Talk:Airbending/@comment-76.24.189.176-20120121100340/@comment-4521003-20120212040358

You're still missing the part where Firebenders control fire, not smoke or gas. Air and smoke are not fire.

I was under the impression that breathing was important because in any discipline, control of the breath is essential for power and control. Martial arts, sports, sharpshooting, and many other things all involve breath control. When Iroh told Zuko that power in Firebending comes from the breath, he didn't mean that breath control is only significant to Firebenders. He meant that power in Firebending does not come from anger, and that breath is where Zuko should be drawing his power and control. The effect of breath control in Firebending is internal, and not related to the air actually breathed. Proper breath control in any activity focuses the mind and body, and I imagine focus would be important when bending such a dangerous element.

Good job trying to find comparisons for your argument. However, your analogy that 'Smokebending' and 'Gasbending' only need to be invented is not accurate. What makes Metalbending possible is that metal is still made of earth . Smoke and gases are not made of fire in any way, nor is fire made of smoke or gas. Since there is no fire to bend, Firebenders would not be able to bend smoke or gas in any way.

I also found your comparison to 'Mudbending' interesting, but it still doesn't have the relevance. The reason Waterbenders and Earthbenders can both bend mud is because there is water and earth for them to bend. Only an Airbender could bend the gases because there is no fire in the gases that a Firebender could bend. An Airbender could also control smoke by bending the air in which the smoke is suspended, but not by bending the smoke itself.

You seem to really want your theory to be true, even though it is quite a stretch. Why?