your analyses though and it showed thought. The only thing I don't agree with is really that I don't view these things as so black and white. I think it depends on how they are used so I don't think you can just say this one thing describes this, or this thing is good or bad against this. I mean Aang kicked Zuko's firebending butt with just airbending plenty of times. Don't forget that other martial arts can be applied to the elements as well and could completely change everything. But if the elements were weak and strong against each other in a cycle, then you most likely would have gotten it right. It is not so simple with the martial arts either, but I think you would have gotten that cycle right as well. I just think it's not that simple.