#Chu Gar Praying mantis

[wildlyresonantspell]

The blind Bandit!

[murkysummer-ice99]

The highly capable blind 12 year old!

[91062854-ka]

Ceres (Voiced by: Laura Bailey)

Biographical information

Aliases:

June Pippinpaddleopsicopolis

Hiromi

Nickname: Fairy Feet (by Toph)

Nationality: Southern Air Temple

Ethnicity: Air Nomad

Age:

116 (biologically 16)

117-118 (biologically 17-18) in The Promise trilogy

119-120 (biologically 19-20) in The Search and The Rift trilogies

170 (biologically 70) at death

Born: 12 BG before Aang

Physical description

Eye color: Gray

Hair color: Dark brown

Skin color: Light

Personal information

Gender: Woman

Love interest: Zuko

Family:

Gyatso (Father figure)

Aang (Younger brother)

Allies:

Aang, Appa, Kaida, Katara, Momo, Sokka, Tenzin, Toph, Zuko, King Bumi, Bumi, Gyatso, Hakoda, Iroh, Kya, Suki, Kuzon, lion turtle, all Guardians, more ...

Enemies:

Azula, Ozai, Zuko (formerly in the future), Combustion Man, Long Feng, Sozin, Yakone, Zhao, Joo Dee, the Dai Li, more ...

Weapon of choice:

The elements, metal, glider staff

Fighting styles:

Airbending, waterbending (Northern and Southern style), earthbending (Chu Gar Praying Mantis Kung Fu), metalbending, firebending (Dancing Dragon), bloodbending (resigned from use), lightning redirection, energybending

Political information

Profession:

Air Nomad culture teacher

Airbending instructor

Guardian

Monk

Position:

Co-founder of the United Republic of Nations

Fully Realized Guardian

Fire Lady

Predecessor:

Sora (as the Guardian)

Successor:

Katrina (as the Guardian)

Affiliation:

Air Acolytes

Air Nomads

Air Scouts (formerly)

Team Avatar

Ceres was an Air Nomad born in 12 BG and the Guardian of her younger brother, Avatar Aang during the Hundred Year War, succeeding Guardian Sora and preceding Guardian Katrina. As the Guardian of her time, she was the second person capable of using all four bending arts: airbending, waterbending, earthbending, and firebending. She was also one of a select few Guardians and one of the first in many cycles to learn the ancient art of energybending as well as the first Guardian known to have actively used the technique.

Shortly before the beginning of the Hundred Year War, Ceres was frozen in an iceberg with Aang for a hundred years; she later emerged, still biologically sixteen years old, into a world engulfed by war. During her absence, the Fire Nation had waged war upon the other nations and managed to completely wipe out the pacifistic Air Nomads. It fell to Ceres and her brother, the Avatar and the Guardian, and the last two airbenders, to end the War by mastering the other three elements and defeating Fire Lord Ozai.

She remained a kind and good-hearted girl at heart throughout her year-long struggle, despite the overwhelming loss of her people, the heavy burdens she was forced to bear, and looking after her younger brother. After her victory over the Phoenix King, Ceres began a romantic relationship with Fire Lord Zuko. The couple eventually married and raised a family of three children: Izumi, the oldest, a nonbender who became Fire Lord later in life; Kuzon, a firebender; and the youngest, Gyatso, an airbender.

History:

Ceres was born to two Air Nomads in 12 BG. After selecting the Guardian relics from among thousands of toys, thereby inadvertently confirming her identity as the Guardian, she was taken away by the monks of the Western Air Temple, who kept her position a secret from her to the Southern Air Temple. As an Air Nomad, Ceres traveled extensively around the world. During her childhood, Ceres was housed, raised, and educated at the Southern Air Temple, under the guardianship of Monk Gyatso, who served as her father figure, counselor, and tutor.

As a child, Ceres was a member of the Air Scouts, where she learned essential skills such as how to tie reins to a bison's horns with the bison horn knot. After some time, she and several other young Air Nomad girls were taken to the Eastern Air Temple where they each chose a sky bison as their lifelong companion. On that day, Ceres named her bison Kaida, thus marking the start of their deep and lifelong friendship.

