Wait, how do you do it wrong?
Combustionbending is likely a microcosm of bending itself, that is it requires training, but if you don't have the ability, no amount of training in the world will give it to you.
The first time we saw him attempt it, he just tried to squeeze the meteorite. When he was sparring with Wei, he tried to squeeze the meteorite again. And when he tried to metalbend the cell door, he just acted like it was stone.
Metalbending has been established as something that has to be finessed. Don't try to just brute-force a chunk of metal; find the inclusions in it and manipulate those. Every time we saw Bo try, he was trying to brute-force it.
And while DiMartino clarified that combustionbending is almost certainly beyond the reach of most firebenders (as in, Mako—to pick a random firebender—probably couldn't just decide to learn it), he also implied rather heavily that it's not necessarily an inherent talent that requires said firebender to be born with an overdeveloped ājňā or whatever.
Oh yeah. That makes sense.
I read it, have read it again, & still don't see this "implication," partly because they are mutually exclusive. Either it is an innate special ability, or anyone could learn it in theory.
The official story on P'Li is that she was abducted as a child on account of being a nascent combustionbender.
DiMartino's exact words were "I don't think most firebenders could learn it." That implies that it's something that can be learned.
And no, it being something that can be learned—but only by a firebender with sufficient focus and raw power—does not contradict there being prodigies with an innate affinity for it.
What "most couldn't learn it" implies is that there's something you need BEYOND the training in order to do it.
The alternative is basically Suyin's view: "Anyone can learn X, the only thing limiting you is your attitude."
I again draw the analogy to bending as a whole. Yes, it requires training, but it's STILL something that you either have or don't.
Except that's a false dichotomy. "Most firebenders can't do this" does imply that there is something required beyond the canonically dangerous training, true; but it doesn't imply that it's a matter of innate talent. (Or are you implying that focus and raw power—which I posited as requisite—count as either innate talent or products of training?)
I would actually consider a physical "Combustionbending" gene to be the limiting innate factor, but yes, I would say that all traits can be distinguished as either innate or trained. And the only way to be truly unable to develop an ability through training would be if you lack some crucial innate trait that essentially allows the training to work.
Kind of like how some people might use the expression "I can't tan," describing a general difficulty of achieving certain levels of skin pigmentation, but this being distinct from albinos (& some other individuals) literally being unable to tan.
Avataraang123 wrote: P'li's third eye is much fancier than combustion man's third eye
That's because C. Man's third eye is just basic; the creators probably didn't think about making another Firebender like him in the future.
People do like to be reminded of older things. Rogue One is perfect example of 'old' new stuff.
The main difference I can see between their focus tatts is that P'Li's "ash stripes" were tapered wave forms instead of hexagonal bars, and she had the activation point marked.