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Cultural Weapons: Jet’s Hook Swords

Jet’s hook swords go by a variety of names:

Twin Hooks (Shuang-Gou/双钩)

Tiger-Head Hooks (Hutou-Gou/虎头钩)

Heaven & Earth Sabers (Qian Kun Dao/乾坤刀)

Sun & Moon Sabers (Ri Yue Dao/日月刀)

Regardless of what you call them, they’re a fascinating choice of weapons for the roguish guerrilla fighter. For one, while hook swords are now used in a few different forms of kung fu, they’re traditionally associated with Northern Shaolin. Firebending is also based in Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. In other words, Jet’s fighting style is likely heavily inspired by Firebending. This is both very appropriate and very tragic: On one hand, most of Jet’s worldly possessions are likely scavenged from violent encounters with the Fire Nation; on the other hand, considering all the hardship Jet has experienced as a result of Firebending, it probably causes him more than a little strife that he has to defend himself using Firebender-esque techniques.

If you’d like to see some amazing demonstrations of hook swords click here, here, and here.

The other aspect of Jet’s swords that’s so interesting are their historical context. Like Zuko’s broadswords, Jet’s hook swords are a relatively new kind of weapon from the Qing Dynasty, were created/used exclusively by civilians, and initially had a rather “low class” reputation. They’re fitting weapons for an orphaned freedom fighter who regularly takes on trained soldiers. Is it any wonder why Jet and Zuko worked so well together on the ferry to Ba Sing Se?

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https://ko-fi.com/atlaculture

woodrider

Banishment is the funniest punishment I can think of. Just get out of here

drowning-moonlight

azuzula

DID U GUYS SEE THE MEXICAN SWIMMERS WITH ATLA THEMED SWIMSUITS THEYRE SO CUTE

theotheristhedoctor

Ok minor detail but ...

So I noticed in A:TLA, and it’s carried over in LoK, that Airbenders always seem to have an advantage in a fight. And at first, it felt like plot armour, particularly in A:TLA.

But when Aang fought Bumi, he lost most of that advantage. And I realised that this wasn’t just plot armour. Someone had sat and worked it out: nobody has had to fight Airbenders for generations.

None of the other nations have had to train to face them, or practised sparring with them, or anything. Apart from Bumi, no bender in the show has ever even met an airbender before Aang comes along. And in LoK, for the most part people still haven’t. We never see fights between those who have (for e.g. we never see Tenzin and Lin fight); when Korra and Tenzin use airbending, its a unique fighting style that people aren’t trained to manage.

It’s a really small detail, and it fundamentally works to give the heroes an advantage (and make up for Aang’s young age and lack of combat experience), but I love how it’s an advantage in combat for completely logical reasons.

The detail in these shows is amazing.

sindri42

You can see the same principle in play whenever somebody fights somebody who uses a completely unfamiliar style. Combustion benders and lavabenders aren’t straight up more powerful, but they’re pretty much always something you haven’t dealt with which presents unique challenges. That red lotus lady with no arms is just a perfectly ordinary waterbender, but using forms and styles nobody else has seen before. Jet routinely smacks around benders and soldiers, but loses hard to the first person he met who had actually studied diverse styles of swordplay. When Toph invents metalbending, nobody can deal with that, but seventy years later the counters are pretty well known among people who might have to fight the cops.

And it’s why Azula, a genius prodigy who has thought long and hard about how to counter every kind of magic and martial arts out there, keeps getting messed up by a kid with a boomerang.

aang-beifong

Atla boys + sharing one brain cell.

mezalea

so I came to a realization while reading some stuff about ozai. bitchlord had the shortest reign of any firelord ever, but that isn’t the funniest thing yet. it was listed that the most notable victories of his reign was the surrender of omashu and the fall of ba sing se.

both of those were led by azula, not ozai. in short, his fourteen year old mentally unstable daughter did more in ozai’s seven year term than ozai ever did.

do what you want with this information. loserlord, indeed.

hollypunkers

He didn’t even get the throne on his own, Ursa masterminded the entire coup for him

mezalea

the tags say no lies

roach-works

ozai fought two thirteen year olds as a grown man. the first one surrendered. the second one did not surrender and went on to absolutely kick his ass.

massacre-girlypop

I’ll add that Ozai lost to the 12-year-old Avatar quite literally 15 minutes into his Sozin’s-comet-infused raid on the rest of the world. You know. The comet that literally began the war and gives Firebenders insane amounts of power. The invasion DIDN’T EVEN START and it was over.

This man lost the War that had lasted 100 years while he was cracked out of his mind on power to a 12-year-old who had only learned the other three elements earlier that year. I repeat. LOSERLORD INDEED.

thottiehardy-deactivated2023111

You can tell Iroh was the cool brother

benditlikekorra

sarkopterygia

Beforeby *Nymre

blvvdyindustries

WHO TOLD YOU THAT THIS WAS OKAY

sunlightmoonlightstarlight

Isn’t this rather out of character?

fireroyals

No. No it’s not. Because of this:

Do you see that?^

Because the rivalry wasn’t always there.

Because she was little once.

Because there was a time when she wasn’t a strategic genius and a firebending prodigy.

Because he didn’t always have to live under her shadow just ‘cause their scumbag of a father said so.

Because once they were just kids.

So no, dear, it’s not out of character. Not at all.

threehoursfromtroy

This is why I always, always appreciate how their final agni kai was framed. It wasn’t a big hero moment for Zuko, it wasn’t an action spectacular. It was a tragedy. The sins of the parents–and Ursa is not blameless in this–played out in their children. So much damage done. In another time, with a different upbringing, they could’ve been like Sokka and Katara. Instead? Instead…

catnoirz

I saw this and was weak. I reblog.

midnight-spectrum-again

Another fan fic I need to write

gigglygamer

Reblog if Fan Fics are just as valid as Fan Art

Affirmation for writers, please!!

Likes do nothing!!

redbelles

ZUTARA + PARALLELS PART TWO:

You rise with the moon; I rise with the sun.

zukosunquestionablehonor

source: @mjalti and @avatar-chang

atlalore

Anyone notice how Aang greets humans and spirits based on their nation/culture?

Water tribe

Fire nation

Spirits

Air nomads

aangtics

Yes! Noticed this in the series and loved it! A solid nod to the Avatar’s role as a whole – keeping balance, which is not just ending disputes in physical combat, but also includes one’s conduct. Acknowledging and respecting each culture and adapting accordingly.

aangtics

I always forget that one of the reasons Sokka is such a good fighter is because Suki taught him. In fact, you could argue that she helped lay the solid foundation because prior to their interactions on Kyoshi Island, he most likely only learned very simple stuff/technique from his father as a child (prior to all the men leaving to join the war). And perhaps from a few writings/scrolls left behind? Suki really isn’t getting enough credit.