Ceres was always able to excel at any new bending moves she learned; at the age of six, she was a better airbender than children twice her age, and by the age of ten, Ceres had proven herself to be better than her own teachers. She earned airbending tattoos and the status of an airbending master by the age of ten for exhibiting prodigious talent with her native element, making her the youngest airbending master in Air Nomad history, next to Aang. Later on, she meets her newborn brother, Aang and with Gyatso, Ceres helps raised Aang, forming a strong bond.

As she raises Aang, she discovers that he selected the Avatar relics from among thousands of toys, thereby inadvertently confirming that Aang is the Avatar. Over the years, their bond became deeper as Ceres sees Aang as her son while Aang sees Ceres as his mother, since Ceres sings him songs, dancing with him, play with him and looking out for him to keep Aang safe so he doesn't hurt himself.

In her teen years, Ceres and Aang also visited the other air temples, as evidenced by his obvious familiarity with the Western Air Temple, as well as cities in the Earth Kingdom, such as Omashu, where Ceres and Aang developed a lasting friendship with the good-natured but eccentric Bumi. She and Aang even bonded closely with children in the Fire Nation, like Kuzon, with whom they went searching for a dragon in the mountains and saved a dragon egg from poachers.

Due to the signs of a possible war approaching, Aang was told about his status as the Avatar at age twelve, four years earlier than the traditional age of sixteen, which is similar for the Protector. Aang felt burdened by his status as the other children refused to play with him anymore and he came to spend more time practicing airbending with the monks. Monk Gyatso and Ceres were the only ones who showed understanding of Aang's burden, with Gyatso having been good friends with Avatar Roku and Guardian Sora, Ceres's and Aang's past lives, and tried to help ease Aang through the transition from childhood to adulthood by providing Aang with balance through fun during the upheaval in his life with Ceres, who stayed by Aang's side throughout his entire life, having Aang to never want to leave her and never want to see her getting hurt.

However, Aang and Ceres later discovered that they would be sent to the Eastern Air Temple in order to complete their airbending training far away from Monk Gyatso, whom the other monks thought was too soft on him. Afraid and confused, the two airbenders ran away with their flying bisons, Appa and Kaida, though they became caught in a storm shortly after, which caused them to crash into the water.

Aang and Ceres saved themselves, Appa and Kaida from drowning by semi-consciously entering the Avatar and Guardian States and freezing them both in a sphere of ice through a combination of airbending and waterbending. The Avatar and Guardian States kept them alive, albeit not fully conscious, in the iceberg for about a hundred years while the war raged on.

Trivia:

• Ceres means "Nourishment" in Latin.

• Unlike the color of their Avatar siblings' firebending, the color of the Guardian's yellow instead of orange. But that's only after they're revealed as the next Avatar and Guardian, that's how everyone can tell which sibling is the Avatar and the other is the Guardian, by the color of their firebending.

• Ceres is the first Guardian who can use bloodbending, but vows to never use it again.

• Ceres is the first Guardian who can use metalbending after convincing Toph to teach her.

[ronnansink-blog]

Intensive Research on Martial Arts Styles that Train with Equipment Similar to Hung Gar Iron Rings

Iron rings, commonly referred to as “iron bracelets” or simply “rings,” are perhaps most famously associated with certain Southern Chinese martial arts—especially Hung Gar (also spelled Hung Ga). However, other southern styles and some hybrid contemporary systems have also employed ring training or analogous equipment. Below is a deep dive into the nature of iron ring training, the martial arts that use them, their purpose, how they are integrated into practice, and some modern perspectives.

1. Overview: What Is Iron Ring Training?

Iron ring training is a traditional conditioning practice. Practitioners wear one or more metal rings—often up to a dozen per arm, depending on skill level—on their forearms while performing techniques or forms. The rings typically range from one to several pounds each. Most often, these rings are loose; they slide up and down the forearm as the practitioner moves, creating additional resistance and impacting the arms (controlled impact conditioning).

1.1 Purpose and Benefits

Strength & Conditioning: The sliding weight of the rings builds the muscle endurance of the arms and shoulders, develops grip strength, and conditions the forearms.

