Beifong Metalbending Academy

The Beifong Metalbending Academy was an instructional facility founded by Toph Beifong shortly after the conclusion of the Hundred Year War, intended to provide earthbenders with a way of learning the art of metalbending. It was located near the city of Yu Dao, a Fire Nation colony in the western Earth Kingdom.

History
Before the end of the Hundred Year War, the Beifong Metalbending Academy was a firebending dojo owned by Master Kunyo; however, following Fire Lord Zuko's postwar enforcement of the Harmony Restoration Movement, Kunyo and his students departed the building.

About one year after the end of the Hundred Year War, Toph arrived in Yu Dao and founded her academy in this building, using it to teach the newfound art of metalbending to others. Toph's main motive for creating the academy was to boss people around, which she enjoyed. However, the more noble reason was that she would help earthbenders reach their potential as metalbenders. When Toph reunited with the group as they were on their way to Yu Dao to assess the situation there, Toph temporarily left the school, ordering her three students, Ho Tun, The Dark One, and Penga, to practice their stances in her absence.

Sokka accompanied her upon her return to the school, and they were just in time to find the students on their way out. Coming down on them for assuming they were abandoning their training, the students defended themselves by saying that they were not leaving, but rather had been kicked out by a rivaling school of firebenders, Master Kunyo's Firebending Dojo. Master Kunyo had reclaimed the school in Toph's absence. He explained that it was a firebending school that he abandoned because of the movement's enforcement, however, now that the Fire Lord had withdrawn his support for the plan, Master Kunyo and his disciples were set on reclaiming the building, stating that it was rightfully theirs. Before Toph and Kunyo could commence in a battle over the school and subsequently destroy the building, Sokka intervened and proposed to let the students fight for the rights of the building as opposed to the sifus. He proposed a "match to the sit", meaning that whichever team of students got another student to sit down first would win the match and the school.

The duel was to take place three days after that first encounter, and Sokka and Toph used this time to train the students. However, their efforts to make them metalbend proved to be unsuccessful. On the evening prior to the match, Toph realized that she was forcing her students to be something they were not, just like her parents had forced her to be something she was not. She decided to forfeit the right to the school the next day to the firebending academy.

When Master Kunyo and his disciples returned the next day, Toph was about to sit without fighting them, but was halted at the last second by a metal coin to the butt, bended by Ho Tun. Much to her surprise, her teachings of metalbending had clicked with her students overnight, and with the ability to metalbend on their side, Toph's three students decisively defended the school and won against the three firebending students, allowing their sifu to recover the building's possession.

Layout and description
The academy was a fairly small rectangular building located on a mountain outside of Yu Dao, which could be reached by a long series of steps. It was made out of white painted stone, boasting green roof tiles, and paper windows. It seemed to have about four rooms, each with a window looking out toward the city. From the academy, it was possible to see the gates of Yu Dao.

There was a bunker located underneath the building which was used by Master Kunyo as a storage room for metal firebender armor for the children.

Known students

 * Ho Tun
 * Penga
 * The Dark One