Wikia

Avatar Wiki

Jing

Comments70
8,318pages on
this wiki
CPrince Headpiece Good
Jing
The Gopher applying positive jing in battle concurrently with Toph's utilization of neutral jing.
Lady LostrisAdded by Lady Lostris

Jing (勁; spelled Jīng or Jīn, also known as "Nei Jin" or "Fa Jin", (發勁) — meaning "power" or "energy") is a term that describes the myriad of options toward which one can direct his or her energy, both internally and externally. According to Bumi, they correspond to tactics and strategies in battle.[1]

Contents

Known types Edit

According to Bumi, there are, at least technically, eighty-five distinct types or "degrees" of jing, although only the main three have been mentioned:

  • Positive jing, corresponding to advancing or attacking.
  • Negative jing, corresponding to retreating or evading.
  • Neutral jing, corresponding to waiting and listening, or, as Bumi described it, "doing nothing".[1]

Positive jing Edit

Octopus form
The octopus form is one of the many techniques in waterbending that allows waterbenders to maintain a balance between positive and negative jing.
Lady LostrisAdded by Lady Lostris

Positive jing is mostly exercised in firebending, and complements the aggressive tactics of firebenders during combat. Firebenders typically prefer preemptive strikes, to attack first and to come at their opponents with full force and overwhelming sheer power. These positive jing attributes are also found in the attitudes and the willful natures that are common amongst the people of the Fire Nation.

Negative jing Edit

Negative jing is mostly exercised in airbending, reflecting the Air Nomads' pacifistic lifestyle and their philosophy that all life is sacred; they asserted that fighting is only used as a last resort when conflict cannot be avoided.[2] Airbenders are more mobile fighters compared to earthbenders and possess a highly dynamic fighting style. A comment made by Bumi highlights that in combat, to "avoid and evade" is a typical airbender tactic.[3]

In the case of waterbending, common maneuvers involve following the moon and the ocean's example of "push and pull".[4] As such, waterbenders will alternate between and maintain a balance of both positive and negative jing in combat, allowing them to turn defense into offense as they use their opponent's force against them while conserving their own.

Neutral jing Edit

Toph's vision
Seismic sense is a specialized technique under earthbending which utilizes concepts involved with neutral jing.
Random RanaunAdded by Random Ranaun

Neutral jing is stated to be the key to earthbending. Fundamentally, neutral jing involves listening, though seemingly doing nothing, and waiting for the right moment to strike. When in combat, earthbenders are more stationary combatants compared to airbenders, usually waiting for their opponent to come to them, while standing their ground and meeting their opponents' attacks head-on, before delivering a deadly strike of their own. Neutral jing forms the basis of true earthbending, and is the concept used by the first earthbenders, the badgermoles. The idea is also fundamental in seismic sense, a perceptive fighting style used by select benders, one of whom was Toph.[5]

As highlighted, someone who has mastered neutral jing is someone who waits and listens before striking. Bumi relied on neutral jing while earthbending, to the extent that he refused to flee Omashu even when Aang came to his rescue. His desire to wait for an opportune moment to strike was initially baffling to his soldiers and to Aang, although the Avatar later accepted Bumi's decision.[1] The king eventually freed himself during the Day of Black Sun, which he recognized as the right moment to strike, seeing as how his captors were defenseless without firebending.[6]

Quotes Edit

Discussion about the concept of jing between Avatar Aang and King Bumi:

"I don't understand. Why didn't you free yourself? Why did you surrender when Omashu was invaded? What's the matter with you, Bumi?"
"Listen to me, Aang. There are options in fighting, called jing. It's a choice of how you direct your energy..."
"I know! There's positive jing when you're attacking, and negative jing when you're retreating!"
"... and neutral jing when you do nothing!"
"There are
three jings?"
"Well, technically, there are eighty-five. But, let's just focus on the third. Neutral jing is the
key to earthbending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."
"That's why you surrendered, isn't it?"
"Yes, and it's why I can't leave now."
"I guess I need to find someone else to teach me earthbending."
"Your teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral jing. You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking."
"Hey, Momo!"
"Momo's mastered a few jings himself!
"
Aang and Bumi.[1]


Trivia Edit

  • Knowledge of jing seems to have been well known or was at least common knowledge prior to the Hundred Year War, as Aang and Bumi seem to understand its ideas with relative ease, while many modern earthbenders fail to exhibit knowledge of the concept.
  • The concept of jing, while it can be reflected as the differences of options open to a person in battle, actually also corresponds to all aspects of a person's life and not just on the battlefield.
  • A parallel to the series' concept of jing would be the "fight or flight" response in psychology; certain personality types are more inclined to act in accordance to a particular jing.

References Edit

External links Edit

Start a Discussion Discussions about Jing

You can find discussions about everything related to this wiki on Avatar Wiki Forum!

Advertisement | Your ad here

Related videos

Remove video
Are you sure you want to remove this video from the Videos list?
Please wait wile we are removing the video
Error occurred while loading data. Please recheck your connection and refesh the page.
88 Videos on this wiki
Add a video
Be the first to add a video
1 of 1

Latest images

Add an image
6,205images on the wiki
See all photos >

Recent Wiki Activity

See more >

Around Wikia's network

Random Wiki