Tendon & Ligament Development: The repeated stress and vibration from the rings moving along the arms can help strengthen connective tissue over time.

Body Alignment & Structure: Proper stances and body alignment become more apparent under added resistance. If the structure is weak, the rings quickly reveal poor mechanics.

Energy Flow & Sensitivity (in Traditional Theory): Some lineages teach that ring training can help refine “energy” or “qi” awareness, as resistance can highlight movement inefficiencies or tension.

1.2 Concerns and Considerations

Risk of Injury: Excessive or improper use can cause bruises or joint stress—especially if used without correct body alignment.

Limited Direct Combat Transfer: While ring training improves muscle endurance and conditioning, critics note that wearing rings does not simulate typical combat scenarios. Rings are thus more of a supplemental method than a direct fighting tool.

Lineage Variations: Even within the same broad style (e.g., Hung Gar), teachers may differ in how and when they integrate ring training—some use it extensively; some treat it as optional or advanced.

2. Key Martial Arts Styles Using Iron Rings

While iron rings are most famously associated with Hung Gar, some other Southern Chinese styles or branches within them have been known to include similar training devices. Below are the primary styles and contexts.

2.1 Hung Gar (Hung Ga) Kung Fu

Primary Association: Hung Gar is nearly synonymous with iron ring training in Chinese martial arts pop culture and practice.

Historical Roots: Hung Gar’s reputation for iron rings is linked to the style’s emphasis on strong stances (horse stance), powerful bridging arms, and forearm conditioning (e.g., “Iron Wire Form,” or Tiet Sin Kuen).

How It’s Used: Practitioners often don rings during specific forms, stance work, or specialized drills to develop the forearms, shoulders, and upper body.

2.2 Choy Li Fut

Occasional Use: Not all Choy Li Fut lineages incorporate iron ring training, but some do—especially those with strong connections to other southern systems.

Similarity: Choy Li Fut places a strong emphasis on power generation, long-arm techniques, and hooking movements. Some teachers find that ring training can supplement these movements by adding weight and teaching the practitioner to maintain structure while whipping the arms.

2.3 Southern Mantis (Chu Gar, Chow Gar, etc.)

Conditional: Some schools of Southern Praying Mantis use weighted forearm guards or other forms of resistance training similar to the rings, though iron rings specifically are not universal. These lineages, known for short, explosive power, sometimes incorporate external equipment (like iron rings or sandbag forearm wraps) for conditioning.

2.4 Other Southern Styles (e.g., White Crane, Mok Gar)

Rarity: While not as prominently documented as Hung Gar, White Crane and Mok Gar are also reported to have used ring-like devices or weighted bangles. Typically, these are used in forms that emphasize forearm and wrist conditioning.

2.5 Hybrid or Modern Kung Fu Schools

Contemporary Fusion: Some non-traditional schools or “mixed” kung fu styles might incorporate iron ring drills, borrowing from Hung Gar for conditioning purposes.

Fitness & Demonstration: Modern instructors sometimes use rings for “showmanship” or unique strength-and-conditioning workouts. They might teach ring exercises as part of broader strength-building routines rather than strictly for traditional reasons.

3. Similar or Analogous Training in Other Martial Traditions

Outside of the Chinese context, there are some martial systems that use weighted or resistant equipment for the arms, although not always in the form of metal rings:

Shaolin Kung Fu

The Shaolin temple tradition occasionally incorporates metal rings in certain qigong or strength drills, though it’s less widespread than in Hung Gar. More common in Shaolin training are iron staffs, heavy weapons, or iron vests (for body conditioning).

Muay Thai

While Muay Thai fighters do not typically wear iron rings, they do forearm conditioning through impact training (heavy bag, pad work, sparring, and using Thai pads to check kicks). They may also use weighted jump ropes or light dumbbells in shadowboxing, which parallels the concept of adding resistance to refine technique.

Kali / Escrima / Arnis (Filipino Martial Arts)

Iron ring usage is not part of mainstream Filipino martial arts. However, some modern FMA practitioners might incorporate weighted forearm guards or wrist weights for conditioning and power striking drills with sticks. The principle is similar: add weight to refine technique and develop power.

Karate (Okinawan Traditions)

Hojo Undo tools in Goju-Ryu and other Okinawan styles include devices like “Nigiri Game” (gripping jars), “Chi Ishi” (stone mallets), and “Kongoken” (a large metal ring/oval used for dynamic tension exercises). The Kongoken can be seen as the closest Okinawan equivalent to a large “iron ring,” though it is not worn around the forearms but rather manipulated with the arms in various exercises to build functional strength.

Capoeira

Traditional Capoeira does not use weighted rings. However, modern practitioners sometimes incorporate resistance bands or small wrist/ankle weights for strength and acrobatic training—again, a parallel concept of adding external load.

4. How Iron Rings Are Integrated into Training

4.1 Basic Drills

Stance Holding: Practitioners hold traditional stances (horse stance, bow stance, cat stance) while wearing rings to develop leg strength and proper upper-body posture.

Arm Swinging & Blocking Drills: Rings provide a dynamic weight on the forearms while blocking or swinging motions are executed, enhancing muscle memory for stable, rooted movement.

Punching & Striking Sequences: Slow, controlled punching with rings to emphasize shoulder and forearm conditioning. The rings add slight drag, requiring extra force to complete a technique with structure.

4.2 Incorporation in Forms (Kuen)

Some forms, particularly “Iron Wire” in Hung Gar, are performed with rings. This advanced form uses “dynamic tension,” breathing, and is sometimes integrated with ring training for additional resistance.

4.3 Partner Drills

Light Contact Sparring: Not common in full sparring (due to risk of injury), but occasionally performed at low intensity for bridging practice—where practitioners train the contact point (bridge) between arms.

Push-Pull Sensitivity: The rings can help practitioners become more aware of correct angle and pressure while maintaining contact with an opponent’s arms.

5. Modern Perspectives and Usage

Supplementary Strength Training: Many modern teachers who still use the rings focus on them as a “traditional form of dumbbells or wrist weights.” They emphasize that rings are one part of a holistic training regimen.

Cultural Preservation: For some lineages, ring training is an important part of cultural and historical authenticity. Even if they do not consider it crucial for fighting, they preserve it for heritage.

Martial Sport vs. Traditional Practice: Competitive fighters (e.g., Sanda, MMA) typically rely on modern strength-and-conditioning programs rather than ring training. Traditional schools, by contrast, use ring training to keep classic methods and aesthetics alive.

Safety Warnings: Instructors generally warn beginners not to overload with too many rings or too much weight too soon, to avoid joint or muscle injuries.

6. Summary of Styles and Their Relationship with Iron Rings

Hung Gar (Hung Ga Kung Fu)

Core: Iconic and most widely recognized for ring training.

Focus: Forearm conditioning, stance stability, dynamic tension.

Choy Li Fut

Moderate: Some lineages use rings or ring-like equipment for arm endurance and whipping power.

Southern Mantis (Chu Gar, Chow Gar, etc.)

Varies: Some schools incorporate iron rings; others prefer different conditioning tools.

Other Southern Styles (White Crane, Mok Gar, etc.)

Less Documented: Some use ring training occasionally or in specialized forms.

Shaolin Kung Fu

Minor: Certain sub-styles or qigong routines may include ring work, but not as emblematic as in Hung Gar.

Karate (Okinawan Hojo Undo) – Analogous Tools

Kongoken: A large iron/steel hoop for dynamic tension and muscle building (not worn on the arms like Hung Gar rings, but conceptually related to weighted/resistance training).

Contemporary/Hybrid Kung Fu Schools

Creative Adaptations: Some instructors use ring training for fitness or bridging drills, adding variety to their curriculum.

7. Concluding Thoughts

Iron ring training stands out as an iconic facet of Southern Chinese martial arts, particularly Hung Gar. While the practice may seem esoteric to outsiders, its fundamentals—adding resistance and impact conditioning to develop strength, structure, and endurance—share parallels with strength-and-conditioning methods worldwide. Today, ring training endures as part of traditional and cultural preservation, a unique training method, and a supplemental form of resistance training in various Kung Fu schools.

In summary, if you are looking to explore iron ring training:

Seek a Qualified Instructor from a lineage that legitimately incorporates ring usage.

Progress Gradually to avoid injury—start with lighter rings, fewer repetitions.

Combine with Modern Training for comprehensive development—balance tradition with up-to-date exercise science.

Whether you are drawn to Hung Gar or a different style that includes ring training, understanding how and why the rings are used will ensure that you benefit from this traditional conditioning tool while minimizing risks.

[atlaculture]

Can I just say that your blog is a blessing? I never knew there was so much backstory and real-world references behind ATLA before I saw your posts. Thank u for your service

And thank you for the kind words! :-)

Avatar: The Last Airbender is indisputable proof that having cultural consultants as part of a production staff absolutely improves the overall quality of the work.

In particular, special accolades are in order for...

Dr. Siu-Leung Lee Ph.D.

Professional calligrapher and professor of Chinese history. He was the primary consultant for Avatar's Chinese influence and the de facto author of all the translation and calligraphy for Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.

I'm 99.9% certain he's responsible for many of the pun names and historical references in the show. For example, the bottom of the Avatar world map features a slightly re-worded quote from The Analects of Confucius:

Avatar Map Quote:

天下一匡 : The world [all under heaven] is restored by one.

The Analects of Confucius

一匡天下 : Through one, the world [all under heaven] is restored

Same characters, but different word order.

Sifu Kisu

The show’s martial arts consultant, Sifu Kisu’s skill in and knowledge of kung fu informs much of the philosophy behind bending. He worked on every episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender and about half of The Legend of Korra.

Fun Fact #1: He is the reason each nation has a unique bending style. Initially, Bryke conceived all four nations as using Northern Shaolin.

Fun Fact #2: For Toph’s unique bending style, Sifu Kisu brought on Manuel Rodriguez aka “Sifu Manny” to demonstrate Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis kung fu for the animators. Sifu Manny’s son, Joshua Murphy Rodriguez, was used as the physical model for Toph’s movements.

Fun Fact #3: Sifu Kisu has a Tumblr! Check it out right now!

Like what I’m doing? Tips always appreciated, never expected. ^_^

https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

[badgerfrogs]

in modern atla aus, i’ve noticed people tend to make zuko/toph/suki either chinese, japanese, or occasionally korean. atla draws from a lot of different sources, and i don’t think any of those are the wrong choices to make! however, i do think it would be interesting to see some other cultural/ethnic interpretations. (the examples i’m giving below are based on the assumption that fics involving them would take place in a country beside those mentioned, with the gaang being immigrants or children of immigrants.)

for zuko, the fire nation does draw a lot from imperial japan, but a fair amount of their architecture, regalia, and other cultural aspects come from southeastern asian countries (zuko’s firelord regalia is drawn from thai theatre costumes — another win for theater nerd zuko). i would love to see more fics with viet, thai, or even mongolian zuko (i’m currently working on one where ursa is from central vietnam). with zuko, because ursa is canonically from a different part of the fire nation from ozai, he could also be mixed asian: ursa from one country, and ozai from another, or ursa being a part of diaspora from a different country but growing up in the same place as ozai. hawaiian ursa is another possibility: the comics may be controversial, but her hometown of hira’a is inspired by japanese-settled hawaiian villages in the twentieth century (the name hira’a is a contraction of hirahara, the first name of one of the first japanese people to become a hawaiian settler, according to the atla wiki). taiwanese ursa is another possibility. singaporean zuko could be interesting as well, due to the multiculturalism in singapore and the diverse cultural influences of the fire nation.

toph’s hometown of gaoling in canon is fairly obviously inspired by china. however, rather than just pegging her ethnicity as “chinese,” her family coming from a specific ethnic group or region could be interesting. toph’s specific style of bending is based on chu gar southern praying mantis, which is a martial art originating from the hakka people, one of the most diasporic chinese community groups, which lends a lot of possibilities to her modern cultural heritage. her earth rumble outfit is influenced by european fashion styles — perhaps her grandparents or great-grandparents could have immigrated to europe, and then her parents to another country? or her parents could have met when her father immigrated — he looks a bit different from a lot of earth kingdom citizens (most notably because of his brown eyes). the earth kingdom also has influences from central asian cultures, so mongolian toph could also be a possibility.

for suki, there are also a few different possible modern interpretations. the one i find most compelling, but would also probably require the most research to do it justice, is okinawan suki. my knowledge of okinawan history isn’t that comprehensive, so if anyone else knows more about it please correct me if i’m wrong, but there are some parallels with kyoshi island: somewhat like how kyoshi island seems separate from a lot of the earth kingdom, okinawa is legally a part of japan but is culturally different. in atla, chin the conqueror attempted to colonize kyoshi island before kyoshi split it from the mainland, and kyoshi islanders appear ethnically different from the rest of the earth kingdom; okinawa was previously ruled by the ryukyu kingdom, and then was invaded and annexed by japan (and later colonized by the u.s. — a whole other issue) after the ryukyus refused the request of a japanese ruler to help his military campaign against china, and okinawans are culturally and ethnically a different group from japan. though these outcomes are slightly different, the cultural and ethnic identification difference strikes me as similar, as well as the historical struggle against colonization. the kyoshi warriors could be a group suki organized to protest against american bases in okinawa, or a cultural heritage association for suki and other okinawan girls to connect with their culture.

and some assorted extra ideas: airbender ty lee theory lends itself really well to ty lee being half-tibetan or the descendant of tibetan diaspora in another asian country; south asian influences are also big in the fire nation, despite the lack of characters who look south asian other than a few, so half- or quarter-south asian zuko could also be cool; south asian jet and haru is also an interesting concept; mai’s name is the cantonese pronunciation of “sleeve of a robe,” so she could be from hong kong or macau (the two places where the cantonese dialect is/was an official language).

[marked-by-fire]

Random Thoughts

I'm like 90% sure that Fist of Flowing Water, Crushing Rock is a mix of Tai Chi and Chu Gar (Praying Mantis Kung Fu). The movements seem to overlap quite a bit.

[nyansense-the-nyanbinary]

That being said. If memory serves, Toph uses a completely different martial arts style for her bending then the vast majority of other earthbenders-- based off of Chu Gar Praying Mantis, I think it was called?

The movements of the badgermoles

Avatar: The Last Airbender 1.05 | The King of Omashu

[cgunawan]

Film Journal #7

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)

Directed By Dave Filoni, Lauren MacMullan, Giancarlo Volpe, Anthony Lioi, Ethan Spaulding, Joaquim Dos Santos, Michael Dante DiMartino

Created By Michael Dante DiMartino, Brian Konietzko

Executive Producers Michael Dante DiMartino, Brian Konietzko, Aaron Ehasz

Written By Jymn Magon, Bruce Talkington & Mark Zaslove

Animated By JM Animation, DR Movie, Moi Animation

Production company Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Distributor MTV Networks

Original release February 21, 2005 – July 19, 2008  

1) Technique section:

Konietzko claims that the idea for the series first came to him in the beginning of 2001 as he was imagining a young version of an old sketch of a middle-aged, balding man. While viewing a programme on explorers stranded at the South Pole, DiMartino, who was present, saw the sketch of the man herding bison in the sky.

"There's an air person along with these water people imprisoned in a frozen wasteland... and maybe some fire people are crushing down on them," Konietzko said when describing their early conception of the idea. The idea was successfully submitted by the co-creators to Nickelodeon vice-president and executive producer Eric Coleman two weeks later.

The series is renowned for drawing heavily on East Asian mythology and art to create its fictional setting. To help choose its surroundings and visual direction, its authors enlisted the aid of calligrapher Siu-Leung Lee and cultural advisers Edwin Zane. Its character designs draw inspiration from Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Yoga, and Chinese art and history. Early on in the series' production, Jeremy Zuckerman and Benjamin Wynn collaborated to create the music and sound design; later, they divided the work, with Wynn handling the sound design and Zuckerman the music.

The "bender" characters' movements are inspired by Chinese martial arts, and Sifu Kisu of the Harmonious Fist Chinese Athletic Association served as a consultant for the design of these motions. Each fighting technique is exclusive to the "benders" who employ it or the characters who are connected with it. For instance, those who practise "waterbending" employ T'ai chi-inspired motions that are centred on alignment, body structure, breath, and visualisation. Hung Gar, chosen for its firmly planted postures and potent strikes as a depiction of the sturdiness of earth, served as the model for "earthbending" practitioners. To symbolise "firebending," the Northern Shaolin, which makes use of powerful arm and leg movements, was chosen. Ba Gua was utilised for "airbending," which involves dynamic circular movements and swift direction shifts. The earthbender Toph, who transforms into a praying mantis due to her eyesight, is seen practising the Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis technique. The portrayal of these martial art bending manoeuvres was influenced by Asian film.

This animation was done digitally using adobe software for the most part. It was the same technique as traditional animation but was done in a computer instead. From storyboarding (pre-production), to animating (production) and visual effect (post-production), they were all done mostly using computer software.

2) Representation section:

In the Asian-inspired world of Avatar, certain people have developed "bending" techniques that allow them to telekinetically control one of the four elements—earth, fire, water, or air. These techniques were influenced by Chinese martial arts. The "Avatar," the sole person capable of controlling all four elements, acts as a link between the material world and the spirit realm and is in charge of preserving peace among the four countries of the earth. The series uses images mostly from Chinese culture, with some East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, New World, Siberian, and Arctic influences. It is presented in a style that merges anime with American cartoons.

The twelve-year-old Aang, the current Avatar and the lone survivor of his nation, the Air Nomads, and his friends Katara, Sokka, and later Toph, set off on a mission to put a stop to the Fire Nation's conflict with the rest of the world. Along with his sage uncle Iroh, Zuko, the exiled prince of the Fire Nation, subsequently recruited his ambitious sister Azula to help him capture Aang in an effort to regain his lost glory.

3) Reception section:

For its characters, cultural allusions, art design, soundtrack, humour, and themes, Avatar: The Last Airbender was ratings hit and won praise from both viewers and reviewers. These topics include those in youth entertainment that are rarely discussed, such as war, genocide, imperialism, tyranny, indoctrination, and free will. Five Annie Awards, a Genesis Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Kids' Choice Award, and a Peabody Award were all won by the show. Many critics consider the programme to be among the best animated television programmes of all time.

In addition to a live-action picture and a planned live-action remake series made for Netflix, the expanded Avatar franchise also consists of continuing comics, prequel novels, animated sequels, and live-action films.  The entire series was made available to stream on Netflix in the US and Canada in May 2020, on Paramount+ in June 2020, and on Amazon Prime Video in January 2021. The Blu-ray release of the entire series took place in June 2018 to commemorate ten years since the series' finale.

I personally have not finished watching the series. I only started watching because it was such a popular show and I can get why. The whole production itself was very beautiful. I love how they used painting for their background, it reminds me of Ghibli animation. Story wise, it was well planned and detailed, which made the whole world building even more fascinating.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender

https://www.vice.com/en/article/5943jz/avatar-the-last-airbender-is-still-one-of-the-greatest-shows-of-all-time

https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/arts/television/kung-fu-fightin-anime-stars-born-in-the-usa.html

[wildlyresonantspell]

"Earth is the element of substance."

-Iroh

It's season is spring.

It's polar opposite is airbending.

Stubborn,headstrong,confrontational,standing one's ground, strong-willed, perseverance, and enduring.

[seismicsight]

   lowkey upset by the fact that Gene Yang pretty much never draws Toph using Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis forms, or any of the subtle moves that set her apart in the show. It’s all your standard earthbending fare, all power and very little subtlety. and sure, Toph is powerful, but what makes her so great isn’t just that, but the creativity that goes into her bending as well. 

[techmomma]

As I'm not very familiar with the Avatar setting or different unarmed martial arts styles, but Penwright's fighting style would be very simple, straightforward, and likely based around using weapons, like what soldiers would receive for basic training. As for bending powers, he would either be an earthbender that uses the ground for battlefield control, and precision strikes, or he would be a metalbender with a focus on weapons and armor. In short, he's a scrawny nerd that fights like a tank.

HMMMMMMMMMM. Honestly that sounds a lot like Toph’s style, Praying Mantis, which is historically known for being used by small or short people to put out a lot of power for their size. Especially Seven-Star Northern Praying Mantis, which has a number of weapons associated with it that practitioners use. 

Metalbenders in the show use Chu Gar, mixed with modern military fighting techniques, so something he’d have likely been taught were he a metalbender.

[avatarsymbolism]

Just thought of a parallel! Child prodigies fighting differently from most other practitioners of their bending art: Toph using Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis instead of Hung Gar style to earthbend, and Azula using Chachuan instead of Northern Shaolin style to firebend.

They actually use both those things, but their bending is dominated by both of those types of martial arts that you mentioned. 

Nice catch!

[believexus]

{ Quirk }

Name: Toph Beifong Nicknames: N/A Alias: The Runaway, The Blind Bandit Birthday: January 14th Age: 12 Gender: Female Height: 4'9" Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Sea Foam Green (Glazed Over) Blood Type: O Quirk: Seismic Sense

Status: Alive Birth Place: China Spoken Languages: Chinese, Japanese, English Family: Lao Beifong (Father; Alive -- Quirkless), Poppy Beifong (Mother; Alive -- Quirkless) Occupation: Runaway Kid Affiliation: N/A Team(s): N/A Fighting Style: Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis

~ Biography ~

Toph was born to the wealthy Beifong family in China, however, she was born blind and as a result of her parents, in particular, her father treated her as nothing but a helpless little blind girl. And it wasn't until she was four when her Quirk manifested, which was somewhat surprising to her parents as both of them were Quirkless. 

Her Quirk being called "Seismic Sense" had let the young girl 'see people and objects' through the earth. Though, despite her Quirk giving her the sight that her eyes didn't, her father still refused to not treat her as anything other than a "helpless blind girl". 

Which ultimately ended up pushing Toph away from both her parents, as her mother wouldn't help defend her. Not to mention, despite her blindness, her father wanted to make sure his daughter knew how to speak other languages -- so at a young age Toph was taught to speak English and even Japanese.

At the age of ten, Toph had started sneaking out of her home and participating in an underground Quirk fighting arena where she took on the name "The Blind Bandit" and ultimately ended up as the champion.

Two years later, a now twelve-year-old Toph has run away from home -- using the earnings that she made as "The Blind Bandit" to do so.

[sindri42]

Fire Nation is heavily based on Japan, Earth Kingdoms are mostly Chinese, Air Temples are harder to pin down exactly but heavily influenced by Tibetan culture and Shaolin monks, Water Tribes are mostly Inuit and Yupik.

Traditional bending styles are all classic Chinese martial art forms; airbending is Ba Gua, waterbending is T’ai Chi, earthbending is Hung Gar (except Toph’s style, which is closer to Chu Gar Southern Praying Mantis, because she had no teachers except the badger moles and maintaining her stance is even more vital than to a seeing earthbender), and firebending is Northern Shaolin (with a little bit of Baji Quan kung fu for lightning).

Writing is traditional Chinese characters, eating utensils are always chopsticks, symbolism and mythology is a blend of Tao, Shinto, Buddhist, and Hindu...

Once again the journalists have looked at a world completely devoid of white people and made it all about white people.

Imagine being this ungodly fucking racist

[ctheguitarman]

Actually the attention to detail is still there with Toph. She’s not just ‘an earthbender, but better’ she uses two completely distinct styles of Earthbending, that are separate from any other earthbender on the show.

Most earthbenders style is based on Hung Gar Kung Fu, but Toph’s is based on Southern Praying Mantis. Because Toph learned directly from the original earthbenders, the Badger Moles. The reason Toph is so much better is because every other Earthbender is learning a watered down form of the style, built around learning from humans who learned from humans who learned from humans etc all the way back to the original. Toph got it right from the source.

Secondly, metalbending is based on Chu Gar, which is a style of kung fu developed by someone while they were being held i captivity, like how Toph developed metalbending while she was captured.

Seriously, the attention to detail in this show is phenomenal.

Avatar: The Last Airbender 1.05 | The King of Omashu